Science in Action! Outreach Program Promotes Confidence in Teaching Science

Leading scientists recognize the need to be proactive about educational reform. To address some of the challenges of teaching K-6 science, our outreach program, Science in Action! (SIA!), pairs undergraduates with K-6 classrooms to do hands-on, inquiry-based science. Our goal is to increase science literacy in our community through developing the science understanding and teaching skills of pre-service teachers, recruit more STEM majors into teaching careers, and promote enthusiasm and curiosity in the science K-6 classroom. We describe Science in Action! and describe the effect participation in the program has on undergraduates. In particular, we asked how participation effects pre-service elementary school teachers, who generally have a limited science background, and science majors, who are in the process of deciding a future career path. Pre-service teachers reported that their participation in SIA! deepened both their understanding of the scientific method and science content, as well as increased their confidence in being able to teach science. The number of science majors seriously considering a teaching career increased significantly after participating in Science in Action!