Re-imagining STEAM Curriculum Through Play and Climate Literacy

pi_name

Christine Lee

pi_email

clee@labschool.ucla.edu

pi_phone

818 590 2179

pi_department

Education

pi_title

Project Scientist

other_key_personnel

Megan Franke
Anna Terrazas
Cristina Paul
Darwin Saul Hernandez
Laila Shaaban
Curren Mandon
Gayeon Koh

abstract

This study is a collaboration with Dr. Christine Lee, Dr. Megan Franke, and primary level teachers. Our study aims to understand how play and the arts in STEAM curriculum are integral in developing climate literacy in ways that support students’ growing identities as environmental stewards. The research study will analyze students’ final art installation on the environment and video recordings of students during art and play-based activities to understand how STEAM curriculum can address current needs in understanding how to implement climate education into everyday instructional practices.

project_summary

The purpose of this participatory research study is to investigate how STEAM education can foster climate literacy in ways that support the development of students’ identities as environmental stewards. While the larger field of education has recognized the need and importance of implementing climate education into curriculum and classrooms, we still have much work to do in understanding how to implement these curricular goals into everyday instructional practice. In response to educational initiatives that call for schools to teach students to become climate literate, the 1st and 2nd grade teachers at UCLA Lab School (Primary Level) plan to implement a STEAM curriculum, highlighting play and the arts. This research study will document how the Lab School teachers utilize play and the arts to support students’ identities as environmental stewards over the 2023-2024 academic school year. Our data collection will include (1) video recordings of students engaged in art and play-based classroom activities and (2) documentation of the evolution of students’ final art installation on the environment.

goals

This study aims to understand how play and the arts in elementary curriculum can support students in developing environmental and climate literacy in ways that develop students’ identities as environmental stewards. The research study is in collaboration with all five primary classroom teachers and will analyze students’ final art installation on the environment and the video recordings of students during art and play-based activities to understand how STEAM curriculum can address current needs in understanding how to implement climate education into everyday instructional practices.

benefits_of_research

With ongoing climate issues, it has never been more important to understand how we can design and implement a curriculum for environmental education. Recently, there has been a worldwide call for climate literacy and critical environmental education. Warming temperatures, rising sea levels, fires, and droughts are a few of the ongoing climate issues we face today. While scholars have agreed that designing and implementing climate literacy in PK-12 curriculum is essential, there is little clarity and consensus on how to include these critical literacy skills into everyday instruction. Instead of viewing climate or environmental education as a separate discipline or subject matter, the Lab School teachers view climate literacy as part of multidisciplinary approaches to learning. This study will examine how teaching environmental education through play and art can support students’ identities as environmental stewards.

dissemination/publications

Potential publications will include CONNECT Teacher blogs, conferences, journal articles, and book chapters.

numer_of_subjects

125

selection_criteria

All primary students will be included in the study.

methods

Data collection for this research includes (1) documentation of students’ final art installation on the environment and (2) video recordings of classroom activities that utilize art and play to teach environmental education. Data will be analyzed to understand how a multidisciplinary curriculum that highlights play and the arts can support students as environmental stewards who care for the environment.

instruments

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instruments_other

Documentation of students' final art installation on the environment.

instrument_explanations

Video recordings of classroom activities will occur in collaboration with teachers during instructional time. We will video record art and play activities 1-2 times per week for 30-45 minutes in the winter and spring quarter. The video recordings will be used to analyze how play and the arts develop students' climate literacy and support identities as emerging environmental stewards. Therefore, our video analysis will focus on students' discourse and interactions as they play and make art on the environment (specifically, the relationship between humans, pollinators, and plants). At the end of the academic year, primary classrooms will produce a culminating art installation that engages the larger school community. Therefore, in addition to analyzing the discourse and interactions of play and art making, we will document the final art installation on pollinators, plants, and the human impact on the ecosystem. The focus of our analysis on the final art installation will be to examine how students utilize art to communicate the need to address ongoing climate issues.

justification_of_methods

The purpose of this study is to document how primary teachers at Lab School utilizes play and the arts in STEAM curriculum to support climate literacy and students' identities as environmental stewards. Therefore, our data collection includes documentation and video recordings of play and art activities that take place across the winter and spring quarters.

separate_informed_consent

n/a

risk_minimization

n/a

deception_debriefing

n/a

confidentiality_data_storage

We will use a password protected hard drive and UCLA Box to store data. Only members of the study will have access.

relationship_prior_contact

The Lab School Primary level teachers have been regularly meeting with Dr. Christine Lee. Together, they have been planning and designing this research study.

teachers_staff_consent

n/a

ucla_lab_school_personnel_involved

Primary teachers

academic_topic

Environmental education, Elementary Curriculum, STEAM Education

information_from_ucla_lab_school_database

n/a

special_requirements_at_ucla_lab_school

n/a

estimated_start_date

20240226

estimated_end_date

20240614

irb

24-000014

attachments

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