Project Title: Exploring Primary Educator Use of BioBlitz to Develop Capacity
A BioBlitz is a focused concentration on a specific location through photographs. Educators use BioBlitzes to explore different capacity building and curricular needs for students, and in doing so, connect students to their community and nature in their environment. Currently, the National Geographic organization (https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/bioblitz/) has designed lessons and activities for students in Grade 4 and older. This research acknowledges and appreciates educators use of BioBlitzes at all grade levels, a focus on primary grades, and the potential to develop capacity is stated.
Researcher Identity
Name of Principal Researcher: Dr. Stephanie Ann Sadownik
Email of Researcher: stephanie.sadownik@utoronto.ca or stephanie.sadownik@yrdsb.ca
Purpose and Use of the Research
The objectives of the study are to explore how primary educators use BioBlitzes to develop capacity. To achieve this objective the study is designed to introduce the activity with a short video discussing a BioBlitz that school principals can introduce to teachers through a staff meeting or professional development activity.
The recorded video is posted a YouTube account and can be reviewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UAlt8T5R2E&feature=youtu.be
A survey link is provided for primary educators to document a plan for how to use a BioBlitz following the video introduction and brainstorm with their subject/grade level teaching team/group. https://forms.gle/u3ZqnRShLEWj5SKM9
Following the activity, a survey link is provided for primary educators to share how the planned BioBlitz activity.
https://forms.gle/eSh3Ho6crwDzntJ76
Theoretical Framework
Piaget’s concept of pre-operational children ages 2-7 are the basis of this study. In particular, this study considers the role of the primary educator in developing capacity and alignment with reality in the areas of: egocentrism; concepts of time and space; transductive thinking; animistic views of the world; causality and pseudolearning.
Egocentrism, as noted by Piaget, suggests that pre-operational students believe that their perception and view of the world is the same as everyone else. Compared to the sensorimotor stage, a pre-operational student is capable of thinking of the present, past and future in short periods while the concept of space now includes community features found in their existing neighborhood, home and outside yard (Bybee & Sund, 1990).
Transductive thinking occurs when pre-operational children reason from particular to particular (Bybee & Sund, 1990). Piaget notes that the pre-operational student believes causal relationships occur when some things occur together (i.e. A causes B and B causes A) (Bybee & Sund, 1990). Bybee and Sund (1990) posit that students in the pre-operational stage may attribute human characteristics to plants and animals through their animistic view of the world. Animistic views of the world consider all objects and events to be made or caused by humans (p. 77).
Pseudolearning, Bybee and Sund (1990) suggest, can fool educators and parents when a pre-operational student is capable of parroting information back immediately after being told a realistic explanation. Therefore, Bybee and Sund (1990) suggest an educator’s role is to improve these explanations for why things occur through an alignment with reality (p. 78). Pointing to Piaget, Bybee and Sund (1990) suggest this alignment cannot be achieved without a real change of mental awareness and note educators are ideally placed and have the ability to remedy this through social interaction and experience (p. 77).
Bybee, R. W., & Sund, R. B. (1990). Piaget for educators.
Appendix A- Informed Consent
This study is listed under the University of Toronto ethics protocol # 45197.
If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a research participant and/or your experiences while participating in this study, you may contact the
Research Oversight and Compliance Office – Human Research
Ethics Unit (ethics.review@utoronto.ca, 416-946-3273).
Please keep this form for your records, a link to a pdf version that can be downloaded is provided .
