Christopher Murakami - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Christopher Murakami

Cultural studies of science education, 2019

In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore h... more In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore how sociomaterial perspectives can inform theory and practice in equitable science education. This study took place in a biological science-focused asynchronous learning environment which consisted of a collection of technological tools designed for students to fully participate in science practices outside of a face-to-face or laboratory setting. We explored the data using theoretical perspectives that were new to us and helped us shed light on the intertwined roles of materials and humans in online learning in terms of equitable science assessment practices. Our work provided an opportunity for researchers and instructional designers to examine the social and material dimensions that affect learners in technology-enhanced science learning environments and address potentially oppressive sociomaterial assemblages.

Cultural Studies of Science Education, Sep 27, 2017

This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of ... more This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of responding to a student's identity of non-participation within an undergraduate science classroom. Mapping rhizomes represents an ongoing and experimental process in consciousness. Rhizomatic mapping in educational studies is too often left out of the products of academic pursuits. In this paper, we try to capture this process, and let the process capture us. This manuscript starts with a focus on just one student, but maps our reflexive terrain that helped us think in new ways about persistent problems in science learning. As we decided how to address this student's identity of non-participation, we learned about the intertwined stories of the researchers and the researched and the challenges of designing inclusive learning environments. Keywords Rhizome Á Identity Á Reflexivity Á Agroecology Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's (1987) concepts of mapping and tracing rhizomes are used to make new meaning of Bermuda grass, a rhizomatic weed encountered by the authors in a community garden. We explore an identity of non-participation, a construct proposed by Etienne Wenger (1998) that initiated this rhizomatic analysis. According to Lead Editor: R. Gisewhite.

School Science and Mathematics, Nov 12, 2018

While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional dev... more While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional development (PD), teachers' perceptions of their PD needs are less understood. In this study, we sought to explore teachers' perceptions of their PD needs, including PD format, time frame, and topics covered, and how those perceptions varied by teachers' district size, grade level, subject area, and years of experience. Participants included a statewide representative sample of 800 elementary and secondary STEM teachers with a wide range of teaching experience and from small to large school districts across Missouri. Each participant responded to the MO-STEM PD Needs Assessment, a 61-item Likert scale survey. We found teachers to be most interested in learning about real-world issues and problem-based learning to teach STEM content. Teachers' participation in PD positively correlated with district size and the manner in which PD is valued in their community of practice, while years of teaching experience was negatively correlated with interest in virtually all categories of the survey, including formats of PD delivery and the majority of PD topics. We conclude with a discussion of the ways in which teachers' expressed preferences for PD ran contrary to what the literature suggests as best practices for PD.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Nov 1, 2014

Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" ... more Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" that rely upon scientific knowledge and the ability to negotiate multiple forms of evidence and reasoning to make informed decisions. Historically, Environmental Education and Science Education have been well positioned to provide learning experiences that support the development of important skills like Discourse that are requisite for full participation in our worldwide community. In this article, we explore the confluence of environmental education, science education, and the emergence of an empirical model for socio-scientific Issues (SSI) based teaching and learning. While environmental education and science education have distinct differences, there are significant overlaps in content and process. The emergence of SSI from the field of science education presents opportunities to drive environmental education, and a new framework for guiding SSI based teaching and learning can be useful in terms of informing focus, structure and processes for teaching through issues. Using hydrofracturing as a sample issue, we demonstrate how this recently developed SSI framework can be applied to create learning environments that support

Urban Agriculture, 2021

In 2009, The Urban Agriculture Education Organization (UAEO) was founded by a group of environmen... more In 2009, The Urban Agriculture Education Organization (UAEO) was founded by a group of environmental and food system activists to provide food and garden-based education programming. This study focuses on the organizational learning and change within their community of practice from 2008-2014. Narrative interviews were conducted with UAEO founders in 2011 and education program employees in 2014. The chapter presents the "healthy soil ecosystem system" model that is an extended metaphor to describe the practices of the education organization and describes the interrelated practices of (1) participating in the community ecosystem, (2) balancing fertility, (3) improving structure, and (4) enhancing biotic activity. Each of these four themes is described and situated within the story of UAEO's educational program development and helps describe what it means to be a practitioner of urban agriculture education for the organization over time. These practice areas help highlight what was valuable for the organization and our analysis helps describe how organizations consider core practices and continue to reflect and improve programs over time. The implications for urban agriculture and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education practitioners and research are discussed.

Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal, 2018

During an historic semester of student led protests for social justice, the University College of... more During an historic semester of student led protests for social justice, the University College of Education (pseudonym) facilitated an action planning session for diversity, inclusion, and social justice. This paper is guided by the question, how can data gathered from an action planning meeting on diversity, inclusion, and social justice be a/r/tographically (Irwin & De Cosson, 2004) represented to support self-awareness and transformative learning experiences? The four co-authors engaged in poetic representation (Ward, 2011) and describe how the data analysis and poem construction yielded opportunities for critical reflection in pursuit of educational equity. This work calls for continued dialogue, action, and emotional commitment to address issues of marginalization in education. The potential of arts-based research to help mediate transformative and lifelong learning regarding diversity and inclusion are discussed.

Learning, Food, and Sustainability, 2016

I remember standing in front of the crowd of preschoolers, parents, and other leaders at the Mid-... more I remember standing in front of the crowd of preschoolers, parents, and other leaders at the Mid-Western Land Grant University (MWLGU) while nervously delivering a speech that told the story of how our Learning Garden (LG) developed and what I learned from the process. In my best sport coat, a remarkable find at a thrift store, I took the microphone and read from the notes on my smart phone, standing next to the Dean for the College of Environmental and Human Sciences, the Department Co-Chair for Family Studies, the Director of the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS) division, and the donors who put forth the $50,000 contribution to build the major phase of the LG.

Science Education, 2012

Williams and Brown position the emerging trend of learning gardens as a justified alternative to ... more Williams and Brown position the emerging trend of learning gardens as a justified alternative to the mechanized and dominant contemporary education system. In Learning Gardens and Sustainability Education: Bringing Life to Schools and Schools to Life, the authors call upon their years of experience developing and researching learning gardens to present and justify their metaphorical living soil construct. They present the living soil idea as a series of seven interconnected and transformative aspects of learning gardens: "cultivating a sense of place," "fostering curiosity and wonder," "discovering rhythm and scale," "valuing biocultural diversity," "embracing practical experience," "nurturing interconnectedness," and "awakening the senses" (p. 46). This approach is consistent with the authors' understanding of sustainability education and is presented as a recommended approach for designing, evaluating, and conceptualizing the student learning that occurs in effective school gardens. To validate and demonstrate the living soil metaphor, the authors integrate student work samples, stories from the garden, curricular examples, and narratives. This book's rich stories, poetry, and persuasive synthesis of literature in garden education provide an artful and authentic representation of the diverse ways of experiencing, knowing, and learning in a garden. Instructors, principals, and superintendents prepared the most notable narratives with experiences teaching, organizing, and advocating for learning gardens. These perspectives represent a spectrum of issues and promises associated with their experiences in learning gardens. Williams and Brown conclude that education through learning gardens, aligned with their living soil metaphor, is progress toward the "regenerative education" needed for sustainability. The authors appropriately acknowledge that their framework is not a recipe for learning gardens and sustainability education and that gardens must be situated with reverence to the needs of the community. Ontologically, the authors are content with understanding and valuing local contexts and sources of knowledge found in learning garden communities. This critical-feminist stance provides strength and resiliency in opposition to the hegemonic paradigms of standardized testing and reductionist ways of knowing and educating. The authors ardently claim that "when we cultivate the soil of the school grounds, we also learn a new language with which to describe teaching and learning in an ecological context" (p. 200). This culture emerges when educators embrace pedagogical approaches that "bring life to schools" by cultivating community resources (p. 46). For readers of Science Education, Williams and Brown provide a carefully crafted criticism of the predominant forms of science education and education in general. Garden

Agriculture and Human Values, Nov 12, 2016

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address... more Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners' capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems

There are fewer Certified Organic producers in the Mid-South US (southern half of Missouri, weste... more There are fewer Certified Organic producers in the Mid-South US (southern half of Missouri, western Kentucky and Tennessee, northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma) than in other regions of the country such as the Upper Midwest, West Coast, or Northeastern US. Taus et al. (2013) The Professional Geographer 65, 87–102, posit that these clusters suggest regional characteristics impact adoption of organic agriculture and admit that regional studies lack consensus on the role of factors that drive adoption. This paper seeks to understand if there are regionally distinct challenges and opportunities for organic production in the region. Fourteen certified organic producers in Missouri were interviewed and areas of challenges and opportunities specific to their certification were identified within the three a priori themes of (1) biophysical characteristics, (2) marketing infrastructure and (3) financial feasibility. We suggest directions for future policy support from the National Organic...

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

Initial forecasts predicted severe financial losses for small and midsized farmers as the COVID-1... more Initial forecasts predicted severe financial losses for small and midsized farmers as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted usual market channels nationwide. Early reports both confirmed and challenged these fears, as some farmers could not find new markets while others established or expanded their direct-to-consumer sales to replace their lost outlets. To understand the impact of the pandemic on Pennsylvania farmers across the entire 2020 growing season, Chatham University and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture[1] surveyed farmers and performed interviews with a subset of these farmers. The anonymous survey was distributed by Pennsylvania-based farm organizations to their constituents, predominantly through email. Just under half the farmers (42%) reported a loss of revenue, while over half (58%) reported either no change or an increase in revenue in 2020. The scale of these changes varied greatly. We also found that vegetable farmers fared slightly better than livestock/eggs/dairy farmers; t...

School Science and Mathematics, 2018

While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional dev... more While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional development (PD), teachers' perceptions of their PD needs are less understood. In this study, we sought to explore teachers' perceptions of their PD needs, including PD format, time frame, and topics covered, and how those perceptions varied by teachers' district size, grade level, subject area, and years of experience. Participants included a statewide representative sample of 800 elementary and secondary STEM teachers with a wide range of teaching experience and from small to large school districts across Missouri. Each participant responded to the MO-STEM PD Needs Assessment, a 61-item Likert scale survey. We found teachers to be most interested in learning about real-world issues and problem-based learning to teach STEM content. Teachers' participation in PD positively correlated with district size and the manner in which PD is valued in their community of practice, while years of teaching experience was negatively correlated with interest in virtually all categories of the survey, including formats of PD delivery and the majority of PD topics. We conclude with a discussion of the ways in which teachers' expressed preferences for PD ran contrary to what the literature suggests as best practices for PD.

Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2017

This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of ... more This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of responding to a student's identity of non-participation within an undergraduate science classroom. Mapping rhizomes represents an ongoing and experimental process in consciousness. Rhizomatic mapping in educational studies is too often left out of the products of academic pursuits. In this paper, we try to capture this process, and let the process capture us. This manuscript starts with a focus on just one student, but maps our reflexive terrain that helped us think in new ways about persistent problems in science learning. As we decided how to address this student's identity of non-participation, we learned about the intertwined stories of the researchers and the researched and the challenges of designing inclusive learning environments. Keywords Rhizome Á Identity Á Reflexivity Á Agroecology Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's (1987) concepts of mapping and tracing rhizomes are used to make new meaning of Bermuda grass, a rhizomatic weed encountered by the authors in a community garden. We explore an identity of non-participation, a construct proposed by Etienne Wenger (1998) that initiated this rhizomatic analysis. According to Lead Editor: R. Gisewhite.

Agriculture and Human Values, 2016

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address... more Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners' capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.

National reform documents suggest that changing pedagogical and assessment practices in college s... more National reform documents suggest that changing pedagogical and assessment practices in college science courses are necessary but challenging steps to help support the formation of science identities. This dissertation is a collection of three separate research manuscripts that examined the challenges and affordances of designing and enacting curriculum and assessment practices in an upper-level agroecology course titled, Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture. All three studies integrate theoretical lenses of situated learning, communities of practice, and identity and agency in cultural worlds to support and describe the process of science identity formation. Five instructors and thirteen students participated in the research process. During the fifteen-week semester in the Fall of 2013, pre/post narrative interviews, weekly instructor planning sessions, weekly classes, student assignments, and course artifacts were collected. Interviews were transcribed and remaining data ...

International Journal of Educational Research, 2019

This study focused on problems of practice of science teachers participating in a two-year, commu... more This study focused on problems of practice of science teachers participating in a two-year, community-centered professional development and assessment design program. We examined problems of practice related to assessment. To explore this type of problem of practice, we employed an intrinsic case study approach and a community of practice theoretical lens. Five high school chemistry teachers and eight university personnel acted as participants in the study. In addition to several secondary data sources, the primary data sources included: a) 12 audio recordings of the collaborative meetings (over 28 h), b) 18 video recordings of teachers' assessment practice (over 31 h), and c) 42 discussion board postings online. Three themes emerged based on iterative cycles of analysis for problems of practice for teachers' assessment: 1) meeting students where they are, 2) students who do understand, and 3) the culture of the classroom. Our investigation contributes to the limited literature on ways teachers problematize and refine the enactment of classroom assessment. Harrison, & Black, 2004). Yet, classroom assessment sometimes plays a secondary role in reform efforts, even while teachers lack assessment expertise (Brookhart, 2004; Herman et al., 2015). We view assessment as a way to leverage changes in instruction because of its focus on evidence and learning. In this study, we conceptualize assessment as a way to drive and monitor learning, provide evidence to plan modifications in instruction, and provide effective feedback to foster learning (e.g.

Revista Brasileira De Pesquisa Em Educacao Em Ciencias, Nov 28, 2014

Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" ... more Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" that rely upon scientific knowledge and the ability to negotiate multiple forms of evidence and reasoning to make informed decisions. Historically, Environmental Education and Science Education have been well positioned to provide learning experiences that support the development of important skills like Discourse that are requisite for full participation in our worldwide community. In this article, we explore the confluence of environmental education, science education, and the emergence of an empirical model for socio-scientific Issues (SSI) based teaching and learning. While environmental education and science education have distinct differences, there are significant overlaps in content and process. The emergence of SSI from the field of science education presents opportunities to drive environmental education, and a new framework for guiding SSI based teaching and learning can be useful in terms of informing focus, structure and processes for teaching through issues. Using hydrofracturing as a sample issue, we demonstrate how this recently developed SSI framework can be applied to create learning environments that support

Material Practice and Materiality: Too Long Ignored in Science Education, 2019

In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore h... more In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore how sociomaterial perspectives can inform theory and practice in equitable science education. This study took place in a biological science-focused asynchronous learning environment which consisted of a collection of technological tools designed for students to fully participate in science practices outside of a face-to-face or laboratory setting. We explored the data using theoretical perspectives that were new to us and helped us shed light on the intertwined roles of materials and humans in online learning in terms of equitable science assessment practices. Our work provided an opportunity for researchers and instructional designers to examine the social and material dimensions that affect learners in technology-enhanced science learning environments and address potentially oppressive sociomaterial assemblages.

Association of Science Teacher Ed conference paper, 2020

Preparing teachers to understand and resist the pressures from high-stakes testing is a timely an... more Preparing teachers to understand and resist the pressures from high-stakes testing is a timely and critical undertaking for teacher education. An increasing trend in teacher education programs is the implementation of high-stakes assessments for teacher certification, such as content and performance assessments. These assessments have been advocated in the context of ensuring that high-quality teachers can enter and graduate from teacher preparation programs. This study examines the impact of a certification test through the eyes of preservice teachers, university administrators, and teacher educators. Interviews with 12 participants were conducted. Secondary data sources, including testing and curricular artifacts and classroom observations, further supported the analysis. The study identified three themes about the perceived impact of the test: 1) ethical considerations of the assessment; 2) failing the needs of preservice teachers, and 3) resistance and coping mechanisms. We will discuss practical considerations for supporting science teachers as they negotiate the pressures associated with standardized testing. Within the changing climate of education, we discuss the urgent implications for teacher education programs and propose research-based guidance for moving towards a more effective and ethical teaching society.

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address... more Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners’ capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.

Cultural studies of science education, 2019

In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore h... more In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore how sociomaterial perspectives can inform theory and practice in equitable science education. This study took place in a biological science-focused asynchronous learning environment which consisted of a collection of technological tools designed for students to fully participate in science practices outside of a face-to-face or laboratory setting. We explored the data using theoretical perspectives that were new to us and helped us shed light on the intertwined roles of materials and humans in online learning in terms of equitable science assessment practices. Our work provided an opportunity for researchers and instructional designers to examine the social and material dimensions that affect learners in technology-enhanced science learning environments and address potentially oppressive sociomaterial assemblages.

Cultural Studies of Science Education, Sep 27, 2017

This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of ... more This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of responding to a student's identity of non-participation within an undergraduate science classroom. Mapping rhizomes represents an ongoing and experimental process in consciousness. Rhizomatic mapping in educational studies is too often left out of the products of academic pursuits. In this paper, we try to capture this process, and let the process capture us. This manuscript starts with a focus on just one student, but maps our reflexive terrain that helped us think in new ways about persistent problems in science learning. As we decided how to address this student's identity of non-participation, we learned about the intertwined stories of the researchers and the researched and the challenges of designing inclusive learning environments. Keywords Rhizome Á Identity Á Reflexivity Á Agroecology Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's (1987) concepts of mapping and tracing rhizomes are used to make new meaning of Bermuda grass, a rhizomatic weed encountered by the authors in a community garden. We explore an identity of non-participation, a construct proposed by Etienne Wenger (1998) that initiated this rhizomatic analysis. According to Lead Editor: R. Gisewhite.

School Science and Mathematics, Nov 12, 2018

While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional dev... more While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional development (PD), teachers' perceptions of their PD needs are less understood. In this study, we sought to explore teachers' perceptions of their PD needs, including PD format, time frame, and topics covered, and how those perceptions varied by teachers' district size, grade level, subject area, and years of experience. Participants included a statewide representative sample of 800 elementary and secondary STEM teachers with a wide range of teaching experience and from small to large school districts across Missouri. Each participant responded to the MO-STEM PD Needs Assessment, a 61-item Likert scale survey. We found teachers to be most interested in learning about real-world issues and problem-based learning to teach STEM content. Teachers' participation in PD positively correlated with district size and the manner in which PD is valued in their community of practice, while years of teaching experience was negatively correlated with interest in virtually all categories of the survey, including formats of PD delivery and the majority of PD topics. We conclude with a discussion of the ways in which teachers' expressed preferences for PD ran contrary to what the literature suggests as best practices for PD.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Nov 1, 2014

Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" ... more Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" that rely upon scientific knowledge and the ability to negotiate multiple forms of evidence and reasoning to make informed decisions. Historically, Environmental Education and Science Education have been well positioned to provide learning experiences that support the development of important skills like Discourse that are requisite for full participation in our worldwide community. In this article, we explore the confluence of environmental education, science education, and the emergence of an empirical model for socio-scientific Issues (SSI) based teaching and learning. While environmental education and science education have distinct differences, there are significant overlaps in content and process. The emergence of SSI from the field of science education presents opportunities to drive environmental education, and a new framework for guiding SSI based teaching and learning can be useful in terms of informing focus, structure and processes for teaching through issues. Using hydrofracturing as a sample issue, we demonstrate how this recently developed SSI framework can be applied to create learning environments that support

Urban Agriculture, 2021

In 2009, The Urban Agriculture Education Organization (UAEO) was founded by a group of environmen... more In 2009, The Urban Agriculture Education Organization (UAEO) was founded by a group of environmental and food system activists to provide food and garden-based education programming. This study focuses on the organizational learning and change within their community of practice from 2008-2014. Narrative interviews were conducted with UAEO founders in 2011 and education program employees in 2014. The chapter presents the "healthy soil ecosystem system" model that is an extended metaphor to describe the practices of the education organization and describes the interrelated practices of (1) participating in the community ecosystem, (2) balancing fertility, (3) improving structure, and (4) enhancing biotic activity. Each of these four themes is described and situated within the story of UAEO's educational program development and helps describe what it means to be a practitioner of urban agriculture education for the organization over time. These practice areas help highlight what was valuable for the organization and our analysis helps describe how organizations consider core practices and continue to reflect and improve programs over time. The implications for urban agriculture and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education practitioners and research are discussed.

Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal, 2018

During an historic semester of student led protests for social justice, the University College of... more During an historic semester of student led protests for social justice, the University College of Education (pseudonym) facilitated an action planning session for diversity, inclusion, and social justice. This paper is guided by the question, how can data gathered from an action planning meeting on diversity, inclusion, and social justice be a/r/tographically (Irwin & De Cosson, 2004) represented to support self-awareness and transformative learning experiences? The four co-authors engaged in poetic representation (Ward, 2011) and describe how the data analysis and poem construction yielded opportunities for critical reflection in pursuit of educational equity. This work calls for continued dialogue, action, and emotional commitment to address issues of marginalization in education. The potential of arts-based research to help mediate transformative and lifelong learning regarding diversity and inclusion are discussed.

Learning, Food, and Sustainability, 2016

I remember standing in front of the crowd of preschoolers, parents, and other leaders at the Mid-... more I remember standing in front of the crowd of preschoolers, parents, and other leaders at the Mid-Western Land Grant University (MWLGU) while nervously delivering a speech that told the story of how our Learning Garden (LG) developed and what I learned from the process. In my best sport coat, a remarkable find at a thrift store, I took the microphone and read from the notes on my smart phone, standing next to the Dean for the College of Environmental and Human Sciences, the Department Co-Chair for Family Studies, the Director of the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS) division, and the donors who put forth the $50,000 contribution to build the major phase of the LG.

Science Education, 2012

Williams and Brown position the emerging trend of learning gardens as a justified alternative to ... more Williams and Brown position the emerging trend of learning gardens as a justified alternative to the mechanized and dominant contemporary education system. In Learning Gardens and Sustainability Education: Bringing Life to Schools and Schools to Life, the authors call upon their years of experience developing and researching learning gardens to present and justify their metaphorical living soil construct. They present the living soil idea as a series of seven interconnected and transformative aspects of learning gardens: "cultivating a sense of place," "fostering curiosity and wonder," "discovering rhythm and scale," "valuing biocultural diversity," "embracing practical experience," "nurturing interconnectedness," and "awakening the senses" (p. 46). This approach is consistent with the authors' understanding of sustainability education and is presented as a recommended approach for designing, evaluating, and conceptualizing the student learning that occurs in effective school gardens. To validate and demonstrate the living soil metaphor, the authors integrate student work samples, stories from the garden, curricular examples, and narratives. This book's rich stories, poetry, and persuasive synthesis of literature in garden education provide an artful and authentic representation of the diverse ways of experiencing, knowing, and learning in a garden. Instructors, principals, and superintendents prepared the most notable narratives with experiences teaching, organizing, and advocating for learning gardens. These perspectives represent a spectrum of issues and promises associated with their experiences in learning gardens. Williams and Brown conclude that education through learning gardens, aligned with their living soil metaphor, is progress toward the "regenerative education" needed for sustainability. The authors appropriately acknowledge that their framework is not a recipe for learning gardens and sustainability education and that gardens must be situated with reverence to the needs of the community. Ontologically, the authors are content with understanding and valuing local contexts and sources of knowledge found in learning garden communities. This critical-feminist stance provides strength and resiliency in opposition to the hegemonic paradigms of standardized testing and reductionist ways of knowing and educating. The authors ardently claim that "when we cultivate the soil of the school grounds, we also learn a new language with which to describe teaching and learning in an ecological context" (p. 200). This culture emerges when educators embrace pedagogical approaches that "bring life to schools" by cultivating community resources (p. 46). For readers of Science Education, Williams and Brown provide a carefully crafted criticism of the predominant forms of science education and education in general. Garden

Agriculture and Human Values, Nov 12, 2016

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address... more Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners' capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems

There are fewer Certified Organic producers in the Mid-South US (southern half of Missouri, weste... more There are fewer Certified Organic producers in the Mid-South US (southern half of Missouri, western Kentucky and Tennessee, northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma) than in other regions of the country such as the Upper Midwest, West Coast, or Northeastern US. Taus et al. (2013) The Professional Geographer 65, 87–102, posit that these clusters suggest regional characteristics impact adoption of organic agriculture and admit that regional studies lack consensus on the role of factors that drive adoption. This paper seeks to understand if there are regionally distinct challenges and opportunities for organic production in the region. Fourteen certified organic producers in Missouri were interviewed and areas of challenges and opportunities specific to their certification were identified within the three a priori themes of (1) biophysical characteristics, (2) marketing infrastructure and (3) financial feasibility. We suggest directions for future policy support from the National Organic...

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

Initial forecasts predicted severe financial losses for small and midsized farmers as the COVID-1... more Initial forecasts predicted severe financial losses for small and midsized farmers as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted usual market channels nationwide. Early reports both confirmed and challenged these fears, as some farmers could not find new markets while others established or expanded their direct-to-consumer sales to replace their lost outlets. To understand the impact of the pandemic on Pennsylvania farmers across the entire 2020 growing season, Chatham University and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture[1] surveyed farmers and performed interviews with a subset of these farmers. The anonymous survey was distributed by Pennsylvania-based farm organizations to their constituents, predominantly through email. Just under half the farmers (42%) reported a loss of revenue, while over half (58%) reported either no change or an increase in revenue in 2020. The scale of these changes varied greatly. We also found that vegetable farmers fared slightly better than livestock/eggs/dairy farmers; t...

School Science and Mathematics, 2018

While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional dev... more While much is known about the characteristics that researchers deem valuable for professional development (PD), teachers' perceptions of their PD needs are less understood. In this study, we sought to explore teachers' perceptions of their PD needs, including PD format, time frame, and topics covered, and how those perceptions varied by teachers' district size, grade level, subject area, and years of experience. Participants included a statewide representative sample of 800 elementary and secondary STEM teachers with a wide range of teaching experience and from small to large school districts across Missouri. Each participant responded to the MO-STEM PD Needs Assessment, a 61-item Likert scale survey. We found teachers to be most interested in learning about real-world issues and problem-based learning to teach STEM content. Teachers' participation in PD positively correlated with district size and the manner in which PD is valued in their community of practice, while years of teaching experience was negatively correlated with interest in virtually all categories of the survey, including formats of PD delivery and the majority of PD topics. We conclude with a discussion of the ways in which teachers' expressed preferences for PD ran contrary to what the literature suggests as best practices for PD.

Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2017

This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of ... more This narrative project used rhizomatic analysis and reflexivity to describe a layered process of responding to a student's identity of non-participation within an undergraduate science classroom. Mapping rhizomes represents an ongoing and experimental process in consciousness. Rhizomatic mapping in educational studies is too often left out of the products of academic pursuits. In this paper, we try to capture this process, and let the process capture us. This manuscript starts with a focus on just one student, but maps our reflexive terrain that helped us think in new ways about persistent problems in science learning. As we decided how to address this student's identity of non-participation, we learned about the intertwined stories of the researchers and the researched and the challenges of designing inclusive learning environments. Keywords Rhizome Á Identity Á Reflexivity Á Agroecology Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's (1987) concepts of mapping and tracing rhizomes are used to make new meaning of Bermuda grass, a rhizomatic weed encountered by the authors in a community garden. We explore an identity of non-participation, a construct proposed by Etienne Wenger (1998) that initiated this rhizomatic analysis. According to Lead Editor: R. Gisewhite.

Agriculture and Human Values, 2016

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address... more Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners' capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.

National reform documents suggest that changing pedagogical and assessment practices in college s... more National reform documents suggest that changing pedagogical and assessment practices in college science courses are necessary but challenging steps to help support the formation of science identities. This dissertation is a collection of three separate research manuscripts that examined the challenges and affordances of designing and enacting curriculum and assessment practices in an upper-level agroecology course titled, Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture. All three studies integrate theoretical lenses of situated learning, communities of practice, and identity and agency in cultural worlds to support and describe the process of science identity formation. Five instructors and thirteen students participated in the research process. During the fifteen-week semester in the Fall of 2013, pre/post narrative interviews, weekly instructor planning sessions, weekly classes, student assignments, and course artifacts were collected. Interviews were transcribed and remaining data ...

International Journal of Educational Research, 2019

This study focused on problems of practice of science teachers participating in a two-year, commu... more This study focused on problems of practice of science teachers participating in a two-year, community-centered professional development and assessment design program. We examined problems of practice related to assessment. To explore this type of problem of practice, we employed an intrinsic case study approach and a community of practice theoretical lens. Five high school chemistry teachers and eight university personnel acted as participants in the study. In addition to several secondary data sources, the primary data sources included: a) 12 audio recordings of the collaborative meetings (over 28 h), b) 18 video recordings of teachers' assessment practice (over 31 h), and c) 42 discussion board postings online. Three themes emerged based on iterative cycles of analysis for problems of practice for teachers' assessment: 1) meeting students where they are, 2) students who do understand, and 3) the culture of the classroom. Our investigation contributes to the limited literature on ways teachers problematize and refine the enactment of classroom assessment. Harrison, & Black, 2004). Yet, classroom assessment sometimes plays a secondary role in reform efforts, even while teachers lack assessment expertise (Brookhart, 2004; Herman et al., 2015). We view assessment as a way to leverage changes in instruction because of its focus on evidence and learning. In this study, we conceptualize assessment as a way to drive and monitor learning, provide evidence to plan modifications in instruction, and provide effective feedback to foster learning (e.g.

Revista Brasileira De Pesquisa Em Educacao Em Ciencias, Nov 28, 2014

Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" ... more Global citizens are constantly immersed in issues like hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" that rely upon scientific knowledge and the ability to negotiate multiple forms of evidence and reasoning to make informed decisions. Historically, Environmental Education and Science Education have been well positioned to provide learning experiences that support the development of important skills like Discourse that are requisite for full participation in our worldwide community. In this article, we explore the confluence of environmental education, science education, and the emergence of an empirical model for socio-scientific Issues (SSI) based teaching and learning. While environmental education and science education have distinct differences, there are significant overlaps in content and process. The emergence of SSI from the field of science education presents opportunities to drive environmental education, and a new framework for guiding SSI based teaching and learning can be useful in terms of informing focus, structure and processes for teaching through issues. Using hydrofracturing as a sample issue, we demonstrate how this recently developed SSI framework can be applied to create learning environments that support

Material Practice and Materiality: Too Long Ignored in Science Education, 2019

In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore h... more In this research study, we engaged in experimentation with materiality in an attempt to explore how sociomaterial perspectives can inform theory and practice in equitable science education. This study took place in a biological science-focused asynchronous learning environment which consisted of a collection of technological tools designed for students to fully participate in science practices outside of a face-to-face or laboratory setting. We explored the data using theoretical perspectives that were new to us and helped us shed light on the intertwined roles of materials and humans in online learning in terms of equitable science assessment practices. Our work provided an opportunity for researchers and instructional designers to examine the social and material dimensions that affect learners in technology-enhanced science learning environments and address potentially oppressive sociomaterial assemblages.

Association of Science Teacher Ed conference paper, 2020

Preparing teachers to understand and resist the pressures from high-stakes testing is a timely an... more Preparing teachers to understand and resist the pressures from high-stakes testing is a timely and critical undertaking for teacher education. An increasing trend in teacher education programs is the implementation of high-stakes assessments for teacher certification, such as content and performance assessments. These assessments have been advocated in the context of ensuring that high-quality teachers can enter and graduate from teacher preparation programs. This study examines the impact of a certification test through the eyes of preservice teachers, university administrators, and teacher educators. Interviews with 12 participants were conducted. Secondary data sources, including testing and curricular artifacts and classroom observations, further supported the analysis. The study identified three themes about the perceived impact of the test: 1) ethical considerations of the assessment; 2) failing the needs of preservice teachers, and 3) resistance and coping mechanisms. We will discuss practical considerations for supporting science teachers as they negotiate the pressures associated with standardized testing. Within the changing climate of education, we discuss the urgent implications for teacher education programs and propose research-based guidance for moving towards a more effective and ethical teaching society.

Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address... more Future practitioners of sustainable agriculture and agroecology must have the capacity to address the wicked problems in the food system to make progress toward sustainability. Undergraduate sustainable agriculture students from a variety of backgrounds may struggle with the question, is the challenging and complex work of addressing wicked problems of agroecology for me? Our case study investigated sociocultural tensions associated with identity encountered when wicked problems teaching units were integrated into the Advanced Practices of Sustainable Agriculture course at a large, Midwestern Land Grant University. The research and course employed a four-part framework that focused on (1) attending to individual needs and identities, (2) facilitating practice-based and community-based learning, (3) engaging in problems situated in regional contexts, and (4) supporting awareness of local and global political and ecological issues. Researchers used a community of practice theoretical lens, and focused on the sociocultural tensions that may have impacted individual and community identity formation. Two wicked problems teaching units are described by drawing upon documentation and audio recordings from planning meetings, course sessions, student and instructor interviews, and course artifacts. Vignettes were constructed to situate four interrelated types of sociocultural tensions encountered by instructors and students. These tensions reflected forces at the individual, community, local, and global levels which interact to influence learners’ capacity to become full participants in sustainable agriculture. The study fills a gap related to affective dimensions of learning like identity in agroecology education. Dilemmas and implications related to identity, pedagogy, and epistemology are discussed.