Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Science In The Learning Gardens: A Study Of Motivation, Achievement, And Science Identity In Low-Income Middle Schools, Dilafruz Williams, Heather Anne Brule, Sybil Schantz Kelley, Ellen A. Skinner

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Science in the Learning Gardens (henceforth, SciLG) program was designed to address two well-documented, inter-related educational problems: under-representation in science of students from racial and ethnic minority groups and inadequacies of curriculum and pedagogy to address their cultural and motivational needs. Funded by the National Science Foundation, SciLG is a partnership between Portland Public Schools and Portland State University. The sixth- through eighth-grade SciLG curriculum aligns with Next Generation Science Standards and uses school gardens as the milieu for learning. This provides the context to investigate factors that support success of a diverse student population using the motivational …