Teacher MWEE questionnaire

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Attachment 5: NOAA B-WET Teacher MWEE Survey

Some time ago you participated in a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) professional development (PD) funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Bay Watershed Education and Training program (NOAA B-WET). We would like to get your feedback on implementing MWEEs with your students, if you did so since the PD.  

You will be asked about a range of practices and outcomes that represent the diversity of MWEEs, some of which may not apply directly to your experience. It is acceptable to answer “not applicable” (NA) in those instances.  

Your responses will be entered anonymously and will not be associated with you as an individual. THANK YOU in advance for your candor and thoughtfulness in answering the questions. Your responses will be aggregated with other teachers’ responses, and will be used by NOAA B-WET and B-WET-funded organizations to improve MWEE PD and student programs.  

It will take about 20-30 minutes to complete this survey, depending on the nature of your MWEE implementation experience.  

Thank you.

If you have questions about this survey, please contact Bronwen Rice, NOAA B-WET National Coordinator, [email protected]

OMB Control Number: 0648-xxxx   Expires: xx/xx/20xx  

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for reducing this burden to Bronwen Rice, NOAA Office of Education, Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 6863, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20230.   Responses are voluntary and collected and maintained as anonymous data.  Information will be treated in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (5 USC 552).   Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

Are you currently a PreK-12 teacher or educator?

• No

• Yes

IF NO, SKIP TO END OF SURVEY

In what setting do you teach?

• Public school

• Private school

• Non-formal education (e.g., environmental centers, zoos, museums, interpretive programs at local or state level parks, youth organizations)

• Home-school

• Other

IF NEITHER PUBLIC NOR PRIVATE, SKIP TO END OF SURVEY

To allow us to compare your past, current, and future responses, please create a unique 8-digit ID number using the 2 digits of your birth month, the 2 digits of your birth day, and the last 4 digits of most often used phone number. If you were born on March 9 and your home phone is 410.719.1234, your ID number would be 03091234. 

In the past 12 months, did you implement a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) with your students? MWEEs are investigative, project-oriented, sustained activities that include one or more outdoor experiences, consider the watershed as a system, and are an integral part of a school instructional program.  

• No

• Yes

IF NOT, SKIP TO END OF SURVEY

How many of your students participated in a MWEE during the most recent school year? (Please provide your best estimate, NOT a range)

About ___ students

On average, did students participate in a MWEE over the course of:

• One day

• 2-6 days

• One week

• 2-3 weeks

• One month

• 2-3 months

• 4-8 months

• A full school year (about 9 months)

• A full calendar year

• Multiple years

On average during the last school year, about how many hours did a typical student spend involved in MWEE activities? (check one)

• None

• 1-2 hours

• 3-5 hours

• 6-9 hours

• 10-16 hours

• 17-24 hours

• 25-40 hours

• more than 40 hours

On average during the last school year, about how many hours did a typical student spend outdoors during MWEE activities? (check one)

• None

• 1-2 hours

• 3-5 hours

• 6-9 hours

• 10-16 hours

• 17-24 hours

• 25-40 hours

• more than 40 hours

IF NONE, SKIP OUTDOOR BLOCK

START OUTDOOR BLOCK

Where did the outdoor component of your students' MWEEs occur?

	No	Yes
On school grounds
Near the school (1-5 minute walk)
Walkable from the school (more than 5 minutes)
In a location to which the students were bussed or driven

 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following:

	NA	Strongly disagree 1	2	3	4	5	6	Strongly agree 7
Overall, what I taught my students about watersheds in the classroom was closely integrated with students' outdoor learning experience(s).
My students' outdoor learning experiences were designed to help them understand what they had been introduced to during regular science class
My students' outdoor learning experiences were designed to reinforce what students learned during regular science class

BEFORE students participated in their outdoor learning experience:

	NA	Strongly disagree 1	2	3	4	5	6	Strongly agree 7
I provided them with detailed information about what they were going to do
I let students know what activities they were going to do
I spent a lot of time preparing students for what to expect
I introduced relevant science concepts

DURING the outdoor learning experience(s), my students:

	NA	Strongly disagree 1	2	3	4	5	6	Strongly agree 7
Conducted a one-time data or sample collection
Conducted water quality monitoring over a period of time

AFTER students participated in the outdoor learning experience(s):

	NA	Strongly disagree 1	2	3	4	5	6	Strongly agree 7
They discussed results based on their observations
They offered explanations for what they observed
They were expected to draw on what had been learned
I spent a lot of time to make sure the students had integrated what they had learned

END OF OUTDOOR BLOCK

Were your typical MWEEs focused only on science concepts, or on concepts from multiple disciplines (e.g., science, math, social studies, literature, art, music)?

• Only science concepts

• Concepts from multiple disciplines, including science

• Other

To what extent was the content of your students' MWEEs aligned with:

	NA	To no extent 1	2	3	4	To a great extent 5
school district education standards
state education standards
national education standards
regional environmental/natural resources management priorities

Did students participate in any of the following activities to protect and/or restore ocean, coastal, and/or Great Lakes watersheds during their MWEE? (please indicate no or yes for each activity)

	No	Yes
Created a schoolyard or backyard habitat
Conserved water at school to protect the local watershed
Installed a rain barrel at school
Reduced litter at the school
Gave presentation(s) about the local watershed (e.g., for school, other organizations)
Participated in an event to raise awareness about the importance of watersheds
Helped clean up or take care of a local stream or beach
Participated in a restoration activity (e.g., planting trees) to benefit watersheds
Told others about ways they can protect their local watersheds

Were any NOAA resources were used as part of MWEES for students?

• No

• Yes

DISPLAY THIS QUESTION IF ANSWER IS YES

Which NOAA resources were used as part of your typical student MWEE?

	Not sure	No	Yes
Information from NOAA research studies or reports
Data collected by and accessible through NOAA, IF YES: Name the NOAA data source:
NOAA expert (e.g., scientist, educator, Sea Grant staff member, policy expert)
NOAA curricula and education programs, IF YES: Name the curricula or programs:
NOAA labs or facilities, IF YES: Name the lab or facility:
NOAA National Marine Sanctuary
NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve

What education methods were used during your students’ MWEEs? (select No or Yes for each method)

	No	Yes
Outdoor field trip (i.e., excursion to learn about natural history and ecology in the outdoors, may or may not include data collection)
Field work (i.e., scientific study carried out somewhere other than in a classroom/laboratory, includes data collection)
Place-based education (i.e., an interdisciplinary instructional strategy that uses the local environment and community as the context for teaching and learning)
Scientific-inquiry-based learning (i.e., an instructional strategy that gives students the opportunity to explore an idea or question. To arrive at an answer or to better understand the concept, students often collect and analyze data)
Issue investigation (i.e., an interdisciplinary instructional strategy that engages learners in investigating complex, real-world environmental issues and problem-solving as the context for teaching and learning)
Service learning (i.e., an instructional strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities)

DISPLAY THIS QUESTION IF ANSWER YES TO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY ABOVE

Which of the following steps did you engage students in...

	No	Yes
Formulating scientific questions they can answer using data
Making predictions or hypotheses
Collecting data or using existing data
Analyzing and interpreting data
Making conclusions and adjusting predictions/hypotheses
Developing presentations of their findings

Did your typical MWEE include any of the following learning objectives? Students will be able to:

	No	Yes
Define the term "watershed"
Identify their local watershed(s)
Identify how watersheds are connected to the ocean via streams, rivers, and human-made structures
Identify the functions that occur in a watershed (transport, store, and cycle water)
Recognize that both natural processes and human activities affect water flow and water quality in watersheds
Identify connections between human welfare and water flow and quality
Identify possible point and non-point sources of water pollution
Identify actions individuals can engage in to protect/restore water quality in watersheds

What is the most important benefit of MWEEs for your students?

As a result of participating in MWEEs, students:

	NA	Strongly disagree 1	2	3	4	5	6	Strongly agree 7
Know more about watersheds
Express greater caring and concern for their local watershed
Are more confident in their ability to protect and/or restore watersheds
Are more likely to act to protect or restore watersheds
Are better able to make informed decisions about how to protect or restore watersheds
Are better able to conduct scientific investigations
Are better able to understand the nature of scientific research
Are more likely to express an interest in pursuing science careers
Perform better in science
Perform better academically
Perform better on state standardized tests
Are more engaged in their science learning

As a result of participating in my typical MWEEs, students are more likely to _______ to protect and/or restore ocean, coastal, and/or Great Lakes watersheds.

	NA	Strongly disagree 1	3	4	5	6
Create a schoolyard or backyard habitat
Conserve water at school to protect the local watershed
Install a rain barrel at school
Reduce litter at the school
Give presentation(s) about the local watershed (e.g., for school, other organizations)
Participate in an event to raise awareness about the importance of watersheds
Help clean up or take care of a local stream or beach
Participate in a restoration activity (e.g., planting trees) to benefit watersheds
Tell others about ways they can protect their local watersheds
Other (please describe)

What could be done by others to help you develop and implement improved MWEEs?

The questionnaire was ... (select one for each line)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Difficult to complete:Easy to complete
Not informative:Informative
Long:Short

How can this questionnaire be improved?

Do you have any final comments you would like to share about MWEEs?

Thank you for completing this survey! Please click on the Submit button below.