Nps Survey Of Educators

OMB Control #: 1024-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

NPS SURVEY OF EDUCATORS

PARTICIPATING TEACHER SURVEY

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The National Park Service is authorized by 54 U.S.C. 100070 to collect this information. This survey is designed to provide information to NPS Education Program staff about teachers’ experiences and preferences surrounding NPS education program offerings to improve existing and future educational programs. Your responses to this collection are completely voluntary and will remain anonymous. You can end the process at any time and will not be penalized in any way for choosing to do so. Data collected will only be reported in aggregates and no individually identifiable responses will be reported. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. OMB has assigned control number 1024-XXXX current expiration date is XX/XX/XXXX. Your response is not required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to be about 11 minutes per respondent. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the NPS Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 13461 Sunrise Valley Dr. (MS-244), Herndon, VA 20171. Please do not send the completed survey to this address.

National Park Service Survey of Educators

Introductory Page

This study seeks to understand educators’ attitudes toward National Park Service (NPS) Education Programs. The National Park Service is a federal public land agency that manages all national parks and other natural and historic designations throughout the country. The NPS Education Programs provide a variety of programs and resources to schools and teachers, including on-site field trips, rangers visiting classrooms, virtual programs, and online resources. We are seeking input from educators teaching 3^rd-5^th grade who have or have not participated in NPS Education Programs. The goal of the study is to inform and improve future programming and expand the participation of teachers in a variety of NPS Education Programs.

We greatly appreciate your valuable input in this study. The survey should take no longer than ten minutes. Your participation is voluntary, your responses will be anonymous, and you can choose to stop taking the survey at any point.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jenn Thomsen, University of Montana at; [email protected] (email).

Q1: Screening question to determine eligibility We included the time period of 5 years because teachers often switch grades at the elementary level. If a respondent chooses the last option, they will be directed to the exit of the survey.

Q1. Do you teach or have you taught 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th grade in the past five years? (check all that apply)

• 3^rd grade

• 4^th grade

• 5^th grade

• Have not taught 3^rd to 5^th grade in the past five years (taken to the exit of the survey)

Q2: Used to determine the type of NPS Education Programs the teacher has participated in to understand which programs are most popular.

Q2. The NPS offers a range of different education programs. Please select the programs you are most familiar with. (Check all that apply.)

• Field trip to the NPS site with a ranger-led program

• Self-guided field trip to the NPS site without a ranger-led program

• NPS ranger visiting your classroom

• Online interactive distance learning with a ranger (e.g. “live” lessons)

• Pre-recorded online lessons

• Online resources/materials (e.g. lesson plans, resource kits, etc.)

• None of the above

Q3: Used to determine the information sources used to learn about programming. This information can be used by managers and planners to hone communications/messaging surrounding educational offerings.

Q3. How did you first hear about the NPS Educational Programs?

• Another teacher

• School/district administration

• Park staff/ranger

• Park/program flyer

• Newspaper or other publication

• Social media

• Friends or family

• Other:____________________

Q4: Used to narrow down the type of education Program so respondents can provide feedback specific to those.

Q4. Of the NPS Education Programs you have participated in the past five years, please select up to TWO that you feel you are most familiar with.

• Field trip to the NPS site with a ranger-led program (Skip to 5a)

• Self-guided field trip to the NPS site without a ranger-led program (Skip to 5a)

• NPS ranger visiting your classroom (Skip to 5b)

• Online interactive distance learning with a ranger (e.g. “live” lessons) (Skip to 5b

• Pre-recorded online lessons (Skip to 5c)

• Online resources/materials (e.g. lesson plans, resource kits, etc.) (Skip to 5c)

Question #5a-c: Used to assess the importance and effectiveness of various outcomes of Education Programs. This information will be used by the NPS to better understand the most and the least important reasons for educators to participate in the programs and to prioritize resources accordingly.

Q5a. Below is a list of reasons that may influence your participation in on-site NPS Education Programs. In the first column labeled “Importance” please indicate how important each item is in your participation in on-site NPS Education Programs. In the second column, labeled “Effectiveness” please rate how effective the on-site NPS Education Programs have been at achieving each item.

	IMPORTANCE			EFFECTIVENESS
	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Not Effective	Effective	Very Effective
	1	2	3	1	2	3
Addressing my learning objectives to achieve curriculum standards	1	2	3	1	2	3
Exposing my students to professional careers	1	2	3	1	2	3
Engaging my students in scientific research	1	2	3	1	2	3
Offering a unique program/opportunity not offered by other organizations	1	2	3	1	2	3
Involving my students in the conservation of nature	1	2	3	1	2	3
Exposing my students to new topics and ideas	1	2	3	1	2	3
Having my students experience local biodiversity	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to interact with National Park Service staff	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to learn about indigenous cultures	1	2	3	1	2	3
Inspiring my students to take action on things they care about	1	2	3	1	2	3
Inspiring my students to get outside	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to interact with subject matter experts	1	2	3	1	2	3
Incorporating interactive activities into my class curriculum	1	2	3	1	2	3
Helping my students develop a deeper appreciation for their local culture/place	1	2	3	1	2	3
Having fun with my students	1	2	3	1	2	3
Other:	1	2	3	1	2	3
(Skip to 6a)

Q5b. Below is a list of reasons that may influence your participation in the online and virtual NPS Education Programs. Please indicate how important each item was in your participation in online and virtual NPS Education Programs. Then rate how effective online and virtual NPS Education Programs were at achieving each item.

	IMPORTANCE			EFFECTIVENESS
	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Not Effective	Effective	Very Effective
	1	2	3	1	2	3
Addressing my learning objectives to achieve curriculum standards	1	2	3	1	2	3
Exposing my students to professional careers	1	2	3	1	2	3
Offering a unique program/opportunity not offered by other organizations	1	2	3	1	2	3
Educating my students on how to conserve nature	1	2	3	1	2	3
Exposing my students to new topics and ideas	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to learn from National Park Service staff	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to learn about indigenous cultures	1	2	3	1	2	3
Inspiring my students to take action on things they care about	1	2	3	1	2	3
Inspiring my students to get outside	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to learn from subject matter experts	1	2	3	1	2	3
Incorporating interactive activities into my classroom curriculum	1	2	3	1	2	3
Helping my students develop a deeper appreciation for their local culture/place	1	2	3	1	2	3
Having fun with my students	1	2	3	1	2	3
Other:	1	2	3	1	2	3
(Skip to 6b)

Q5c. Below is a list of reasons that may influence your decision to invite a NPS ranger to visit your classroom. Please indicate how important each item is for you to have an NPS ranger visiting your classroom. Then rate how effective the NPS ranger visiting your classroom was at achieving each item.

	IMPORTANCE			EFFECTIVENESS
	Not Important	Important	Very Important	Not Effective	Effective	Very Effective
	1	2	3	1	2	3
Addressing my learning objectives to achieve curriculum standards	1	2	3	1	2	3
Exposing my students to professional careers	1	2	3	1	2	3
Engaging my students in scientific research	1	2	3	1	2	3
Offering a unique program/opportunity not offered by other organizations	1	2	3	1	2	3
Inspiring my students in the conservation of nature	1	2	3	1	2	3
Exposing my students to new topics and ideas	1	2	3	1	2	3
Having my students learn about local biodiversity	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to interact with National Park Service staff	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to learn about indigenous cultures	1	2	3	1	2	3
Inspiring my students to take action on things they care about	1	2	3	1	2	3
Inspiring my students to get outside	1	2	3	1	2	3
Giving my students an opportunity to interact with subject matter experts	1	2	3	1	2	3
Incorporating interactive activities into my classroom curriculum	1	2	3	1	2	3
Helping my students develop a deeper appreciation for their local culture/place	1	2	3	1	2	3
Having fun with my students	1	2	3	1	2	3
Other:	1	2	3	1	2	3
(Skip to 6c)

Question #6a-c Used to assess the importance and effectiveness of various outcomes of Education Programs. This information will be used by the NPS to prioritize resources for future efforts. There are three versions of this question with items specific to either field trips to an NPS site, online programs, or NPS ranger visiting the classroom.

Q6a. Please select the number that best represents your level of agreement with each statement below.

My participation in the on-site NPS Education Programs…	Strongly Disagree	Slightly Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Slightly Agree	Strongly Agree
was a good use of my teaching time	1	2	3	4	5
was a unique experience for my students	1	2	3	4	5
allowed my class to experience an NPS site	1	2	3	4	5
improved my classroom environment	1	2	3	4	5
enhanced my students’ learning motivations	1	2	3	4	5
provided a unique experience that benefited students’ learning and understanding	1	2	3	4	5
provided a way for students to engage with the NPS that would otherwise not be possible	1	2	3	4	5
provided a way to integrate topics into future classroom lessons	1	2	3	4	5
increased my likelihood of bringing future classes to an NPS site	1	2	3	4	5
Answer Question 7 THEN Skip to 8a

Q6b. Please select the number that best represents your level of agreement with each statement below.

My participation in the online and virtual NPS Education Programs…	Strongly Disagree	Slightly Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Slightly Agree	Strongly Agree
was a good use of my teaching time	1	2	3	4	5
was a unique experience for my students	1	2	3	4	5
improved my classroom environment	1	2	3	4	5
enhanced my students’ learning motivations	1	2	3	4	5
provided a unique experience that benefited students learning and understanding	1	2	3	4	5
provided a way for students to engage with the NPS that would otherwise not be possible	1	2	3	4	5
provided a way to integrate topics into future classroom lessons	1	2	3	4	5
increased my interest in bringing my class to an NPS site	1	2	3	4	5
Answer Question 7 THEN Skip to 8b

Q6c. Please select the number that best represents your level of agreement with each statement below.

My participation in the NPS ranger visiting my classroom…	Strongly Disagree	Slightly Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Slightly Agree	Strongly Agree
was a good use of my teaching time	1	2	3	4	5
was a unique experience for my students	1	2	3	4	5
improved my classroom environment	1	2	3	4	5
enhanced my students’ learning motivations	1	2	3	4	5
provided a unique experience that benefited students learning and understanding	1	2	3	4	5
provided a way for students to engage with the NPS that would otherwise not be possible	1	2	3	4	5
increased my likelihood of bringing future classes to an NPS site	1	2	3	4	5
increased my likelihood of engaging students in virtual programs	1	2	3	4	5
Answer Question 7 THEN Skip to 8c

Q7: Used to assess the unique student outcomes from NPS Education Programs to help prioritize where the program should focus its efforts.

Q7. Are there student learning outcomes from the NPS education programs you participated in that cannot be achieved in other field trips? If so, please describe them below.

Q8a-c: Used to assess the challenges of participating in NPS Education Programs. This information will be used by the NPS to better understand constraining factors for educators to participate in the programs and explore opportunities to address their concerns to encourage participation. There are three versions of this question with items specific to either field trips to an NPS site, online programs, or NPS ranger visiting the classroom.

Q8a. To what extent do each of the following items pose a challenge to your participation in an on-site NPS Education Program?

	Not a challenge	A minor challenge	A moderate challenge	A major challenge	This makes it impossible
Finding time to organize participation in an NPS program	1	2	3	4	5
Cost of transportation	1	2	3	4	5
Difficulty to find chaperones to accompany me	1	2	3	4	5
I don’t know much about National Parks	1	2	3	4	5
Distance to travel to an NPS site	1	2	3	4	5
Safety of taking students to a National Park because of potential hazards in a natural setting	1	2	3	4	5
Racial diversity in the National Park Service does not reflect me or my students	1	2	3	4	5
Limited amenities	1	2	3	4	5
Too busy with other school responsibilities	1	2	3	4	5
Negative previous experience with the National Park Service	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of alignment with curricular standards	1	2	3	4	5
Program costs are too high	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of administrator support	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of parental support	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of help to coordinate a field trip	1	2	3	4	5
Programs do not meet the needs of my students	1	2	3	4	5
Difficulty in getting a reservation and schedule	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion	1	2	3	4	5
Go to Question 9

Q8b. To what extent do each of the following items pose a challenge to your participation in an online and virtual NPS Education Program?

	Not a challenge	A minor challenge	A moderate challenge	A major challenge ng	This makes it impossible
Finding time to organize participation in an NPS program	1	2	3	4	5
I don’t know much about National Parks	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of alignment with curricular standards	1	2	3	4	5
I do not feel comfortable with the technology for virtual programs	1	2	3	4	5
My school does not have the technology needed to participate in the NPS program	1	2	3	4	5
The NPS programs are not relevant to the geographic area where I teach	1	2	3	4	5
The racial diversity in the NPS does not reflect me and my students.	1	2	3	4	5
Too busy with other school responsibilities	1	2	3	4	5
I do not know where to find or access NPS education resources	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of administrator support	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion	1	2	3	4	5
Go to Question 9

Q8c. To what extent do each of the following items pose a challenge to an NPS ranger visiting your classroom?

	Not a challenge	A minor challenge	A moderate challenge	A major challenge ng	This makes it impossible
Finding time to organize participation in an NPS program	1	2	3	4	5
I don’t know much about National Parks	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of alignment with curricular standards	1	2	3	4	5
Racial diversity in the National Park Service does not reflect me or my students	1	2	3	4	5
Too busy with other school responsibilities	1	2	3	4	5
Negative previous experience with the National Park Service	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of administrator support	1	2	3	4	5
Lack of programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion	1	2	3	4	5
Go to Question 9

Q9: Used to determine educator interests, so parks/programs can tailor offerings to meet educators’ needs/interests.

Q9. What NPS Education Programs are you most interested in participating in the future?

• Field trip to the NPS site with a ranger-led program

• Self-guided field trip to the NPS site without a ranger-led program

• NPS ranger visiting your classroom

• Online interactive distance learning with a ranger (e.g. “live” lessons)

• Pre-recorded online lessons

• Online resources/materials (e.g. lesson plans, resource kits, etc.)
  
  

Q10: Used to assess the importance of the resources that the NPS provides to teachers in order to prioritize resources for future efforts.

Q10. Considering your potential future participation in a field trip to an NPS site, indicate the importance of the following resources in supporting your engagement.

	Not important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Important	Very important	Extremely important
Pre-visit lesson plans	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Tips/guidance for a successful field trip	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Chaperone guidelines and responsibilities	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Site map	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Field trip logistics and timeline	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Learning objectives and alignment with state standards	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Pre-trip phone call with a ranger	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Post-visit/follow-up lesson plans and materials	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Pre-recorded videos, virtual tours	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Live (in real-time) distance learning opportunities	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Self-guided field trip resources	1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Q11: Used to inform communication strategies to reach educators according to their expressed preferences.

Q11. In your opinion, what is the most effective way to inform educators about NPS education programming?

______________________________________________________________________________

Questions #12 and #13 Used to establish foundational information regarding teachers' professional development experience and preferences to guide NPS education planning and future professional development offerings.

Q12. Have you participated in professional development programs provided by the NPS for teachers in the past five years?

• Yes

• No
  
  

Q13. Which of the following professional development opportunities would make you most likely to participate in NPS Educational Programs? Check all that apply.

• Offer virtual teacher professional development

• Offer on-site teacher professional development

• Offer Continuing Education Credit for teacher professional development

Q14: Used to understand teachers’ preferences regarding NPS’s role in the greater education system to inform future NPS education planning.

Q14. In your opinion, what do you think is the ideal role of the NPS in educating students?

Q15-Q18: Used to develop a baseline understanding of respondents’ schools to explore similarities and differences across these characteristics.

Q15. At what type of school do you teach? (Choose one)

• Public

• Private

• Home School

Q16. Is your school considered Title 1?

• Yes

• No

Q17. What is your school’s setting? (Choose one)

• Urban

• Suburban

• Rural

• Other (please specify)

Q18. What is your school’s zip code? ______________

Q19-Q23: Used to characterize the population of respondents in the sample. This information will be used to understand the diversity of the teachers. These variables are also used to monitor and assess response patterns and to explore differences in teacher populations.

Q19. What is your age?

18-24 years old	 45-54 years old	 75 years or older
25-34 years old	 55-64 years old
35-44 years old	 65-74 years old

Q20. What is the highest level of formal education you have completed? Please select only one response.

High school graduate Vocational/trade school certificate Some college Associate degree

Bachelor's degree Master's degree Professional degree Doctorate degree

Q21. What is your gender?

 Male

 Female

 Transgender, non-binary, or another gender

 Prefer not to respond

Q22. What is your race and/or ethnicity?

Select all that apply and enter additional details in the spaces below.

• American Indian or Alaska Native—Enter, for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, Aztec, Maya, etc.

• Asian—Provide details below.

Chinese	Asian Indian	Filipino
Vietnamese	Korean	Japanese

Enter, for example, Pakistani, Hmong, Afghan, etc.

• Black or African American—Provide details below.

African American	Jamaican	Haitian
Nigerian	Ethiopian	Somali

Enter, for example, Trinidadian and Tobagonian, Ghanaian, Congolese, etc.

• Hispanic or Latino—Provide details below.

Mexican	Puerto Rican	Salvadoran
Cuban	Dominican	Guatemalan

Enter, for example, Colombian, Honduran, Spaniard, etc.

• Middle Eastern or North African—Provide details below.

Lebanese	Iranian	Egyptian
Syrian	Iraqi	Israeli

Enter, for example, Moroccan, Yemeni, Kurdish, etc.

• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander—Provide details below.

Native Hawaiian	Samoan	Chamorro
Tongan	Fijian	Marshallese

Enter, for example, Chuukese, Palauan, Tahitian, etc.

• White—Provide details below.

English	German	Irish
Italian	Polish	Scottish

Enter, for example, French, Swedish, Norwegian, etc.

END OF SURVEY

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