FALCoN with Ashli Wright - "From Classrooms to Campuses: Leveraging Biology Education Research to Strengthen K-12 & Higher Education Partnerships."
Start time
April 24, 2026 04:00 PM
End time
April 24, 2026 05:00 PM
Presented By
NIST
Location
Online
Workshop Worth
1
Description
Join Ashli Wright this Friday, April 24th, for a conversation about "From Classrooms to Campuses: Leveraging Biology Education Research to Strengthen K-12 & Higher Education Partnerships."
Partnerships between K-12 and higher education can take various forms and offer numerous benefits for all stakeholders, including deepened content knowledge for teachers, enhanced pedagogical skills for scientists, and enriched learning experiences for students. However, limitations and barriers related to power dynamics, disciplinary knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and resource allocation may hinder the successful implementation of such partnerships. While some literature has attempted to delineate these barriers and suggest possible solutions, there remains a need to address the persistent gaps in these dynamics. A review of the literature on K-12 and higher education partnerships suggests that these barriers may be addressed by engaging the K-12 and higher education faculty, as well as the biology education research community. We aim to solicit insights and feedback from researchers and practitioners across the K-20 continuum on how best to develop, facilitate, and evaluate these partnerships, as well as the role of biology education research in strengthening them. A sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study will provide data to inform aspects of biology education research that may strengthen K-12 and higher education partnerships and highlight what each stakeholder (K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, and K-12 educators) can learn from one another in these strategic partnerships. Developing a unifying framework—centered on the boundary-spanning role of biology education researchers—offers a promising strategy for overcoming persistent barriers and fostering more effective, equitable K-12 and higher education partnerships.
Make sure you RSVP with the CLSE and the hosting unit!
Partnerships between K-12 and higher education can take various forms and offer numerous benefits for all stakeholders, including deepened content knowledge for teachers, enhanced pedagogical skills for scientists, and enriched learning experiences for students. However, limitations and barriers related to power dynamics, disciplinary knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and resource allocation may hinder the successful implementation of such partnerships. While some literature has attempted to delineate these barriers and suggest possible solutions, there remains a need to address the persistent gaps in these dynamics. A review of the literature on K-12 and higher education partnerships suggests that these barriers may be addressed by engaging the K-12 and higher education faculty, as well as the biology education research community. We aim to solicit insights and feedback from researchers and practitioners across the K-20 continuum on how best to develop, facilitate, and evaluate these partnerships, as well as the role of biology education research in strengthening them. A sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study will provide data to inform aspects of biology education research that may strengthen K-12 and higher education partnerships and highlight what each stakeholder (K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, and K-12 educators) can learn from one another in these strategic partnerships. Developing a unifying framework—centered on the boundary-spanning role of biology education researchers—offers a promising strategy for overcoming persistent barriers and fostering more effective, equitable K-12 and higher education partnerships.
Make sure you RSVP with the CLSE and the hosting unit!
· RSVP for the workshop with the CLSE here by clicking “RSVP” in the upper right corner. If you decide not to attend, please “Cancel RSVP”.
· Also RSVP with the hosting unit (if other than the CLSE) using the event webpage linked above.
Following the workshop, email Toacca Roberts (.2384) to confirm your attendance for the full event time. If you were not able to attend the full event, email Toacca Roberts to discuss the possibility of 5001 course points.
