Promoting Scientific Literacy in a South American Rural School Through a Place-Based and Socioscientific Issues Context

This study investigated how Chilean rural middle school students’ understanding of ecological and nature of science (NOS) concepts and pro-environmental attitudes changed after a place-based socioscientific issues (SSI) curriculum collaboratively developed by USA and Chilean science educators. The SSI curriculum was developed and implemented over 5 days near Valdivia, Chile, focused on red knot migration across the Americas and integrated instruction on the Motus Wildlife Tracking System as a scientific tool. Using a mixed-methods pre-post instruction design, the study demonstrated that after the place-based SSI instruction, students’ understanding of ecological concepts and NOS perspectives notably improved. For instance, students developed a deeper comprehension of factors affecting red knot migration, particularly the human impacts on that ecological phenomenon. Qualitative analysis of students’ open-ended responses demonstrated that students developed more nuanced views regarding several NOS constructs, such as the methods scientists carry out to research environmental issues and the extent to which culture should influence how science is used and conducted. This research highlights the viability of place-based SSI instruction by fostering scientific engagement among diverse student populations and illustrates how international collaborations can bridge educational gaps by connecting local environmental issues to global scientific efforts.