Impact of a place-based professional development experience on middle school teachers and their students

The United States faces a critical need for scientifically literate citizens, yet many students struggle to achieve science proficiency. To address this issue, educators must provide engaging learning experiences that foster a deep understanding of science and the natural world. One promising strategy is fostering sense of place to increase student engagement and learning. This study investigates the impact of a place-based professional development experience on middle school science teachers and their students. The study examined changes in teachers' and students' science content knowledge, place attachment, and place meaning. The findings suggest that science lessons based on a specific place can impact teachers’ content knowledge. Further, students demonstrated gains in both science content knowledge and sense of place. The implications of this study highlight the potential of place-based lessons to transform science teaching and learning. By providing teachers with the necessary tools and knowledge, we can empower them to create engaging and meaningful experiences that inspire students to become scientifically literate citizens.