New National Survey: Understanding the State of High School Environmental Science Education
This post was written by Daniela Pennycook, BSCS Science Learning & Fieldscope.
High school environmental science teachers are doing some of the most important work in education today. They help students make sense of complex environmental systems, engage with real-world data, and develop the knowledge and confidence to understand the challenges shaping their communities and futures. Despite how critical this work is, we know surprisingly little about what is actually happening in environmental science classrooms across the United States.
That's why NAAEE, the global hub for environmental education dedicated to advancing EE and building the capacity of educators worldwide, has partnered with BSCS Science Learning and Fieldscope to launch a national survey of high school environmental science teachers. Our goal is to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based picture of the current state of environmental science education across the country, so that future curriculum, tools, and professional development are grounded in what teachers have actually told us, not assumptions about what they need.
About Our Partners
BSCS Science Learning is an independent nonprofit on a mission to transform K–12 science teaching and learning through research-driven innovation. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, BSCS develops high-quality instructional materials, professional learning programs, and leadership development initiatives that help educators bring rigorous, inquiry-based science to all students.
The FieldScope Project, managed by BSCS and the University of California Museum of Paleontology, provides support for citizen and community science projects and for educators that use citizen and community science data to support inquiry-based learning.
What We're Asking
The survey covers four core areas:
- Topics and classroom experiences: What content do teachers emphasize? What kinds of learning experiences do students have, from fieldwork and data collection to citizen science and community engagement?
- Curriculum and decision-making: How do teachers find and select materials, what influences their instructional choices, and how much flexibility do they actually have?
- Data practices: What do students collect and analyze, what tools and platforms are teachers using, and what gets in the way of doing more?
- Challenges and support needs: What broader barriers do teachers face, and what resources or professional development would make the biggest difference?
Who Should Take It
The survey is designed for any high school teacher who teaches environmental science as a dedicated course or as a significant component of a broader science class. It takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous and reported in aggregate.
Too often, tools and curricula are built on assumptions about what teachers need rather than what they have actually told us. This survey is our effort to close that gap and to make sure teachers' voices shape the resources and support the field develops next.
Help Us Spread the Word
If you teach high school environmental science, we hope you will take 15 minutes to share your experience. And if you know a colleague who qualifies, in your school, your district, or your broader network, please pass this along. The more teachers who participate, the stronger and more representative our findings will be.
NAAEE and BSCS Science Learning will publish findings on their websites and share the report with the broader science and environmental education community once the study is complete.
This survey is led by NAAEE in partnership with BSCS Science Learning and FieldScope. For questions, contact surveyinfo@bscs.org.