Postdoctoral Researcher Position studying Youth-Focused Natural History Museum-led Citizen Science

The Center for Community and Citizen Science (CCS) is seeking an accomplished science education researcher to be the lead U.S. research coordinator for our LEARN CitSci Project(Learning and Environmental science Agency Research Network for Citizen Science), a large-scale international research collaboration of universities and natural history museums, which is one of five Science Learning + awards funded jointly by the National Science Foundation, Wellcome, and the UK Economic and Social Research Council.

 

The Post-Doctoral Researcher will join a team of museum practitioners and education researchers in California and the United Kingdom, all focused on how youth learn when engaged in citizen science led by natural history museums. The Post-Doctoral Researcher will also be an important member of the growing community of faculty, staff, and students that make up the Center for Community and Citizen Science at UC Davis, and will have the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the education research activities of the Center into the future.

 

The position is renewable annually with funding for approximately 3 years for the Youth-focused NHM-led Citizen Science project, with the possibility of extension pending further funding. The position will open immediately in May 2018, and will be supervised by PI of the LEARN CitSci project, Associate Professor and Faculty Director of the Center for CCS, PI Heidi Ballard.

 

 

The LEARN CitSci project [NSF Project title: “Youth learning in Public Participation in STEM Research opportunities (crowdsourcing and citizen science) facilitated by natural history museums”] is an international collaboration between experts from disciplines including environmental science, citizen science, museum education, environmental education, and learning analytics. One year into this 4-year project, this project builds on Ballard and team’s work on Youth-focused Community and Citizen Science (YCCS), and collaborative research on natural history museum-led citizen science. 

The study employs observations, surveys, interviews, and learning analytics to explore three overarching questions about youth learning:

  1. What is the nature of the learning environments and what activities do youth engage in when participating in NHM-led PPSR?
  2. To what extent do youth develop three science learning outcomes (collectively environmental science agency), through participation in NHM-led citizen science programs? The three are: a) An understanding of the science content, b) identification of roles for themselves in the practice of science, and c) a sense of agency for taking actions using science?
  3. What program features and settings in NHM-led PPSR foster these three science learning outcomes among youth?

Based on studies occurring at multiple NHMs in the US and the UK, the broader impact of this study includes providing research-based recommendations for NHM practitioners that will help make PPSR projects and learning science more accessible and productive for youth. This project is collaboration between education researchers at University of California, Davis and Open University (UK), and Oxford University (UK) and citizen science practitioners, educators, and environmental scientists at three NHMs in the US and UK: NHM London, California Academy of Sciences, and NHM of Los Angeles County.

 

 

 

The LEARN CitSci project builds on our years of practice-based research on learning outcomes of citizen and community science, for participants of all ages. The Post-Doctoral Researcher will have the opportunity to work with the CCS Faculty Director and Executive Director to continue building this program, and translate the intellectual work of the Center into products and programs for practitioners, based on the interests of the Post-doc. Activities in this area may include collaboration with development staff to bring in new funds; creation of web content and other outreach materials; and participation in CCS events both on and off campus. Given the primacy of the LEARN CitSci project, these Center-related activities are expected to comprise no more than 10% of the Post-Doctoral Researcher’s time.

Required Qualifications, Knowledge & Skills

  • Ph.D. in education or environmental studies with a preferred focus on science education, environmental education, learning sciences, youth development, or related field
  • Experience working with youth (ages 5-18) (preferred out-of-school contexts)
  • Experience with qualitative research methods including survey design, implementation, and analysis, interview data collection and analysis, field and ethnographic observational data collection and analysis.
  • Experience with data management for large projects.
  • Ability to write independently and collaboratively on deadline, and documented evidence of scholarly publications
  • Excellent organizational skills and preferably some project management experience
  • Preferred – Experience with citizen science and/or other forms of PPSR/CCS projects or programs
  • Preferred – Knowledge of equity/social justice theory and issues in education (formal or informal settings)
  • Preferred – Experience with Dedoose or other qualitative data analysis softwar

 

More details on the position can be found at: https://education.ucdavis.edu/post/job-announcement-postdoctoral-researcher

More details on the LEARN CitiSci project can be found at: https://education.ucdavis.edu/learn-citizen-science

More details on the Center for Community and Citizen Science at UC Davis can be found at: https://education.ucdavis.edu/community-and-citizen-science

Applications can be submitted through UC Recruit: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/apply/JPF02230

 

 

 

For additional information, contact: Dr. Heidi Ballard, Associate Professor, School of Education, U.C. Davis hballard@ucdavis.edu, 530-754-6255

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