The Teaching of Science to Refugees in Greece
Subtitle: a Multi-site Case Study of Volunteer Educators in Non-formal Education Settings
By: Erika Schaffluetzel Gillette
Publisher: [publisher not identified]
Published: 2020
Place of publication: [New York, N.Y.?]
Language: eng
Description: This qualitative multi-site case study examines the experiences of four volunteers serving as educators and their use of science kits in three separate non-formal refugee spaces located in Greece. They received professional development and materials to support their teaching of science. An adapted Teacher-Centered Systematic Reform (TCSR) framework was used to analyze the relationship between personal factors, teacher thinking, practice, and contextual factors. Data sources for this study were pre- and post-activity questionnaires, pre- and post-activity journaling, observations, and structured interviews. Each of the data sources was analyzed to develop an understanding of the volunteer educators’ personal factors, teacher thinking, teacher practice, and contextual factors to identify emerging themes. Emerging themes provided evidence to better interpret the experiences and perceptions of volunteer educators who used science-kits in non-formal refugee educational settings. These themes were then compared between and across each case to find similarities and differences between volunteer educators.

This research contributes to both the field of science education and the preparation of volunteers in emergency education to teach science.
Notes: Department: Mathematics, Science, and Technology.

Thesis advisor: Felica Mensah.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 2020.