Describing Connections between Science Content and Future Careers: Implementing Texas Curriculum for Rural At-Risk High School Students Using Purposefully-Designed Field Trips

  • Tommye Hutson Baylor University
  • Susan Cooper University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
  • Tony Talbot Baylor University

Abstract

The state of Texas has an ‘essential knowledge’ component in some high school science courses indicating that students be able to describe connections between academic science content and future jobs or training through effective exposure to course content. The participants in this study were from a small rural high school in central Texas. Each was labeled as ‘at-risk’ and self-identified an inability to describe those types of connections after earning credit in more than one science course with that ‘essential knowledge’ component. A career-focused field trip to a local vocational/technology training center was designed to address that particular deficit. This study followed a narrative multiple-case case study design. Data included school records, surveys, individual and focus group interviews, and field notes from observations during the field trip. The effectiveness of the field trip was evident as each participant was able to describe connections immediately following the excursion.  

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Author Biography

Tommye Hutson, Baylor University
Tommye Hutson is a science teacher and has worked in southern rural classrooms for the past 25 years. Her research interests include equity in education, teacher education and rural education. She continues to work with rural teachers in central Texas, concentrating on STEM initiatives and field trips. She would like to sincerely thank both Dr. Cooper and Dr. Talbert who worked diligently as collaborators and mentors on this project.
Published
2011-11-15
How to Cite
Hutson, T., Cooper, S., & Talbot, T. (2011). Describing Connections between Science Content and Future Careers: Implementing Texas Curriculum for Rural At-Risk High School Students Using Purposefully-Designed Field Trips. The Rural Educator, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.35608/ruraled.v33i1.421
Section
Research Articles