“Wait, we get to build that?” Outcomes of a co-created, classroom citizen science project for middle schoolers addressing air quality

Citizen science projects have the potential to connect learners with science by immersing them in issues of local and personal interest. We launched and evaluated the outcomes of a co-created, classroom-based citizen science program around air quality in Alaska at the middle school level. Specifically, students were introduced to the larger topic of indoor air quality in the north, an important area in the geosciences that is studied by the partner scientist in the project. The students then developed and answered their own questions about air quality using sensors that they built, with mentorship from the scientist and their teacher. Findings suggest that there was growth in three interrelated areas: science identity (qualitative data), science interest (qualitative data), and perceived science competence (qualitative and quantitative data). The analysis also revealed that building the air quality sensors was the aspect of the project that students found most enjoyable, and the one that most made them feel like scientists. Our study illustrates the importance of incorporating tool construction and use into classroom citizen science projects.