Meaningful participation of schools in scientific research through contributory citizen science projects

School-based citizen science offers a way for students and teachers to collaborate with scientists and take part in multiple facets of research such as data collection and analysis, and sometimes research initiation, co-design, and reporting of findings. However, most citizen science projects offered to schools are of the contributory type, often regarded as a lesser form of participation since the role of nonscientific participants lies mostly in data collection. The current study set out to examine the potential of contributory projects to afford-despite their limitations-more equitable power relations between schools and scientists and a meaningful participation of schools in scientific research. We view meaningful participation as such that embodies students' and teachers' responsibility over scientific processes or outcomes. Nine pairs of teachers and scientists who collaborated in contributory-based projects were asked to think aloud as they answered a questionnaire regarding their experiences, resulting with rich commentary on how they perceived relationships between the schools and the scientists. Analysis of the think-aloud data, using a framework based on the notion of reciprocity in university-community partnerships, indicated that most teachers and scientists developed a sense of reciprocal relations where both sides are acknowledged contributors, some even deeply so. We discuss factors influencing the emergence of reciprocity and implications towards the premise of school-based citizen science to democratize science and change traditional power relations in school-based citizen science collaborations.

Automated summary

School-based citizen science allows students and teachers to collaborate with scientists in various aspects of research, but most projects offered to schools are of the contributory type, focusing mainly on data collection. This study explores the potential of such projects to create more equitable power relations and meaningful participation between schools and scientists. The analysis of think-aloud data from nine pairs of teachers and scientists suggests that a sense of reciprocity, where both sides are acknowledged contributors, can emerge in these collaborations. Factors influencing this reciprocity and its implications for democratizing and changing power relations in school-based citizen science are discussed.