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Short Abstract

Primary school students acted as citizen scientists studying what their families learned from an open schooling project on firefly conservation. They co-designed research tools, analyzed data and shared findings at a municipal event. Results show that this approach extends learning beyond schools.

Abstract

Empowering communities to address current and future sustainability challenges requires educational approaches that engage students and community partners in authentic inquiry around real-world problems. While numerous studies highlight the potential of open schooling initiatives to foster sustainability competences among students, fewer have explored their capacity to generate learning among other members of the educational community, such as families.

Within the BiblioLab project, researchers in science education, teachers, natural area managers and a local association co-designed an educational activity to promote understanding of ecological systems and positive attitudes towards the conservation of the Portuguese firefly (Luciola lusitanica). The project enabled primary school students (aged 9–10) to select local partners with whom they would like to learn from and engage with in the planning and implementation of project to protect this species. During the entire project the parents were engaged as partners. The final products developed by the students included an artistic display in a public space to promote public awareness about fireflies’ conservation.

Curious about their project’s broader impact and acting as citizen scientists students formulated their own research question — What did our families learn from taking part in this project? Together with their teacher and researchers, they co-designed and administered questionnaires with open and closed questions, and collaboratively performed a content analysis of the responses.

Results show that families learned about the firefly’s biology, threats to its survival, and conservation measures. These results were presented by the students at a municipal sustainability event, contributing to community dialogue on learning and environmental action. This case illustrates how open schooling approaches that promote citizen science in schools can transform students into researchers and extend learning beyond classrooms reaching other members of the school communities.