Teacher Characteristics and Perceptions of Pest Management Curricula: Clues to Adoption and Continuation

Educate to Eradicate is a K-12 curriculum project using termite biology and control as the basis for science education that has been implemented in over 350 Hawaii public school classrooms. To encourage sustained implementation of the project, we aimed to identify factors that influence the adoption and continuation of pest management curricula in public school classrooms. Regression analysis of teacher survey data were used to create predictive models of teacher continuation. Teachers motivated by “exciting students about science”, who perceived increases in “student understanding and comprehension of major termite knowledge concepts” and/or students as “more interested in termites after participating in this project” were more likely to continue curriculum. Teachers who had worked at their current school over 21 years at the time of curriculum adoption, and/or who identified having subject specialties not listed on the survey were less likely to continue curriculum. Additionally, teachers servicing lower socioeconomic level students were less likely to continue the curricula.


Introduction
Educate to Eradicate is a K-12 curriculum project using termite biology and management as the basis for science education that has been implemented in over 350 Hawaii public school classrooms with more than 12,530 students and is coupled with community outreach efforts [1,2]. As part of the curricula, students assemble and observe live termite habitats. This activity dovetails with lessons covering data collection, predictions, and inquiry. Communication, interdependence, and adaption are explored. Subsequent lessons and investigations use a range of grade-appropriate pedagogies to further reinforce these concepts, while introducing termite lifecycles, prevention, and control [2].
The University of Hawaii Termite Project has recruited teachers by offering professional development credits, curriculum/materials, and in-class curriculum modeling. The project was advertised by flyer-drops and word of mouth. Teachers self-selected into the curriculum and underwent weekend, weeknight, and/or on-site professional development. Breadth of training varied based on teacher preference. Typically, teachers received both direct instruction on and in-class modeling of curriculum during the first year of partnership. In subsequent years, teachers implemented curriculum independently or co-taught with project staff. Despite continued growth in the number of teachers joining the program and the number of classrooms implementing the curriculum, over six years of the project (2004 2010), nearly two-thirds of teachers did not repeat the curriculum after the first year of implementation.
Past science curriculum studies have linked teacher age, gender, experience, and tenure [3] to novel content knowledge and attitude were positively correlated with the implementation of state-sponsored curriculum [3]. Simplicity and trial-ability of curricula have been predictive of intended continuation. Additional factors associated with teacher adoption and continuation of curriculum include perceived resource availability, quality of professional development, faculty support, standard alignment, student abilities, planning time, and technical support [4 9].
This study aimed to identify factors that influenced the adoption and continuation of pest management curricula in public school classrooms. Prior to the study, project staff believed classroom experience, science training, and grade level would be important predictors of teacher continuation. In order to focus our teacher recruitment efforts and achieve sustained adoption of curricula, we examined past partner teacher survey responses for clues to project continuation.

Materials and Methods
All Educate to Eradicate partner teachers were targeted for project evaluation throughout curricula implementation. Partner teacher demographics and perceptions of Educate to Eradicate curricula were recorded with surveys. To ensure content validity, survey tools were reviewed by a panel of experts from: (1)  -choice and open-ended questions. Surveys also measured perceptions of curricula, resources, and impacts on teacher/student learning with Likert-type scales. Two surveys were created for elementary (version A) and middle/high school (version B) teachers. Initially, these surveys were created largely for project evaluation. Here, we further examine survey data for clues to teacher continuation.
Immediately after unit completion, all teachers were asked to return surveys (from 2004 to present). Teachers who omitted surveys were reminded within one month, through email. When teachers continued use of the curriculum and submitted several surveys over successive years, the first submission was used for analysis, as representative of their initial impressions. Omitted responses to survey questions were treated as missing values and not included in response means. Response frequencies and means were calculated.
Linear regression (stepwise method, P < 0.1 enter rate) was used to correlate teacher continuation (participated: 0-one year, 1-two years, 2-three or more years) on the basis of grade level, science background, teaching experience, perceptions of project content/pedagogy, motivations, subject specialties, and school socioeconomic status (SES) (SAS software, Version 9.2, linear regression). Teacher (X + 0.5)] because data points are small whole-number counts of rare events. School SES data were arcsine transformed because they were reported as a percent of the student population. Motivators and subject specialties were coded as quantitative (0 = not selected or 1 = selected). Survey data were collected with two surveys (versions A and B). Regression analysis was applied to demographic and teacher motivator questions for all responders. Perceptions of curriculum were analyzed separately for survey versions A and B, due to different constructs, wordings, and scales. A total of three stepwise regressions were preformed (combined A and B, survey A, survey B).

Results
Participating teachers from 17 public schools on the islands of Oahu (12) and Maui (5) responded. Data collected from 2004 2010 were used for this analysis. Survey data from 66 (33%) partner teachers (88% female, 12% male) were collected. Forty-seven percent of the respondents continued the curriculum into at least a second year, 39% repeated curriculum three or more years, and 53% did not repeat curriculum. Higher continuation rates were seen within survey respondents, compared to the overall teacher population. Age distribution of the partner teachers is illustrated in Figure 1. The majority of Educate to Eradicate partner teachers had worked in Hawaii throughout their careers, and had moved between schools (Table 1).  Teachers cited meeting science standards (88%), teaching science skills (76%), and using live insects (76%) most often as motivators for partnering with the University of Hawaii Termite Project ( Table 2). Teachers who indicated excite students about science was a motivator were significantly more likely to continue curriculum (Table 3; = 0.31, P population of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch ranged from 9.4% to 89.2%. This measure of student socioeconomic status (SES) was a significant predictor of teacher continuation. Partner teachers servicing lower SES students are less likely to continue curriculum ( = 0.55, P = 0.045). Additionally, teachers who had worked at their current school over 21 years at the time of curriculum adoption were less likely to continue curriculum ( = 0.32, P = 0.039).  Teachers reported that curriculum implementation was a valuable experience for teachers and students and had a significant impact on science learning, skills, and content knowledge ( Table 4). The overall student/teacher learning experience was ranked between good to excellent (3.6). Mean teacher responses indicate good to excellent perceptions of project curriculum, resources, and impacts on student enthusiasm and enjoyment levels during program participation overall impression of UH Termite Project curriculum, materials, and resources student understanding and comprehension of major termite knowledge concepts was the only response positively correlated to teacher continuation (Table 5; = 0.61, P < 0.0001). Teachers who identified having unlisted subject specialties were less likely to continue the curriculum ( = 0.48, P = 0.0003).  Teachers indicated that students gained knowledge (4.5, 4.4) and the ability to recognize termite infestation (3.8) through project participation (Table 6). Teachers agree or strongly agree that the project increased student interest and awareness of termites (4.6). Students were motivated during the project and teachers indicated they would be willing to conduct the project again (4.6). On average, teachers were unsure or agreed that the project encouraged community outreach from students (18% Strongly Agree, 32% Agree, 36% Unsure, 14% Disagree). Overall, teachers were more confident more interested in termites after participating in this project were more likely to continue curriculum (Table 7; = 0.25, P = 0.014). Table 6. Educate to Eradicate partner teacher perceptions of curriculum (survey B).

Discussion
Teachers reported positive outcomes as a result of project implementation. Teachers positively rated curriculum effects on student/teacher learning, student motivation/interest/enthusiasm, and awareness. With these glowing reviews, why do so many teachers fail to continue the Educate to Eradicate curriculum? All teachers agreed they would be willing to implement the project the following year. the project and the reality that only one out of three teachers do so? It is possible that this contradiction reflects social desirability effects or the lack of anonymity in the survey. Regression analysis indicated excite students about science was correlated with teacher continuation. Rates of novel computer science curriculum adoption students ( = 0.70) [5]. T impacts on student understanding and comprehension of major termite knowledge concepts students are interested in termites after participating in this project were more likely to continue the curriculum. Positive attitudes toward curricula [3] and perceived student ability [6] have been linked to curricula adoption in past studies.
A similarly structured study found that as a teacher s tenure at a school increased, the likelihood of adopting the state-sponsored agriscience curriculum decreased ( = 0.25, P < 0.01) [3]. We found teachers with over 21 years at a school ( = 0.32, P = 0.039) were less likely to continue curricula. Perhaps teachers fail to adopt new curricula later in their careers, due to habitualized instruction or pending retirement. Teachers at schools with large percentages of students eligible for free or reduced school lunches were less likely to continue curriculum. This may be associated with higher rates of teacher attrition at schools with lower socioeconomic status [10] or an increased emphasis on standardized testing [11].
We suggest further examination of barriers to implementation including: alignment with instructional standards, department-wide buy-in [5], planning time, technology support, and quality of professional development [7]. A more robust methodology will be required to fully render the gestalt of teacher curricula adoption.

Conclusions
Teacher self-reports of intended curriculum use did not accurately predict continuation. Some survey data could be used to create modest predictive models. Teachers who used the curriculum to comprehension of termite concepts were more likely to continue the project within their classrooms. Teachers who had lengthy tenure at one school, who worked at lower SES schools, or who had unique subject specialties were less likely to continue. A deeper investigation of barriers to curricula implementation is needed.