Ad Astra Academy: Using Space Exploration to Promote Student Learning and Motivation in the City of God,

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Practice Best

Wladimir Lyra Ana Pantelic Paul Hayne New Mexico State University University of Belgrade University of Colorado Boulder [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Melissa Rice Karolina Garcia Jeffrey Marlow Western Washington University University of Florida Boston University [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Dhyan Adler-Belendez Leonardo Sattler Cassara Harvard Graduate School of Education (alumnus) Federal University of Rio de Janeiro [email protected] [email protected] Keywords Neil Jacobson Carolyn Crow Astronomy education; Student motivation; University of Southern California University of Colorado Boulder exploration; ; Outreach for [email protected] [email protected] Development

Motivation is a primary determinant of a student’s academic success, but in many under-resourced educational contexts around the world, opportunities to develop motivation are lacking. In the City of God neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we, a group of scientists and science educators, enacted the Ad Astra Academy, a brief, interactive intervention targeting teenage students at risk of dropping out of school. Students participated in an immersive five-day programme, followed by a six-month lecture series, before completing the second, immersive three-day programme. Participants learned how to use the scientific method in real-world settings to generate new knowledge. In order to consolidate these knowledge gains and bolster the inspirational power of the programme, capstone projects empowered participants to speak with NASA mission managers and, in some cases, acquire never-before-seen images of Mars. While longitudinal study and a more robust sample size are required to bolster conclusions about the efficacy of our approach, initial results suggest that Ad Astra programmes significantly enhance self-efficacy and science-oriented career ambitions.

Introduction yses the degree to which focused inter- Some factors that contribute to student ventions can have behavioural, academic motivation are relatively well-established. Among the factors that are positively corre- and career-based effects on participants. Past work has demonstrated the impor- lated with academic success, motivation is Astronomy, astrobiology and space explo- tance of competence, autonomy, and relat- paramount: with an intrinsic desire to learn, ration represent compelling subject mat- edness through the framework of self-de- students are better positioned to overcome ter for these efforts because of the sense termination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), obstacles and make the most of available of wonder, awe, inspiration and other pos- revealing the benefits of metacognition to opportunities (Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2016). itive emotions that they can instil, espe- keep track of progress (Zepeda, 2015) and Anecdotal evidence among practising cially among youth, and also due to the highlighting the value of a growth mindset scientists suggests that specific, punctu- wide-reaching, universal questions they in building resilience and sustained aca- ated events during childhood can spark engage (Valdesolo, 2016). By present- demic interest (Dweck, 2016). Similarly, academic interest and sustain motiva- ing scientific content in the framework of the expectancy-value theory (Wigfield & tion (Heddy & Sinatra, 2013). The Ad Astra exploration and discovery, Ad Astra pro- Eccles, 2000) has shown that students’ Academy aims to develop such experi- grammes incorporate principles of active achievement on a task depends on the ences for students in under-resourced learning and team-based projects, plac- subjective value that students assign to it, educational contexts in order to inspire ing the student at the center of the learn- and whether they expect to succeed. them to pursue further education, even ing process and encouraging autonomous in the face of structural obstacles. As an learning, thereby providing the opportu- Most of these and other studies on moti- organisation led by scientists, it also meas- nity to display resilience, competence and vation focus on structural or attitudinal fac- ures the results of its activities and anal- cooperation (Fernandez-Rio, 2017). tors; here, we seek to analyse how factors

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such as brevity and intensity of an inter- Motivation and Setting higher than the rate for high-income coun- vention can lead to long-lasting motiva- tries that are part of the Organisation for tional changes. Simply put: Can a brief, The Ad Astra Academy set out to improve Economic Co-operation and Development dramatic experience substantially change the academic experiences of disad- (OECD)) (WHO, 2018). For boys, the timing the nature of a student’s motivation, and vantaged youth through an alternative of school dropouts coincides with recruit- thereby positively influence their career tra- approach to learning through exploration. ment into drug-related gangs, which tar- jectory? Several authors point to a class In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the “favelas” are get teenagers. According to 2015 Brazilian of brief interventions that have a long-last- neighborhoods with high concentrations government statistics, of all arrests made ing effect months and even years after they of people living in poverty, with high lev- nationwide in Brazil, 18% were of boys end (Yeager & Walton, 2011; Walton, 2014). els of criminal activity and limited profes- under the age of 18, and 41% of these Most of these studies emphasise that long- sional opportunities for young people. It arrests were due to drug-trafficking activ- term effects were detected, but we aim to has been shown that, in Brazil, every addi- ities (Brasília: Presidência da República, explore the factors that make this possible. tional year of education results in a nearly 2015). In particular, we are interested in empirically 15% increase in wages, making educa- investigating the role that astronomy, astro- tion one of the most powerful drivers of In short, there are enormous obstacles to biology and space exploration can play in economic success (Psacharopoulos & professional success for children growing building and sustaining motivation—and Patrinos, 2004). However, the unbalanced up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, and we in ultimately influencing socio-economic education system in Brazil means that the hypothesize that a strong sense of intrin- development outcomes. poor have few prospects for social mobility, sic motivation instilled through a brief but and children growing up in favelas are at a exciting intervention could provide posi- Here, we present qualitative and explora- significant disadvantage. Admission rates tive momentum to help students overcome tory quantitative results from two Ad Astra to the best universities are extremely low, the circumstances they were born into. The Academy programmes that spanned four and enrolment is determined by a selection Ad Astra Academy sought to engage stu- years (2015 and 2018) in the City of God exam that privileges well-resourced stu- dents right before the critical age of ado- neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our dents. According to the Brazilian Institute of lescence when Brazilian teenagers in the after-school programme integrated class- Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2014 City of God are most likely to abandon room-based lectures, interactive exer- the government calculated that 40% of the their education. We partnered with the cises, full-day field trips outside the city, students in the top-ranked federal public Instituto Presbiteriano Álvaro Reis (INPAR), and immersive Capstone Projects involv- universities were from the richest quintile a 100-year-old institution that facilitates ing active NASA missions. The Ad Astra of the population, while the poorest quintile extra-curricular activities for the youth of Academy team included an “interna- represented around 7% of enrolment (IBGE, the favela1. The Ad Astra Academy team tional team” (consisting of American and 2015). While the situation has improved sig- also coordinated activities for student par- Brazilian scientists and educators who nificantly (from 60% and 2%, respectively, ticipants with the Museum of Astronomy, work at US institutions) in conjunction with in 2004), the conclusion is unavoidable: the City Planetarium, the Museum of Life, a “local team” (consisting of Brazilian sci- Students from under-resourced communi- and the Valongo Observatory at the Federal entists and educators who work in Rio de ties face major barriers in their pursuit of University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Janeiro). The international team brought higher education and social mobility. a breadth of astronomy and astrobiology expertise and direct connections to active In Rio de Janeiro alone, two million favela Programme Description NASA exploration missions and the local residents (which accounts for nearly one- team fostered effective communication third of the city population) are virtually In collaboration with coordinators at INPAR, and featured more relatable role models excluded from university-level education. we selected cohorts of 20 students between for participating students. While the inter- Data from IBGE show that educational tra- the ages of 12 to 16 years old to partici- national and local teams were not identical jectories are largely established in second- pate in each of two programmes in 2015 between 2015 and 2018, the total number ary school: 30% of 15- to 17-year-olds in and 2018. The same criterion was used to of facilitators and the number of English vs the poorest quintile of the population have choose participants in both years. Initial Portuguese speakers were the same. We abandoned school. In contrast, the drop- school-directed selections consisted of are interested in investigating how the com- out rate among the richest quintile of the the top-performing students (80% female, plementary roles of the international and same age range is only 5% (IBGE). 20% male)2; in this context, the programme local teams influenced the outcomes of was presented as a reward for good aca- the programmes and student motivation. Social challenges compound the problem. demic performance. However, in order to From the assessment of the implementa- As university and job prospects become fulfill our central aim of engaging students tion and learning outcomes of the Ad Astra unrealized dreams in the favela, other for whom the traditional school system Academy programmes, our goal is to iden- forces take hold. According to 2018 data was not working, classes were adjusted tify a set of best practices that can we rec- from the World Health Organization (WHO), to add several boys who were interested ommend for implementing brief, intense Brazil had one of the highest rates of teen- in astronomy but were less academically interventions to enhance student motiva- age pregnancy in the world (60.8 births per engaged2, as these boys face higher risks tion in under-resourced communities. 1000 girls, which was more than six times of being recruited by drug-related gangs.

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This shift resulted in a 50%-50% male to perspectives on how science can work knowledge of space-related subject matter female ratio. Both cohorts consisted of het- in concert with community goals and val- and build a sense of excitement for “school erogeneous groups covering a spectrum ues. Details of the programmes (a sum- not-as-usual.” of academic interest and susceptibility to mary of daily activities, learning objectives dropping out of school. By diversifying the and relation to Bloom’s Taxonomy of cog- Two week-long visits from the international sampling parameters, the Academies were nition) are provided in Table 15). The learn- team were separated by six months (Table designed to provide a springboard of posi- ing and teaching designs for the 2015 and 1). During the first session, the goal was to tive reinforcement for curious students who 2018 programmes were similar, although introduce the students to the process of lacked engaging academic experiences, the 2015 programme included two weeks scientific investigation, to ensure they had and also to show students on less produc- of intense classroom intervention, and the an adequate knowledge base to perform tive paths that learning could be an excit- 2018 programme was condensed to a sin- the Capstone Project, and to engage the ing activity with long-term benefits at a key gle week. students with the excitement of exploration. inflection point in their lives. This was achieved through a combination Programme One: 2015 of presentations, hands-on activities, and The curriculum and structure of the pro- a field trip. While time spent lecturing was grammes were aligned with self-determina- The inaugural Ad Astra Academy pro- generally kept to a minimum, one of the tion theory which specifies the importance gramme in 2015 consisted of two sepa- local team members presented an over- of autonomy, competence and relatedness rate sessions: five days in June and three view of scientists from Brazil who had (Deci & Ryan, 2000). To support student days in November. Prior to the start of any made significant contributions, showing autonomy, we incorporated self-directed programmatic activities, students were the students how members of their own learning and viewed learners as active given a pre-test (see “Outcomes” section), community have contributed to important constructors of their knowledge. To sup- administered by INPAR staff. In prepara- scientific discoveries, thereby making the port competence, we engaged deeply with tion for the first visit from the international idea of becoming a scientist more acces- content knowledge and procedural knowl- team, INPAR took the students on visits sible (Brown, 2015). edge of the scientific method. Finally, to to the Museum of Astronomy and the City bolster relatedness, we invited local scien- Planetarium, both in Rio de Janeiro. These By positioning a field trip on the second tists to speak about their research expe- initial activities primed the students for the day of the programme, we anticipated riences in astronomy and to share their start of the curriculum with fundamental positive out-of-classroom team-building effects that would be sustained for the rest of the programme. The field trip during the first session was to Jaguanum Island—a 3 km2 island off the Green Coast of Rio de Janeiro about two hours from the school— which included a trip on a chartered “pirate ship.” During the trip, students gained an introduction to field-based science and analysis. The following day, students con- nected discussions of habitability and life across wide spatial scales, using micro- scopes and satellite imagery via Google Earth. In the final two days of the first week, students completed activities to prepare them for the Capstone Project, in which teams of students identified sites on Mars where they would request high-resolu- tion images to be acquired from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument. Using all they had learned about habitability and geomor- phology thus far, student teams provided three scientifically-supported reasons to justify their requests for HiRISE images. In a live video call with HiRISE mission team members at the control centre in Arizona, US, students made their case that the pro- posed images would provide helpful new Figure 1. Model building activity during the 2018 programme, with starting materials (a) and stu- information about Mars’ past or present dents assembling rovers in teams together with Ad Astra instructors (b-d). Credit: Ad Astra Academy conditions.

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Between the first and second visits of the dents analysed real NASA Mars Science < .001). Students began the study unsure international team, the local team made Laboratory (MSL) images and developed of what data, experimental control, and a weekly presentations to the students at science plans based on well-supported hypothesis were, with correct response INPAR on different topics in astronomy. hypotheses. They built small model rov- rates below 24%. Post-test scores showed These events were essential to keep the ers to understand fundamental engineer- that students made gains in all areas, students engaged and motivated to con- ing and design principles (Figure 2), and although understanding what a hypothesis tinue the programme during the next inter- ultimately pitched their rover traverse plans is proved difficult for students both before national team visit. In November 2015, the via videoconference with MSL team mem- and after the programme. international team reconnected with the bers (Figure 3). Unfortunately, due to logis- students, and, on the first day, ceremoni- tical difficulties, pre- and post-tests were Additionally, we coded student responses ously revealed large-format posters of the not administered in 2018. As a follow-up to to short-answer questions about what student-requested HiRISE images (Figure the the five-day programme, the local team the scientific method is, how it could be 3). (Three of the six requested images were returned to INPAR to give a series of pres- used to study a local phenomenon, and acquired, thanks to the invaluable support entations over a single week in December how one might redesign an experiment to of the HiRISE team.) On the second day, 2018. more accurately address a target ques- the students went on a full-day field trip to tion. Answers were coded by two research- the Tijuca Forest, the largest urban forest ers for keywords identified by a domain in the world, to connect themes of habita- Outcomes expert with inter-rater agreement above bility, landscape formation processes, and 90%. While students incorporated more HiRISE images of Mars. On the final day of Pre- and Post-Tests keywords in their responses at post com- the programme, student teams used their pared to pre, the only significant difference HiRISE images as a platform for a mock In the 2015 programme, we evaluated out- emerged for redesign of an experiment. At Mars rover mission. Students took turns comes by administering pre- and post- pre-test, student responses averaged less as “Mission Manager”, proposing sites to tests, which focused on measuring com- than one scientific keyword whereas post- investigate and types of data to collect. petence, autonomy, and relatedness (Deci test responses averaged more than one This exercise, which required teamwork & Ryan; Pugh, 2002). In order to address keyword. skills of negotiation and debate while using competence, we measured student well-supported justification, reflected many knowledge of the scientific method and Competence II: Mars of the challenges of real-world projects. By domain-specific information (e.g. habita- requiring a consensus for each round of bility, astrobiology and Mars) before and We summed the number of correct exploration and ensuring that each stu- after participation in the intervention. To responses to questions about Mars (Table dent had a turn at the helm, interpersonal address autonomy and relatedness, we 3), creating a sum score ranging from 0 to dynamics were surprisingly cooperative. measured students’ perceptions of sci- 3, with higher scores indicating more cor- At the programme’s conclusion, students ence in their community and their per- rect answers. Overall, students answered completed a post-test, identical to the pre- ceptions of using and creating scientific significantly more questions correctly test, to enable programme evaluation. knowledge in their community. The test at post (M=1.87) compared to pre-test questions and results are summarised in ((M=.68): t(15)=-7.25, p < .001). Most Programme Two: 2018 Tables 2-4 4. Assessments of these areas notably, students’ understanding of what for 17 participants in the 2015 programme a habitat needs to sustain life benefitted Due to time constraints and budget opti- are summarised in the following sections. from the intervention. This is reinforced by misation efforts, the second programme We note that 17 respondents is a small short-answer responses to the question: was conducted over a single week in sample size and presents challenges for “What would a human need to survive on July 2018, allowing us to test a different producing statistically significant findings; Mars?”. While students exhibited knowl- Capstone Project. The first three days of however, as discussed in the following sec- edge gains about Mars overall, they strug- the curriculum were identical to that of the tions, we have confidence in several results gled on questions pertaining to environ- 2015 programme, building familiarity with (those with p-values <0.05 are considered mental conditions, such as explaining the the scientific method, highlighting the joy statistically significant). planet’s red color. Overall, despite difficulty of exploratory field observation, and con- with specific content, students increased necting observations across wide spa- Competence I: Scientific Method their knowledge of Mars and also provided tial scales using microscopes and satel- more well-reasoned arguments that life lite imagery. We summed the number of correct beyond Earth may be possible. responses on the pre- and post-tests The Capstone Project, which occupied (Table 2), creating a single score which Autonomy and Relatedness days four and five, centered around the ranged from 0 to 9 with higher scores indi- use of real Mars rover mission data to plan cating more correct answers. Results of a We were also interested in how students scientific investigations of a Martian cra- paired samples t-test indicated that stu- perceived the role of science for them- ter’s habitability and ancient environmen- dents had significantly higher scores on selves and their community. We created a tal conditions. Rather than generate pri- the scientific method related questions at measure based on eleven questions that mary data themselves (as had been done post-test (M=7.06, SD=1.06) compared to asked students to reflect on their role in via HiRISE image acquisition in 2015), stu- pre-test ((M=4.25, SD=1.12): t(15)=-9.63, p conducting science and producing sci-

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Figure 2. Ad Astra Academy Capstone Project from the 2018 programme: (a) students study a HiRISE image of the MSL Rover’s landing site in Gale Crater, Mars; (b) traverse locations selected by students on Mt. Sharp in Gale Crater (yellow star indicates the rover’s location at the time of the July 2018 programme); (c) students pres- ent their future traverse proposals and science rationales to MSL team members via Skype. Credit: Ad Astra Academy

entific knowledge (Table 4). Three of the However, the validity and implications of Another participant is studying for college items were reverse coded so that the direc- this potential link require further targeted entrance exams and hopes to pursue a tion of all effects could be viewed pos- study. STEM career. She pointed to the Capstone itively. This resulted in a measure with a Project as a key motivator, and the over- minimum of 1 indicating strong disagree- all experience as a memory she would call ment, and 6 indicating strong agreement. Student Experiences upon during future struggles. “We took a Overall, the results indicated a significant picture of Mars that no one ever saw or increase in students’ perceptions of their Developing a quantitative understand- understood,” she explained, “and we will ability to contribute to scientific knowl- ing of how the intervention may have be the first people to see it, and I feel a bit edge and the ability of science to solve changed participants’ educational paths special... this project is very important to problems from the pre-test (M=3.68) to and career prospects will require sev- me; I will never forget this week.” This stu- the post-test ((M=5.46): t(10)=-3.72, p = eral additional years of longitudinal track- dent also benefited from the team’s gen- .004). Responses for five of the eleven ing. Nonetheless, individual testimonials der diversity: “I was even more motivated items on the pre-test were below the mid- and progression through academic mile- because I had a certain fear of being the point of the scale, indicating that students stones suggest that, for a subset of partic- only woman among the biologists and disagreed with statements including, “I am ipants, the programme was a transforma- such, but when I saw other scientists who a scientist”, “Science can solve any prob- tive event. Several students said that the were women, it encouraged me.” lem” and “In the future, I want to be a sci- experience revealed novel ways of viewing entist”, all of which became significantly (p and interacting with the natural world. “[The Most striking across the post-programme values <.03) above the midpoint after com- programme] changed my way of thinking,” interviews was the power of new physical pleting the programme. explained one participant, who declared experiences to shift students’ mindsets. her newfound desire to be an astronomer, From riding on a boat for the first time, Additionally, an intriguing pattern emerged “Now, when I walk in the street, I look at the to seeing a jellyfish, observing plankton for the relationship between the role of sky.” The same student also said that she under a microscope, controlling an under- one’s self in science and the role of science always liked “the stars and the planets”, but water robot, and seeing Saturn through a in one’s community. While students’ belief she did not know that “something like this telescope, the density of new experiences in their ability to carry out their own exper- could be a profession.” created a sense of novelty and excitement iments and to use science to help their that is now associated with curiosity, learn- community increased, students actually Two of the particularly “at-risk” students ing and empowerment. decreased, although not significantly (p = noticed a shift in their mindsets toward .18), in the belief that their community uses more active inquiry and enhanced per- After 2015, the only INPAR students who science to solve problems. One possible sonal agency. “I did not realise that when pursued any form of higher-education were explanation of this decrease is that after I’m on a beach, that I can pick things up, from the Ad Astra cohort. Of the 20 stu- gaining first-hand experience of the rigour collect data and learn more,” said one. dents who participated in the 2015 pro- and limitations of the scientific method, Another noted that “the project made gramme, two have gone to college, one students’ confidence in their communi- me think more like this: look at the world graduated from a higher-education teach- ty’s problem-solving science decreased. around me, and ask several questions.” ing programme, and another is currently

Ad Astra Academy: Using Space Exploration to Promote Student Learning and Motivation in the City of God, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 9 Ad Astra Academy: Using Space Exploration to Promote Student Learning and Motivation in the City of God, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

taking pre-college preparatory courses and exams. While we have insufficient data to attribute these students’ decisions directly to their participation in Ad Astra Academy, we plan to follow students from the 2018 programme and future iterations of Ad Astra Academy as well, and will com- pare to control groups of other INPAR stu- dents to assess the long-term impacts of the intervention.

Instructor Best Practices

The strategically designed curricula described above and in Table 1 offer a path for students to gain fluency in per- forming scientific investigations and learn a great deal about habitability, astrobiology and Mars. However, we believe that confi- dence-building, attitude-based outcomes are equally important for student success. In this , we developed recommen- dations for best practices on the key fea- tures that make Ad Astra Academy unique throughout both programmes: a passion Figure 3. Highlights from the four HiRISE images acquired by the 2015 Ad Astra Academy participants. Inset for learning through experience and explo- images show particular areas of interest, including slope streaks at Kasei Valles, dunes of various scales near ration, empowerment through inquiry and the north pole, deformed terrain at a putative rampart crater, and a pronounced rock outcrop on Pavonis Mons. resilience, and promotion of curiosity and Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona critical thinking. In practice, these goals translated into a few actionable guideposts for all instructors: (Figure 3) were acquired by the HiRISE Scholarships team of: Kasei Valles, the North Polar 1. Consistently remind/encourage stu- Layered Deposits, a crater in the mid-lat- To further the impact of the 2018 pro- dents to write or sketch observations in itudes, and the Pavonis Mons volcano5. gramme, we selected two students, aged lab notebooks. In Kasei Valles, dark slope streaks were 16 and 17, for scholarships in partnership 2. Encourage students to ask ques- observed along channel walls, indicating with the Museum of Life, in Rio de Janeiro. tions at all times, through any mode relatively recent wet or dry flows. At the The students go to the Museum twice a possible (e.g. verbally or in writing). North Polar Layered Deposits, distinct mix- week, participating in their experimental 3. Lead students along paths of tures of ice and soil form metre- to deca- and educational activities. They receive inquiry. If a student’s question can be metre-scale layers, offering clues to past remuneration commensurable with the tested, ask guiding questions that direct climatic regimes. The mid-latitude rampart minimum wage in Brazil. The intent of pro- them to formulate experiments. Prioritise crater was surrounded by broad, rounded viding a paid is to retain them the enactment of these experiments shapes, suggesting that the impact may in science and pursuit of college by alleviat- over standard curriculum activities when have melted subsurface ice and led to ing the financial pressure that would make possible and appropriate. fast-flowing fluidised ejecta. On the north- them pursue a non-academic minimum ern flank of the Pavonis Mons volcano, wage job with little intellectual stimulation. Convey the range of emotions that come three distinct rock outcrops punctuate oth- with being a scientist, from the challenges erwise flat terrain, whose dunes could help of failed experiments to the joy of solving a inform atmospheric circulation. Discussion hard problem, and contributing new knowl- edge to the world. These images would not have been The exploratory quantitative analysis and acquired without the partnership between anecdotal data presented in preced- the Ad Astra Academy’s student explor- ing sections point to significant positive Other Deliverables and Impacts ers and the HiRISE mission’s education changes in competence, autonomy and and outreach team. We anticipate that relatedness, as well as more substantial Spacecraft Images the images will be incorporated by the effects on certain students’ career objec- broader research community into existing tives and worldviews. Based on student requests and scientific and future studies, ensuring a substantive reasoning, three high-resolution images student contribution to Mars exploration.

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Several challenges—both anticipated would nurture a seed of interest. With the is a priority. Nonetheless, we also found and unforeseen—complicated the pro- tools of the scientific method at their dis- that including international scientists pro- gramme’s implementation and may have posal, motivated students would be well vided some unexpected benefits. The prevented educational gains from reaching positioned to expand their knowledge range of domain-specific expertise encom- their full potential. As expected given the base. passed by the team meant that a broad set inclusion of students with poor attendance of student questions could be answered. and behavioural records, disruptive behav- Other tweaks to the programme will help Instructors’ deep knowledge of experi- ior was occasionally distracting. Teaching align our efforts with published best prac- mental design allowed them to quickly via translators was a slow process that, at tices. For example, by highlighting the arrange demonstrations or experiments times, limited information transfer and hin- struggles of the international scientists, we to address questions and provide positive dered deeper connections between stu- can remove the stigma of uncertainty, elim- reinforcement to curious students. In addi- dents and international instructors. Teacher inate the misconception of “innate talent,” tion, the “eventised” nature of incorporat- training efforts were limited to an informa- and facilitate a growth mindset (Lin-Siegler, ing international scientists made students tion-sharing session and did not allow Ad 2016). Asking students to reflect on daily feel valued, special, and part of some- Astra Academy leaders to observe local activities and the programme’s broader thing important. In the 2015 iteration, sev- teachers’ incorporation of key program- lessons in a more private, personal con- eral participants expressed skepticism that matic elements (e.g. active learning, stu- text (e.g. through journaling) will help par- the team would in fact return after the first dent-directed inquiry, exploration of the ticipants gain ownership of the material week of instruction or that HiRISE images natural world) into subsequent classroom and tailor it to their specific circumstances would be acquired. Demonstrating that sci- activities. (Zepeda, 2015; Brown, 2015). entists from outside the City of God—a tra- ditionally marginalised community—care Given our analysis of the pre- and post- Modifications to our team composition and about students’ difficulties and aspirations tests; interviews with students, teach- classroom approach would ease the lan- may provide an emotional boost as impor- ers, and family members; and Ad Astra guage barrier issues and make the best tant as the intellectual one (Theron, 2012). Academy team member reflections, future use of limited time. In both iterations of the As one student explained, “When they told programmes will prioritize several additions Brazil academies, the international team me that this project would come to Brazil, and modifications. The telescope night consisted exclusively of scientists; involv- I did not really believe it. I do not trust any- event was an encouraging sign of commu- ing trained educators (as has occurred one saying they will come here—for me, nity interest; enhancing this component by at other Ad Astra Academies around the it is not a possible thing. But when I saw providing students with a platform to share world) would be helpful in building cohe- them here, I was like, ‘Ah, it’s true!’ I was so their new knowledge and show the confi- sion and limiting disruptions through class- surprised.” Another reported, “When I saw dence they have attained will build longer- room management and team-building the [HiRISE] pictures, I felt, ‘Whoa, they term buy-in from potentially sceptical fam- exercises. Working with translator scientists said they were going to send them, and ily members or community leaders. While was an essential yet surprisingly effective they really did bring them back!’ It gave me we hope Ad Astra Academy programmes part of the process. At their best, the trans- great joy. We made the photo analysis and instil a long-lasting passion for learning lators who were scientists understood the have seen some important things.” in the students themselves, engagement learning objectives of a given activity and from the students’ families is a critical guided groups of students down the path In order to scale the core tenets of Ad Astra piece of the puzzle. Family member inter- of discovery. This independence saved Academy’s pedagogical approach—expe- views revealed that caregivers almost uni- time by avoiding word-for-word translation riential, inquiry-based learning through the versally see higher education as a worthy and improved knowledge delivery by incor- lens of exploration—disseminating these pursuit, but in the face of challenging eco- porating culturally-relevant references. To principles through local teachers is essen- nomic circumstances, income-generating enhance these effects, future programmes tial. After all, teachers have more sustained activities take priority. We anticipate that will involve local scientists from an earlier contact with students and their families involving caregivers in the student’s jour- stage of curriculum development to ensure and are better positioned to tailor instruc- ney of discovery and curiosity—in addi- all instructors buy in to the programme’s tional approaches to an individual pupil’s tion to the scholarships Ad Astra Academy underlying objectives and understand the interests and life circumstances. A more offers—will lead to a stronger commitment curriculum’s progression to attain them. extensive teacher training programme that to the long-term benefits of education. allows time for practise and feedback for Local scientists provided a bridge not only both the international Ad Astra Academy One of the most effective ways to con- in terms of language, but also in their relat- team and local teachers would be a pro- solidate knowledge gains and develop a ability: students could “see themselves” ductive next step. deeper understanding of relevant princi- more easily in the local scientists than in ples is through project-based activities the international team members. Given the Many of our future course corrections (Kanter, 2010). Our curriculum included strong effects of representation in building seek to build a culture of knowledge and several short-term projects, but students self-efficacy(Morgenroth, 2015), bolstering exploration around Ad Astra Academy stu- would likely benefit from more sustained this component by involving role models dents. Our initial evidence suggests that, and self-directed efforts. For example, as close to the students’ cultural, social, for many participants, the spark of inspi- developing a research agenda to follow up and economic circumstances as possible ration caught hold, but it needs fuel—in on questions that arose during the week

Ad Astra Academy: Using Space Exploration to Promote Student Learning and Motivation in the City of God, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 11 Ad Astra Academy: Using Space Exploration to Promote Student Learning and Motivation in the City of God, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Deci, E., and R. Ryan, ‘The “What” and “Why” Theron, L., P. Engelbrecht, and M. Ungar, the form of family support, longer-term of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the ‘Caring Teachers: Teacher–Youth projects that reinforce key principles, and Self-Determination of Behavior’, Transactions to Promote Resilience,’ The classroom environments that promote stu- Psychological Inquiry. vol. 11, 2000, p. 227- Social Ecology of Resilience: A Handbook dent inquiry—to continue burning. While 268, doi: 10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01 of Theory and Practice, NY: Springer New developing a full infrastructure of support Dweck, C.S., ‘Mindset: the New Psychology of York,New York, 2012, p. 265-280 is beyond the scope of our programme, Success (updated edition)’, Ballantine Valdesolo, P., A. Shtulman, and A.S. the relatively straightforward modifica- Books: New York City, 2016 Baron,‘Science is awe-some: The emotional tions highlighted above will help capitalise Fernandez-Rio, J., N. Sanz, J. Fernandez- antecedents of science learning’, Emotion on the knowledge, attitude and behavior Cando and L. Santos, ‘Impact of a sus- Review, 2016 gains students attain from the punctuated tained Cooperative Learning intervention on Walton, G.M.,‘The New Science of Wise Ad Astra Academy experience. student motivation’, Physical Education and Psychological Interventions.’ Current Sport Pedagogy, vol. 22, no. 1, 2015, p. Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 23, 89-105, doi: no. 1, 2014, p. 73-82 Conclusions 10.1080/17408989.2015.1123238 ‘World health statistics 2018: monitoring health Heddy, B. C., and G. M. Sinatra,‘Transforming for the SDGs, sustainable development Ad Astra Academy programmes in Brazil Misconceptions: Using Transformative goals,’ World Health Organization, [online] have sought to instil a passion for knowl- Experience to Promote Positive Affect and Geneva, 2018, Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 edge and exploration in under-resourced Conceptual Change in Students Learning IGO https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/han communities among students with lim- About Biological Evolution’, Science dle/10665/272596/9789241565585-eng. Education, vol. 97, no. 5, 2013, p. 723-744, pdf?ua=1 ited educational and economic opportu- doi:10.1002/sce.21072 nities. Through brief, interactive interven- Wigfield, A., and J.S. Eccles, ‘Expectancy– tions designed to empower students to Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística value theory of achievement motivation’, (IBGE), ‘Síntese de Indicadores Sociais – Contemporary Educational Psychology, no. contribute to the leading edge of space 2015’, uma análise das condições de vida 25, vol. 1, 2000, p. 68–81, doi:10.1006/ exploration, many students reported da população brasileira [online], Rio de ceps.1999.1015 transformational impacts. Analysis of pre- Janeiro, 2015, http://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/ Yeager, D.S. and G.M. Walton, ‘Social- and post-tests indicated that participants visualizacao/ livros/liv95011.pdf psychological interventions in education: expressed a markedly enhanced ability Kanter, D.E., ‘Doing the Project and Learning They’re not magic,’ Review of Educational and desire to engage in scientific research the Content: Designing Project-Based Research, vol. 81, 2011, p. 267–301 following the programme. Substantial Science Curricula for Meaningful Zepeda, C.D., J.E. Richey, P. Ronevich, and methodological challenges for the study Understanding,’ Science Education, vol. 94, T.J. Nokes-Malach, ‘Direct instruction of remain, including the collection of long- no. 3, 2010, p. 525–551 metacognition benefits adolescent science term data to evaluate the programme’s Linnenbrink-Garcia, L., E.A. Patall, and R. learning, transfer, and motivation: An in vivo impact on career success. Nonetheless, Pekrun, ‘Adaptive Motivation and Emotion in study’, Journal of Educational Psychology, we are encouraged by the initial results Education’, Policy Insights from the vol. 107, no. 4, 2015, p. 954-970 presented here, which support our hypoth- Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 3, no. 2, esis that brief, impactful interventions can 2016, p. 228-236, play a positive role in a student’s educa- doi:10.1177/2372732216644450 tional trajectory through enhanced auton- Lin-Siegler, X., J.N. Ahn, J. Chen, F.F.A. Fang, Notes omy and self-efficacy. and M. Luna-Lucero, ‘Even Einstein strug- gled: Effects of learning about great scien- 1 There are many NGOs acting in the favelas, tists’ struggles on high school students’ though most are related to sports or arts. Ad motivation to learn science,’ Journal of References Astra Academy is one of the first science-fo- Educational Psychology, vol. 108, no. 3, cused programmes operating in the favelas. 2016, p. 314 ‘Mapa do encarceramento: os jovens do Brasil 2 In the 2015 report from the Instituto Morgenroth, T., M.K. Ryan, and K. Peters, ‘The / Secretaria-Geral da Presidência da Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística in the ref- Motivational Theory of Role Modeling: How República e Secretaria Nacional de erences document shows that of those who Role Models Influence Role Aspirants’ Juventude’, Brasília: Presidência da completed secondary education, 55% were Goals,’ Review of General Psychology, vol. República, 2015, https://nacoesunidas.org/ men and 67% were women in the whole coun- 19 no. 4, 2015, p. 465-83 wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mapa_do_ try. When broken down by race, there was a Encarceramento_-_Os_jovens_do_brasil. Psacharopoulos, G., and H.A. Patrinos, 12% gap in favor of women wides to 19% when pdf ‘Returns to Investment in Education: A only people of darker skin tone are consid- Further Update’, Education Economics, Brown, E.R., J.L. Smith, D.B. Thoman, J.M. ered. This government report that this may be vol.12, no.2, 2004, p. 111-134 Allen, and G. Muragishi,‘From bench to bed- due to societal gender norms that direct boys side: A communal utility value intervention to Pugh, K.,‘Teaching for Transformative into the workforce at an early age, making enhance students’ biomedical science moti- Experiences in Science: An Investigation of them manage both work and study. This is vation,’ Journal of Educational Psychology, the Effectiveness of Two Instructional potentially the reason for the disparity in the vol. 107, no. 4, 2015, p. 1116 Elements’, Teachers College Record, vol. school-directed selections. 104, no. 6, 2002, p. 1101-37 3 Academic engagement was based on school attendance, performance, and motiva- tion.

12 CAPjournal, No. 27, March 2020 CAPjournal, No. 27, March 2020

4 Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 are available online at Ad Astra Academies, GalileoMobile, Rio the CAPjournal website: www.capjournal.org de Janeiro’s Museum of Astronomy, Rio Neil Jacobson is a PhD candidate at the 5 The images have the following IDs: Kasei de Janeiro’s City Planetarium, the NGO University of Southern California’s Rossier Valles (image ID ESP_043797_2070), the School of Education. His work investigates Parceiros da Educação, Patricia Spinelli, North Polar Layered Deposits (image ID the conceptual change process as it applies to scientific, social, historical, and political ESP_042748_2650), a crater in the mid-lati- Sandra Benitez Herrera, João Paulo knowledge. tudes (image ID ESP_042536_2170), and the Nogueira Cavalcante, Raquel Boesso Pavonis Mons volcano (image ID Silva, Leandro Guedes, Wailã de Souza Ana Pantelic is a social entrepreneur and ESP_052317_1830). Cruz, Flavia Lima, Alexandre Cherman, international development professional with a Daniel Mello, and Silvia Lorenz. Finally, decade of experience working at the intersec- tion of systems change, social innovation, and we also thank the MRO HiRISE team and economic opportunity. MSL team members Vandi Verma, Matt Acknowledgements Heverley, Katie Stack Morgan and Abigail Karolina Garcia is a PhD candidate in astron- Fraeman. omy at the University of Florida, studying gal- axy clusters and supernovae. We dedicate this manuscript to Loloano Claudionor da Silva, a Brazilian scien- Leonardo Sattler Cassara is an astrophysi- tist and indispensable Ad Astra Academy cist currently working as a Research Assistant at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. local team leader, who passed away unex- Biographies pectedly in January 2019. We will miss him Carolyn Crow is a Planetary Scientist greatly as we continue the work that he and Cosmochemistry in the Department of cared so deeply about, as will the many Wladimir Lyra is an Assistant Professor of Geosciences at the University of Colorado Astronomy at New Mexico State University and Boulder and the Program Director for the Ad students who have been inspired by his Brazil Site Director of the Ad Astra Academy. Astra Academy. kindness, humor and passion for learning. Ad Astra Academy thanks the follow- Melissa Rice is an Associate Professor of Paul Hayne is an assistant professor of Planetary Science at Western Washington astrophysical and planetary sciences at the ing sources of funding that have made University. She is a science team member of University of Colorado Boulder, and is Science the Brazil programmes possible: the the NASA and Mars- Director for the Ad Astra Academy. International Astronomical Union, Rolex, 2020 Rover missions. and the National Geographic Society. We Jeffrey Marlow is an Assistant Professor of Dhyan Adler-Belendez received his Master’s Biology at Boston University and the Executive thank Hank Leukart, Alejandra Frias, and degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Director of the Ad Astra Academy. Julia DeMarines for their contributions as Education. His work focuses on improving Ad Astra team members. We thank Liliane mathematics and science education. Mynssen and the entire INPAR staff includ- ing the students who participated in the

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