BIORETS program gives local science teachers authentic research experience

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The National Science Foundation awarded Western Michigan University a $525,569 grant to help create a research experience program for middle and high school science teachers, known as BIORETS: biology of plants, animals, microorganisms and their environments. Drs. Yan Lu and Silvia Rossbach serve as principal and co-principal investigators on the grant.

The program, which launched in June 2022, brought together eight biological sciences faculty and nine local science teachers for an authentic research and professional development experience over the course of seven weeks. 

The ultimate goal of the program is to provide “teachers research and education opportunities that can enhance their classroom teaching and entice students to join biological fields,” according to Lu, associate professor of biological sciences and director of the program.

Teachers were paired with one of eight faculty mentors, including Lu and Rossbach, each focusing on a different aspect of the overarching theme of how biological entities interact with one another and their environment. One group explored how microorganisms receive and respond to environmental cues while another considered how animals interact with their environment by investigating fish morphology and migration. Across a variety of biological sciences areas, each lab gave teachers a distinct experience. 

One participant in the BIORETs program, Amanda Solloway, worked in Lu’s lab for the duration of the program. Solloway, an eighth grade science teacher at Cassopolis Middle School, spent her days in the program researching the impact of the environmental pollutant PFAS on plants.  

“The things that I am learning (through the BIORETS program) are beyond any professional development experience I have had,” says Solloway. “As a teacher, I always think about how I am going to bring what I learn to the classroom.” 

Solloway says that carrying out research in a "real science lab" experience highlighted the value of adhering to precise protocols for gathering data and challenged her to reconsider the sorts of practical experiences she might bring back to the classroom. 

Solloway and the other participating instructors will use their experience in the BIORETS program to develop curriculum upgrades that will enrich teaching strategies, expand students' engagement in STEM classes, enhance their research literacy and motivate them to seek further education and STEM careers. 

“For teachers who are passionate about science and learning, (the BIORETS program) is perfect to get hands-on experience,” Solloways says. “I think it is fascinating to do this work.” 

The summer research experience was complemented with faculty research seminars, professional development workshops, demonstrations of hands-on laboratory teaching modules, lunch-time discussions on research and curricular development, written curricular materials, poster presentations on research and curricular development and fall semester classroom visits.

This story is published as part of the College of Arts and Sciences Annual Magazine—view the 2022 Magazine online.