The third theme emerged from the parent interviews regarding the 2016 summer camp program which was, parents believed that the 2016 marine science summer
enrichment camp positively improved the ocean literacy skills of middle school students. Parents repeatedly shared the opinion the summer camp program improved ocean literacy through curricular materials, instructional activities and assessments. Parents also
expressed the opinion the summer camp improved their student’s responsibility for learning through participation in the summer camp. The parent interview questions with response summaries are presented below. Responses were compared for similarities and differences to generate categories.
Parent interview data. The first parent interview question asked, “Please explain
why you enrolled your child in the 2016 marine science summer enrichment camp.” Two of the parents, Peter and Patricia, reported that both their children had an interest in marine science. The third parent, Patience, enrolled her child in the camp because of his love for science. Patricia thought the program would be good for her son. Peter noted the camp experience included many outdoor activities, and he expressed the opinion the camp experience helped his daughter develop her knowledge about marine science. Patience pointed out that teachers did not emphasize science during the school year and that the camp experience was different from traditional sports camps as the camp focused on improving academic skills rather than athletic skills.
The second parent interview question asked, “Why or why not do you believe the curricular materials used at the 2016 marine science summer enrichment camp improved your child’s ocean literacy skills?” All parents were of the opinion the curricular
materials used at this camp improved their children’s ocean literacy skills. Peter thought the curricular materials used at the camp improved his child’s ocean literacy skills because his child learned about how animals interact with the ocean. Patience also believed that the curricular materials used at the camp improved her child’s ocean
literacy skills because her child was aware of the alignment of the camp curriculum to the curriculum taught during the school year. Patricia felt her child already had good ocean literacy skills but noted that her child could use those skills in hands-on inquiry activities at camp rather than memorizing facts from independent reading.
The third parent interview question asked, “Why or why not do you believe the instruction teachers used at the 2016 marine science summer enrichment camp improved the ocean literacy skills of your child?” All three parents felt the instruction that teachers provided at this camp improved the ocean literacy skills of their children. Patience felt camp instruction improved the ocean literacy of her child because camp instructors demonstrated knowledge about and backgrounds in marine science. Patricia noted that camp teachers used hands-on inquiry activities, such as exploring the marsh and the ocean, to improve her child’s ocean literacy skills. Peter pointed out that his child had participated in this camp for 4 or 5 years, and she wanted to take part in camp again next summer. Patience noted that camp teachers had developed a unique relationship with
students because they had been camp teachers for several years, and she believed these relationships helped teachers to know how to teach campers. Peter also noted that his child wanted to participate in the camp again because his child thought the instruction made learning exciting. Patricia reported that the camp experience gave her children a hands-on and real life experience in marine science.
The fourth parent interview question asked, “Why or why not do you believe the assessments used at the 2016 marine science summer enrichment camp improved the literacy skills of your child?” All three parents held the opinion the assessments used at the camp improved the ocean literacy skills of their children. Patricia felt the exit slips were effective assessments because teachers learned what students were interested in or engaged in in relation to marine science. Peter thought assessments helped his child establish goals to improve his ocean literacy skills. Patience added that she believed assessments built a foundation for learning beyond the summer camp experience.
The fifth parent interview question asked, “Why or why not do you believe your child’s participation in the 2016 marine science summer enrichment camp improved your child’s ocean literacy skills?” All three parents believed their children’s participation in the camp program developed their ocean literacy skills. Patricia felt her child learned information about marine science that he did not know, even though he already had many experiences with the ocean. Peter noted that his child made an effort to use her ocean literacy skills after camp by utilizing strategies to minimize the impact on the
participation in the camp improved her son’s social skills and helped him put more effort into learning.
The sixth parent interview question asked, “Why or why not do you believe your child’s participation in the 2016 marine science summer enrichment camp made your child more responsible for his or her learning?” All three parents felt their child’s
involvement in the camp made their children more accountable for their learning. Patricia thought her child was interested in marine science, wanted to know more about marine science, and loved to participate in the camp experience, which made her more
responsible for her learning. Peter felt his child wanted to get as much out of the camp experience as possible so she could use the learning for school and family activities related to the ocean. Patience noted that her child was more responsible for his learning because camp teachers expected him to be on time and to be prepared as well as to be a team player and leader.
The seventh parent interview question asked, “What else would you like to tell me about this experience?” Parents differed in their responses to this question. Patricia believed the closing program was robust, especially the videos. Peter like the fact that he had an opportunity to view the products that students made during the camp experience. Patricia felt the camp was a positive experience for her child because the staff worked well with him. Peter thought that a benefit of the camp experience was that a variety of instructors taught outdoor skills. Patience repeated the notion that the teachers did not
focus enough on science during the academic year, and therefore, the camp experience gave her child an additional opportunity to have fun and to learn science.
The codes and summaries of the parent interviews were used to create categories regarding the parent’s opinions about the summer camp’s impact on their student’s learning and ocean literacy. Table 10 is a summary of the categories constructed from the analysis of the parent interview data. The categories were used to inform the third theme regarding parent perceptions the camp positively impact the ocean literacy skills in middle school students. These categories were used to identify the third theme in relation to the fifth related research question. The related research question and the third theme are discussed in the results section.
Table 10
Summary of Categories from Analysis of Parent Interview Data
Interview Questions Categories
1. Please explain why you enrolled your child in the 2016 camp.
-- Noting child was interested in marine science -- Noting child was interested in science -- Noting teachers did not emphasize science
during academic year 2. Why or why not do you believe the curricular
materials used at the 2016 camp improved your child’s ocean literacy skills?
-- Believing curricular materials improved ocean literacy skills
-- Believing child learned about marine science -- Seeing alignment between camp and state
science standards
-- Noting child learned to use marine science knowledge in hands on activities during camp
3. Why or why not do you believe the instruction teachers used at the 2016 camp improved the ocean literacy skills of your child?
-- Believing instruction improved ocean literacy skills
-- Noting teachers used hands-on instruction -- Noting child wanted to participate in camp
again
-- Noting real life experience with marine science improved ocean literacy skills
4. Why or why not do you believe the assessments used at the 2016 camp improved the literacy skills of your child?
-- Believing assessments improved ocean literacy skills
-- Believing assessments set goals for learning -- Believing assessments informed instruction 5. Why or why not do you believe your child’s
participation in the 2016 camp improved your child’s ocean literacy skills?
-- Believing participation in camp improved ocean literacy skills
-- Believing participation improved understanding of marine science content
-- Believing camp improved social skills -- Noting child used content outside of camp to
minimize human impact on the environment 6. Why or why not do you believe your child’s
participation in the 2016 camp made your child more responsible for his or her learning?
-- Believing participation in camp made child more responsible for learning
-- Believing child wanted to learn more -- Noting child was expected to be prepared to
learn each day 7. What else would you like to tell me about this
experience?
-- Noting end of camp program showed what child learned in camp
-- Noting instructors worked well with child -- Noting teachers did not adequately emphasize