A review and analysis of microbiome content in formal and informal educational programming

Microbiomes, the collection of all microorganisms in a given environment, have been increasingly studied over recent years. The Aquarium Microbiome Study, a first of its kind in public aquariums, is being conducted at Shedd Aquarium (Chicago, IL) with the goal of characterizing the aquarium microbiome to ultimately maximize animal health in public aquariums. As an educational institution, the aquarium also plays an important role in developing innovative, relevant, and high-quality education programs around emerging content such as microbiomes. In order to inform educational program development, this study examined research that addressed K-12 student understanding, learning, and best teaching practices in microbiology- and microbiome-related content in formal (K-12) education settings. This study also examined current prevalence of microbiology- and microbiome-themed programming and best teaching practices in informal science institutions (e.g., museums, science centers, zoos, and aquariums). My review of the literature indicated many misconceptions and an overall student lack of knowledge about core ideas in microbiology. It also indicated students have anthropomorphic and anthropogenic notions when defining or describing microbes. Next, my analysis of survey responses from 63 informal science institutions such as zoos, museums, and aquariums revealed low prevalence of microbiology- and microbiome-themed programming in these institutions, indicating a need for this type of programming that Shedd could fill. Both my literature review and survey analysis revealed common best teaching practices that include the use of science equipment and tools, inquiry, and hands-on experiences. It is therefore recommended that educational program development addresses gaps in knowledge, corrects student misconceptions, and employs best teaching practices for the topics of microbiology- and microbiome-related content.