Abstract
Earth science education: The current state of play
Highlights
T he importance of what we learn at school must not be overlooked
In the UK, students face decisions about their future from the age of 14: What GCSEs should they study? What career paths should they follow? Where should they undertake further study? If an individual is not exposed to the breadth of study and career alternatives at a young age, how can they make informed decisions about their future?
Geology is randomly integrated into different subjects; it is occasionally found in a geography class, and sometimes in chemistry or physics
Summary
The role of the A level should not be overlooked. Information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) shows that, in general, more than 40% of the applicants for undergraduate geology degrees had A-level geology Research carried out by ESTA between 2009 and 2014 shows that 44% of students who gained A-level geology and went on to university, studied for a geoscience degree (data from 39 centres). These figures demonstrate that A-level geology is a critical recruiter for undergraduate geology degrees. When the two remaining institutions training geology teachers in England closed, ESTA took steps to offer training in geology teaching to practicing or newly-qualified teachers of science or geography who had geology degrees This training is offered at an intensive seven-day Summer School Masters (M)-level course at Keele University (www.keele.ac.uk/tlgemodule). By maintaining the supply of geology teachers, we hope to continue offering geology in schools and colleges across the UK, but further funding is needed to ensure we can continue in future years
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