The impact of field experiences in paleontology on high school learners

Abstract

Field experiences are an important element of paleontological knowledge building. However, there is little information about the effects field experiences have on science stewardship and personal growth in high school learners. This pilot study analyzed the reflections of a group of female and male 9th grade U.S. high school students (N = 72) on their first field paleontology experience at Rainbow Basin Natural Area, California. We investigate the attitudinal impact of this experience within a human dimensions research framework using mixed methods. Likert-style surveys indicate relative consistency in pre- and post-treatment total group responses student-to-student. Qualitative responses highlight themes such as the power of science stewardship and a personal sense of connection to public lands. An increase in reflections of stewardship across coded segments occurred, from 18.4% to 29.4% pretreatment versus post-treatment. Qualitative responses and the human dimensions research framework are highly recommended as tools for paleontology education researchers to more effectively document attitudinal changes during field experiences and to better understand field paleontology narratives. In combination, these methods can highlight the intersection of science stewardship, personal growth through experiential education, and the importance of field paleontology. Future studies can make use of human dimensions research to illuminate the impact of field paleontology on pre-college students, and document the influence of field science on future generations of policy-makers, educators, and scientists.