Earth Science Education Research Articles

Demographic factors that influence performance on the Praxis Earth and Space Science: Content Knowledge Test

What teachers know about their content area plays a role in how they effectively enhance the scientific literacy of their students. This leads to questions about teacher content knowledge as they enter the field. The Praxis Earth and Space Science: Content Knowledge Test is the most widely used licensure assessment for aspiring Earth science teachers in the United States. There are few previous reports on the personal and professional characteristics of those test-takers which would provide information about Earth science teacher candidates. This study presents findings based on analysis of trends in reported demographic variables and scaled scores for examinees assessed by the licensure exam from June 2006 to May 2016 in order to identify which have the highest correlation with their performance. Three major themes emerged as a result of the study: there is currently a large proportion of out of field teaching, a lack of diversity among test-takers, and underperformance of Black/African American test-takers when compared to their White counterparts as well as in females compared to males. Our analysis uncovered more subtle differences in performance based on undergraduate GPA and age group as well. Findings from this study suggest recommendations for improving focused recruitment and retention efforts to support identified at-risk populations enrolled in Earth science teacher preparation programs.

Report on the Teacher Training Workshop in Earth Science Education, UGC-HRDC, Savitribai Phule University of Pune (SPPU), Pune, India

Report on the Teacher Training Workshop in Earth Science Education, UGC-HRDC, Savitribai Phule University of Pune (SPPU), Pune, India

New geosite candidates from Urla (İzmir, Western Anatolia, Turkey): a list of geological assets nested with antique and modern cultural heritage

The Urla Basin is an approximately 20 km wide and 30 km long N-S-trending strike-slip basin, located in the westernmost part of the Western Anatolia Extensional Province. Although the basin-fill units are generally composed of sedimentary and volcanic rocks of Miocene to Recent, Triassic and Late Cretaceous-Paleocene sedimentary rocks are also exposed in the middle and western part of the basin. In addition to this geological diversity, the basin hosts many ancient settlements due to its geographical position and close contact with the Aegean Sea. This study mostly focuses on the northern part of the basin with a concentration on the possible geological heritage sites from the Urla and surroundings and its cultural heritage assets with respect geotourism. Klazomenai and Liman Tepe, one of the best examples of archaeological sites in the area, have a respectable Earth-science importance. Some other cultural heritage assets are also very valuable, such as the Yıldız Tepe Martyrdom Monument, Karantina Island, traditional vineyards of Urla, Urla Art Street and fellow-townsman that are well-known figures of literature and popular culture (e.g., Yorgo Seferis, Necati Cumalı and Tanju Okan). We present seven new geosite candidates, which are evaluated in the geological framework category groups B, C and E of the geosite framework list for Turkey. These sites have quite important geological meaning and value for the Earth-science education and geotourism potential.

Analysis of the Program for Training Pre-service Earth Science Teachers: Focusing on College Curriculum

Analysis of the Program for Training Pre-service Earth Science Teachers: Focusing on College Curriculum

Integration of Earth and space science contexts for teaching physics

This paper describes the results of a survey administered to members of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the National Earth Science Teachers Association to measure the nature and frequency of the integration of Earth and space science (E&SS) concepts into physics courses, as well as the need and interest of physics teachers to do so. Data included 92 responses from secondary physics and physical science teachers around the US. Results showed that physics teachers typically include E&SS content during the teaching of universal gravitation, circular motion, and Doppler effect, but that integration is usually limited to contextualized word problems. While the teachers surveyed are highly interested in learning more about E&SS integration, they are limited by time and a scarcity of quality resources.

A New Vision of Sustainability in Earth Science Education

Following the culmination of an ambitious Earth science education initiative, scientists and educators met to prioritize ways in which education about Earth can foster sustainable societies.

Drawing As A Method To Facilitate Conceptual Change In Earth Sciences Education

Communicating even fundamental scientific concepts can be challenging. Furthermore, student mental models are often difficult to uncover even by the most talented teacher or researcher. Drawing is a universal process skill widely used by scientists to refine their conceptions about a wide range of topics, communicate ideas, and advance scientific thought in their disciplines. Just as drawing is useful to scientists for refining their conceptions, it has the potential to be useful for revealing misconceptions when teaching from a conceptual change perspective of science students’ mental models. Using a design study methodology and framed within the knowledge integration perspective of conceptual change, this longitudinal study investigates the efficacy of a delimited-sketch activity on the conceptual change of novices’ mental models about groundwater residence. A delimited-sketch activity, the focal case of this study, involves (i) students drawing to expand upon a provided partially-drawn concept sketch and then (ii) collectively debriefing the ideas communicated in the completed student-expanded concept sketches. The activity’s efficacy at facilitating conceptual change is tested with two different sample populations at two different large public universities in the USA. The first population is drawn from an introductory-level college geoscience course designed for non-science majors and the second population is drawn from a similar course designed for science majors. The activity has a large significant impact on moving students away from novice-like toward more expert-like conceptions of groundwater residence. The impact is observed even two months after the activity concludes.

Exploring global citizenship learning and ecological Behaviour change through extracurricular activities

ABSTRACT This research paper aims to examine the effects of extracurricular activities in building knowledge, skills and attitudes that attempt to develop ecological citizenship as a subset of global citizenship among middle school students. I focus on one extracurricular programme entitled ‘The Friends of Nature’ that was provided in a Moroccan private middle school. Adopting a qualitative research method approach, data consisted of interviews with thirty students from 7th, 8th and 9th grades and two teachers (social studies and life and earth science teacher), and were collected over the course of three months through multiple data collection tools, namely observation, student focus group discussions and teacher interviews. A series of environmental activities offered students opportunities to: identify environmental problems, promote education for sustainable development and improve their environmentally conscious behaviour, develop creative solutions, and take actions for preserving nature in their community. The data were analysed using a content analysis method. The results reveal that students demonstrated cognitive development in terms of human rights, citizenship rights and responsibilities, environmental sustainability. While the program developed attitudes of empathy, respect, solidarity, it failed to instil a sense of responsibility to act for the betterment of the world, thus being a global citizen.

David Moore Receives 2019 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award

David Moore was awarded the 2019 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 11 December 2019 in San Francisco, Calif. The award is given “for a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education by a team, individual, or group.”

Geology misconceptions targeted by an overlapping consensus of US national standards and frameworks

ABSTRACT In the past few decades, scientific and educational entities in the United States have repeatedly expended considerable fiscal and human resources in an effort to establish contemporary education standards, curriculum frameworks, and assessment tools. These efforts are intended to reform the quantity and quality of K-16 Earth science education across the U.S. including, most recently, the Next Generation Science Standards. Most of the reform efforts enthusiastically recommend a constructivist-oriented approach to instruction that requires educators to clearly identify their learning targets. At the same time, a contemporary approach to instruction requires educators to be aware of misconceptions, misunderstandings, naïve beliefs, and alternative frameworks students bring to the learning experience. Although several dated surveys of learners’ geology misconceptions exist across the scholarly literature landscape, little of the geology misconceptions literature is systematically organised around the current collections of U.S. national standards and frameworks. Geoscience educators, curriculum developers, and assessment specialists benefit from summaries of misconceptions research organised around various national reform efforts.

The wheels on the GeoBus

Geology is gradually being withdrawn from the school curriculum in the UK, and risks losing its identify as a distinct subject. GeoBus provides workshops and support for Earth science education, inspiring teachers and pupils to engage with fundamental questions in geology.

The future challenge of Earth science education research

This article addresses the question of what the future directions and emphases of the research in the earth science education field ought to be. During the past 30 years, Earth science education research has established a solid theoretical foundation, as well as practical strategies and techniques, for a meaningful teaching of earth science from K-12. However, the quality of this research, and the growing need for knowledge in Earth science, have done little to improve the low profile of ESE in schools worldwide. The article posits that narrowing this disturbing gap between the educational potential of Earth science and its low profile in schools requires a holistic agenda. Such an agenda will encompass the deepening of existing research of the Earth systems approach in areas like the development of environmental insight better understanding the learning process as an embedded human instinct, which will hopefully contribute to changing the current essentialism-based teaching culture. However, it will also include new avenues of research focused on changing the attitudes of geoscientists towards their role in society and the adoption of geoethical values.

Public response to news reports on the Mount Kusatsu-Shirane volcanic eruption: A content analysis of online reader comments

This paper reports on the real-time public responses to the eruption disaster on Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane in January 2018. This volcanic disaster attracted significant media coverage, with many people again acknowledging the risk of volcanic hazards from the many news reports. These days, as it has become increasingly common for people to express their opinions using online sites, online reader comments can be important sources of public opinion. This paper used a content analysis approach to analyze the comments posted in online news reports on the volcanic disaster to determine the public's perspective of the risks associated with volcanic disasters and volcanology. Applying an inductive category-extraction strategy, the comments were sorted into six categories of comments (1) that made reference to volcanic risk perception, (2) on volcanology or volcanologists, (3) that had fatalistic perceptions of natural disasters as blameless misfortunes, (4) on eruption predictability, (5) on disaster risk reduction measures implemented by central/local governments and disaster management agencies, and (6) explaining the phreatic explosion mechanism. It was found that many comments tended to have a negative tone, and a prominent criticism was that modern science could not detect volcanic activities reliably. However, some commenters suggested that experts with a sophisticated knowledge of volcanology should be available to support local communities in a similar way to the “home doctor”. Volcanologists need to disseminate information, such as the current state of geological and earth science education systems, volcanological knowledge, and application of the lessons learned from volcanic disasters.

New methodologies and technologies in Earth Sciences education: opportunities and criticisms for future teachers

During the academic year 2017-2018, the Universita degli Studi di Milano organized an educational path (For24) useful to acquire or to complete the personal training in educational disciplines and in methodologies and technologies for education, nowadays necessary for the teaching profession. The course in Earth Sciences Education has been attended by about two hundred trainees. The scheduled program complies with the indications presented in the Ministerial note (2017 August) and it focuses on: epistemological and methodological-procedural bases and on approaches in Earth Sciences education; Earth Sciences education in laboratory and in the field; methodologies and technologies to study relationship between Earth Sciences and the present Society (geo-resource sustainability, natural risk prevention, cultural and geological heritage); teaching and learning procedures based on the use of the new technologies and multimedia tools. In this paper, we analyze the population of trainees who attended the course, the results of the final exams and we discuss criticisms related to the Geosciences key concepts.

Plutonic rocks classification: a child's play

The Quartz Alkali-feldspar Plagioclase Feldspathoid diagram, better known as the Streckeisen diagram, is the reference tool used for the classification of plutonic rocks cropping out on Earth’s surface. To facilitate the methodical calculations and analysis procedures for a correct plutonic lithotype nomenclature, a new computer tool (Auto-QAPF Plutonic) is here provided. This tool follows the official guidelines provided by the IUGS and reaches the specific rock name using mineral modal amounts together with chemical data if available, adding some other information such as the colour index prefixes (leuco- and mela-) or the special rock nomenclatures (e.g., trondhjemite), when useful.Finally, we focussed our attention to enriching the rock-type nomenclature with the specific textural features of the sample, using a stepwise controlled procedure consisting in the application of ArcGIS-based toolboxes able to extrapolate automatically the grain boundary of the rock constituents. This is in order to get more advanced information together with the rock nomenclature, such as the mineral grain size distribution as well as the occurrence of a potential fabric anisotropy (e.g., S-L fabrics).informatic implementation of plutonic rock classification, accompanied by the automatic extrapolation of fabric parameters opens up the possibilities to the Earth science teachers of the high schoolto face a complex aspect of the geosciences, as the rock nomenclature in a speedy and easy way facilitating the process of acquiring learners

Analysis of the Conceptual Understanding of In-service and Pre-service Earth Science Teachers about ‘Stellar Evolution’

Analysis of the Conceptual Understanding of In-service and Pre-service Earth Science Teachers about ‘Stellar Evolution’

Developing the Garbage Problem in Iligan City STEM Education Lesson Through Team Teaching

The paper will clarify the learning activities which provide through Sutaphan nad Yuenyong [11] context based STEM education learning approach. This approach consists of 7 stages including (1) Identification of social issues, (2) Identification of potential solution, (3) Need for knowledge, (4) Decision-making, (5) Development of prototype or product, (6) Test and evaluation of the solution, and (7) Socialization and completion decision stage. This will be implemented using team teaching approach by the Earth Science, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology teachers. Identification of social issues, the earth science teacher raises the social issue about the garbage problem affecting the residents of Brgys. Bonbonon and Digkilaan, Iligan City, Philippines. Students may answer that the probable source could be the leachate from the sanitary landfill and from there the teacher will put the problem causes problem to the people in the locality where the landfill is located and to the City’s tourism as well. Identification of potential solution, the Earth Science teacher facilitates the class discussion about thinking of possible solutions to help solve the problem on garbage in Iligan City. The need for knowledge stage, the input of the scientific knowledge necessary for the learners’ decision in designing their prototype or product in solving the problem on garbage in Iligan City will be done separately in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology class. Physics teacher may provide scientific inquiry about force and compression to help the students design a prototype of a garbage/trash compactor. Chemistry teacher may provide learning activities about classification of mixtures according to particle size helps the students think of a design for a water treatment process. Biology teacher may provide learning activities related to macroinvertebrates and a bioindicator of the water quality of the streams/rivers. The decision making stage, lets the students decide on how they are going to make the required prototype for Physics, Chemistry and Biology aspect as possible solutions to the problem. The development of prototype or product stage, students are given enough time to create the compactor, water treatment process and the poster-infographic about macroinvertebrates. Test and evaluation of the solution stage, students will apply their knowledge related to their prototype or product for test and evaluation of the solution. The socialization and completion decision stage, the students’ will have an exhibit of their output. The paper will discuss how to provide students chance to applying STEM knowledge through these activities.

Research trend in Earth Science education: based on an application of data mining, Latent Dirichlet Allocation

본 연구는 지구과학교육의 연구 동향을 알아보기 위해 텍스트 마이닝 기법의 하나인 잠재디리클레할당(Latent Dirichlet Allocation: LDA)을 사용하여 2010년 1월부터 2019년 7월까지 약 10년 간 세 개의 지구과학교육 관련 저널에 게재된 연구 논문 들을 분석하였다. 잠재디리클레할당 방법은 주제와 단어 간의 관계와 각 문서에 나타나는 주제의 분포를 효과적으로 분석하는 텍스트 마이닝 방법의 하나로 다량의 문서를 처리하는 데에 널리 활용되고 있다. 연구 결과, 지난 10년 간 지구과학교육 연 구의 주된 주제는 학생 간 비교, STEAM, 학습 효과, 학습 자료, 학생의 개념 및 교사에 대한 연구인 것으로 나타났으며, 교과 내용으로는 지질학 및 천문학 연구가 많이 행해진 것으로 나타났다. 연구 대상으로는 초등학생 및 영재 연구가 활발하였다. 지난 10년 내에서 최근 들어 증가한 연구는 STEAM, 교사, 과학의 본성, 기존 연구분석, 스토리텔링 연구인 반면, 창의력에 대한 직접적인 연구 빈도는 줄어든 것으로 나타났다.

Earth science education: The current state of play

Earth science education: The current state of play

Issues in improving geography and earth science teacher education: results of the #IPGESTE 2016 conference

ABSTRACT Earth Science and Geography teacher preparation has developed to some degree along different lines, despite sharing many of the same issues, especially with regard to challenges in teacher education. The conference “International Perspectives on Geography and Earth Science Teacher Education 2016” wanted to bring together educators from both sciences from around the world together to move the debate about these challenges forward. From the research presentations and the discussion during and after the conference, several issues emerged: (1) the importance of the two subjects not losing sight of each other; (2) the need to overcome language barriers; (3) the question of standards/objectives for geography teacher education (e.g. with regard to teachers’ (P)CK); (4) media used in teacher education (including ways to improve them); (5) ways to improve learners’ geography and earth science content knowledge; and (6) strategies to increase teachers’ professionalism. We already suggest some specific steps teacher educators in the two fields can take to improve teacher education. Yet, it also became clear that more research and strengthening international collaborations are needed, as well as better communication of the results of these efforts to practitioners.