A lack of qualified teachers and low enrollment in the geosciences exist at both secondary and tertiary levels in the United States. Consequently, it is unlikely that students will be able to achieve scientific literacy without an…
This thesis explores how first year students in geology negotiate and make sense of the subject matter and develop a geological identity. The stories of 6 students who have entered the study program in Geology at the University of…
Interest is a complex interplay between affective and cognitive components that drive motivation. Over decades of work in the educational psychology community, a theoretical framework has emerged that explains this complex…
High school students in a large urban area, undergraduate students, and geoscience faculty at a local college used a place- based pedagogical approach to engage in real geoscience problem-based inquiry in a local urban park. The…
Students who have a strong urban place-identity may perceive the natural world differently from many geoscience instructors. These urban thinkers have less experience in the natural world and are more comfortable in built…
The nature of field trips in geoscience lends them to the application of social learning theories for three key reasons. First, they provide opportunity for meaningful practical experience and promote effective learning afforded by…