A CALL FOR MORE GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION RESEARCH ON TEACHING ABOUT EARTH IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIETAL PROBLEMS

The NSF-funded Community Framework for Geoscience Education Research addresses ten themes of high interest to the geoscience education research (GER) and practitioner communities to advance undergraduate teaching and learning in the geosciences. The three Grand Challenges (GC) for future research of the theme, Research on Teaching about Earth in the Context of Societal Problems, are framed in the context that increasing pressures on Earth systems (e.g., water, energy, soils) will require the next generation of geoscientists to use interdisciplinary approaches to develop solutions to societal issues, in partnership with a scientifically literate society to implement those solutions. GC#1 recommends GER that characterizes the extent to which existing curriculum impacts students’ learning as they develop their geoscience literacy. An example of this includes learning observed in introductory geology courses using activities addressing societal impacts of earthquakes and volcanic activity. Additional research on learning includes analyses of learning progressions, longitudinal impacts and ways that societal issues can contribute to broadening diversity in the geosciences. GC#2 recommends identifying design principles for developing curricula that enhance student learning and motivation. One example is the InTeGrate Project rubric used to guide curriculum development to teach geoscience content through societal grand challenges such as soil sustainability and food security, which support students’ learning and their ability to address interdisciplinary problems. GC#3 calls for GER to measure the degree to which students become motivated to learn and to contribute to effecting change. New curriculum in an introductory course is attributed to students’ ability to discern complexities related to studying and monitoring water systems and that interpretation of data requires careful consideration of the whole system. Given the complexities of issues students are charged with, quality assessment techniques to measure cognitive (problem solving and learning) and affective (motivation, engagement, self-efficacy) growth are areas for additional GER that have the potential to enhance student learning, engagement and geoscientific literacy.