A CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO FIELD GEOLOGY FOR SCIENCE TEACHERS

Summer programs for science teachers seeking graduate degrees in science education at the University of Texas at Dallas are centered around intensive field geology projects conducted following a constructivist rather than a didactic paradigm, a shift away from the role of the teacher and in the direction of the student whereby stimulation toward independent learning is emphasized. The role of the instructor is clearly as mediator and not as the major source of knowledge. Programs are conducted in rotating locations that permit teachers to study widely different geologic settings. Previous geologist-led field trips for science teachers frequently amounted to show and tell adventures as the group paused for a few minutes at a series of outcrops. Testing by our faculty indicated an unsatisfactory degree of understanding of earth science principles results from such efforts. Therefore, in an attempt to foster better understanding, field work is focused in one area for several days wherein a few outcrops are visited for detailed analyses. The outcrops vary in degree of difficulty permitting an escalation in complexity. The field projects are roughly equivalent to those offered as introductory field geology by typical undergraduate geology programs. Introduction to the project, to principles of physical geology, and to the necessary field tools is completed during class meetings held prior to departure. Project quality and pre- and post-testing indicate that the teachers achieve excellent improvement in understanding of geological principles. Teachers participating in subsequent summer programs exhibit excellent retention of principles and build well on previous experience, the result of an intensive contructivist approach.