ENCOURAGING REFLECTION AS A MEANS TO INCREASE LEARNING IN AN EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE COURSE FOR PRE-SERVICE K-8 TEACHERS

In California, the last time most students have any in-depth study of Earth Science is in the sixth grade. Most of the teachers who cover this curriculum have a multi-subject credential and have had only introductory geoscience course work. Thus, it is critical that these future teachers be reflective about the material they learn in these courses so that they are better prepared to teach this material well. At University of the Pacific, in Earth System Science (a required course for pre-service elementary school teachers), reflective learning is encouraged through a course journal and end-of-lab questions.

The journal involves responses to assigned prompts as well as frequent (at least twice a week) independent reflections. The directed entries are on such things as current events and assigned readings as well course structure (exam preparation, group learning activities, etc). They have free choice on the independent entries but are encouraged to reflect on their learning in the course and on teaching resources they find for incorporating earth science into the K-8 curriculum. At the end of the semester they write a reflection on the journal itself. The journal then becomes a resource they can utilize in the future. Students who have taken this course report that they have found their journal to be a useful resource during their student-teaching period as well as when they become credentialed teachers.

The labs are all adaptable for use at any educational level. At the end of each lab, students are asked guided questions that encourage reflection about the material covered, the process of doing the lab, and consideration of how they might incorporate the material into their classroom (at whatever level they end up teaching).

It takes time for students to become reflective learners. Extensive feedback on journal entries and responses to end-of-lab questions helps students evolve from mere reporting of activities to deeper reflection on the material and their learning. As they become more reflective, their learning of the material improves as well.