HOW DO PRECONCEPTONS INFLUENCE LEARNING IN AN INTRODUCTORY GEOLOGY CLASS?

In the award winning video “A Private Universe”, Harvard University graduates harbor fundamental misunderstandings about the solar system. Similarly, students who enroll in Introduction to Geology (Geology 101) classes may be arriving with a large range of misconceptions about the geological world. To test this hypothesis, in the fall of 2004 four pre-tests were administered to two sections of Geology 101. These tests were given before beginning the following topics: 1) rocks, minerals, and volcanoes, 2) earthquakes and plate tectonics, 3) glaciers, and 4) coastal/shoreline geology. The pre-test questions were objective (True-False-Don't Know) and ranged from 15 to 18 in number, depending on the topic. Students received class participation points for cooperating in this study, but were not penalized if they chose not to. The same evaluation tools were administered as post-tests immediately upon completion of each unit. Questions focused on anticipated misconceptions about the Earth and its geological processes. All responses were placed in sealed envelopes until after the end of the term. Because we did not read any of the student surveys, we attempted to teach each unit using the same techniques and materials that we have used in preceding years. The total enrollment in the two sections was 263 students. Spring semester 2005 the pre- and post-tests were again administered to two sections of Geology 101, with a total enrollment of 171 students. .

More than 4000 pre- and post-tests were scored and analyzed statistically using SPSS version 12.0. From pre to post tests the number of correct items significantly increased, but the number of incorrect answers showed no significant decrease. Significant differences were also detected in changes from “don't know” to “correct” as well as from “don't know” to “incorrect”. Results suggest that some concepts are more difficult to change than others and that a majority of students may already have “correct” understanding of many concepts prior to our “teaching” them these concepts. The results also have helped identify questions that could be improved by revision.