THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CAUSE-MAP SYSTEM IN TEACHING INTERCONNECTED COMPLEX EARTH SYSTEMS IN TEXAS SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The six subsystems of the Earth (atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and anthroposphere) are complex and dynamic. Because all subsystems are linked, study from an independent perspective and a composite perspective is fundamental. Unfortunately, students tend to consider these systems unrelated using linear cause and effect models where little to no interactions occur between different systems and their components. The simplistic and incorrect view of systems is the fundamental reason more education about Earth systems science is necessary in the K-12 curriculum.

We evaluated the Cause-MaP system of studying complex Earth systems in secondary public schools in Texas. The objective was to ensure that students would become more aware of how Earth affects them and vice versa. An added benefit of the study was an opportunity to teach scientific reasoning. Students completed a pre-unit test to measure a priori knowledge. The students first answered five guiding questions, these answers were then used to create a concept map. These steps were completed for three subsystems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. The individual concept maps were used to assess knowledge and understanding of the individual systems by the students. At the end of the unit, concept maps were combined from each lesson to illustrate the interconnectedness of Earth systems. The students’ maps were evaluated based on the number of components and processes included, to determine their understanding of the interactions between multiple Earth systems. The students’ maps were grouped based on the number of components and processes included in the concept maps. A post-unit test was also administered, which included two similar questions; one specified the use of the Cause-MaP system, whereas the other did not. The pre-unit test was completed again to check the overall progress of the students.

Significant improvement was shown from the pretest to the post-test. Almost 80% of students answered the question which prompted them to use the Cause-MaP method correctly, whereas only 45% answered the similar question correctly. The Cause-MaP method appears to be effective in secondary education; with more exposure more students would be likely to use Cause-MaP to solve problems about complex systems.