PREPARING ELEMENTARY PRESERVICE TEACHERS IN THE GEOSCIENCES: A MODEL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT MONROE

For over a decade and a half, the University of Louisiana at Monroe has been preparing elementary preservice teachers in the geosciences in a unique manner. The core of the preparation is an integrated science curriculum consisting of reform-based courses in physics, chemistry, biology, and geosciences. The National Science Foundation and the Louisiana Board of Regents primarily funded the development of the curriculum. A 1994 study of elementary majors at the university indicated that many essential science courses such as physics, chemistry, and historical geology were not being taken. The integrated science curriculum was designed and implemented to assist preservice teachers in achieving the base of understanding that all teachers should possess according to national standards and essential in geoscience education. The integrated curriculum courses were developed by faculty from each of the specific science content disciplines (biology, chemistry, geosciences, physics) as well as science and mathematics educators representing elementary and secondary education and required over 1.5 years to complete. Faculty in the respective science content areas teach all of the integrated courses. "Integrated sciences" has several meanings including that courses are integrated with scientific content and pedagogical methodologies being taught and modeled in the four-course sequence. Second, integrated courses often cover and investigate topics from different science content areas. Finally, the integrated courses are connected by a common theme of science, technology, and society. This integrated approach is especially important in the geosciences, which depends heavily upon the other science content areas. In addition to the 12-hour integrated science curriculum, a fifth course in geology on the evolution and development of dinosaurs is required. The 15 hours in science is augmented by 15 hours in mathematics. Although the fifth course is in geology, it incorporates and combines concepts of other major sciences, especially biology. Assessment of various aspects of the curriculum has been conducted including the effectiveness of the integrated geoscience course compared to traditional geoscience courses and the efficiency of the elementary teachers in teaching science in the classroom after graduation.