GOING TO THE SOURCE: STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE LEARNING IN COLLEGE-LEVEL INTRODUCTORY GEOLOGY COURSES

Studies that seek to improve geoscience teaching methods are relatively common (see most issues of the Journal of Geoscience Education). In contrast, this study seeks to better understand the introductory geoscience learning experience from a student’s perspective and provide insights on how to improve student attitudes and motivations toward learning geoscience. This analysis is part of the Geoscience Affective Research Network (GARNET) project (NSF-DUE-1022917), which has collected self-reports of student motivation and learning strategy use and compared them with performance data for over 3000 introductory geology students. Using a grounded theory approach, 63 students (26 from two community colleges; 37 from two Research 1 (R1) universities in GARNET) were interviewed using a piloted and revised semi-structured interview protocol. Students were asked about study habits and learning strategies (including temporal changes), motivation, self-regulation of learning, personal connection with course, and self-defined factors that help or hinder their learning. Interview results were coded and matched with demographic data, academic records, data from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), and Geoscience Concept Inventory scores to create profiles. Three themes emerged as student-perceived factors that impact learning: 1) student strategies (including limitations, anxiety and motivation factors), 2) instructor teaching philosophy (how instructor interacts with students and presents material in class), and 3) course design (structure of daily/semester course agenda, assessment/grading structure, and the availability and accessibility of the course material resources provided). The preliminary results suggest there is a disconnect between course design and student strategies and that teaching philosophy may play a larger role in student behavior than previously thought. The preliminary results also indicate differences between community college and R1 university students in terms of motivators, timing of the strategy acquisition, and monitoring of learning. The results suggest a need for a more in-depth look at the self-regulation of learning in introductory geoscience courses.