COLLEGE STUDENTS’ GEOSCIENCE COURSE ENGAGEMENT AND SATISFACTION ASSOCIATED WITH CHOOSING GEOSCIENCE MAJORS

In this study, researchers examined the associations between students’ course engagement, satisfaction, performance, and their level of interest in geoscience majors and careers while their participation in introductory geoscience classes. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 19% increase in geoscience-related jobs between 2006 and 2016 (Gonzales & Keane, 2009). However, geoscience programs at the university level are experiencing decreasing numbers of geoscience faculty and the dissolution of programs due to the downswings in students’ enrollment (Watson, 2007; Kerr, 2010). Previously, researchers found that students’ lack of exposure to geosciences in high school is the most important preceptor of explaining why schools could not recruit enough students to major in geosciences (Hoisch and Bowie, 2010).

Participants were a diverse group of 228 college students (31% White, 47 % Black, 8.2 % Hispanic, and 13.8 % others), and recruited from two introductory geoscience classes – oceanography in a southeastern university of the United States in the spring 2017. Following three 50-minute marine sediment lectures, student participants were required to complete a 15 minute marine sediment test and a 15 minute survey questioning students’ course engagement, course satisfaction, and inspiring interest in geoscience majors.

Performing a Pearson correlation coefficient test, students’ course engagement and satisfaction but marine sediment performance positively correlated with their inspiring interest in geosciences. The implication of the current study may provide another aspect of increasing students’ interests in geosciences through improving students’ course engagement and satisfaction in taking introductory geoscience classes.