LACK OF EXPOSURE OR LACK OF INTEREST? EXPLORING 9TH GRADERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF GEOSCIENCE AT A STEAM HIGH SCHOOL

Pre-and post-semester survey results administered to a 9^th grade integrated science class at a STEM high school suggest little student interest in pursuing a geoscience major, despite evidence of interest in geoscience-related activities. Lottery-based admission to this public high school ensures a student body that reflects Fayette County, KY demographics. Curriculum emphasizes project-based learning, including in Integrated Science, which covers earth and space science. We hypothesized that exposure to geoscience content in this course, at a school where students should be predisposed to pursuing a STEM major, would promote further interest in the discipline.

Unfortunately, none of the students in either the pre (n=82) or post (n=79) surveys expressed an intention to major in geoscience. Perceived lack of prestige may explain this—geoscience was viewed as the least prestigious among STEM majors. Students also reported that they did not wish to learn more about it after the course. Despite these setbacks, we detect room for optimism. Notably, students generally agree on the importance of geoscience, and report that friends and family would support them in pursuing it. Additionally, more students identified uncertainty in their future major after the course than before. It is unclear whether our content intervention had a role in moving the needle, particularly because ninth grade is still early to have chosen a college major.

With an overall project goal of increasing enrollment in geoscience, we suggest some prescriptions based on our findings. First, we should strive to boost interest in geology by emphasizing career aspects that students already find appealing (time in the outdoors, observing nature, traveling). Second, because many students responded “don’t know” when asked if geologists are employed in either polluting or “correcting” careers, we should strive to distinguish sub-fields within the discipline. This differentiation could be particularly relevant because most students desire environmentally-friendly employment. Finally, we must start sooner— students have ruled out considering a geosciences major before starting 9th grade. Are they unaware of the career possibilities, or did some prior critical incident turn them away in primary school? Future studies should target these questions.