SHIFTING STUDENT UNDERSTANDING AND INTEREST IN GEOSCIENCE CAREERS WITHIN PROJECT-BASED 2YC GEOSCIENCE COURSES DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH TRANSFER INSTITUTION PARTNERS

We surveyed student attitudes about geoscience relevance and careers in Geology and Environmental Science courses taught by four faculty at Clovis Community College (CCC) and Fresno City College (FCC). We present student survey data and a discussion of lessons learned from collaborative professional development among 2YC and transfer institution faculty partners as part of the Building Opportunities through Networks of Discovery in the GEOsciences (GEOBOND) project, supported by NSF's GEOPAths Program. Project goals were to increase the number and diversity of students entering and persisting through geoscience majors in the San Joaquin Valley.

In five courses taught in Fall 2023, 38 students responded to pre and post surveys (response rate 33%). All courses had been re-designed at a GEOBOND Summer Institute that supported project-based structure and environmental justice themes. Two of the courses (29 students) were structured as a series of projects about critical minerals, first focused on a particular mineral, then on mining techniques and ore distributions, and ending with a focus on environmental impacts. Students surveyed are mostly <25 in age (76.3%), represent multiple ethnic identities (largest groups are Latinx: 50.0%, White: 26.3.%, Asian: 13.2%,) and are a mix of First Generation (21.1%) and Non-first Generation (55.3%). Most students indicated the course fulfilled a general education requirement (71.1%).

Students had a better understanding of geoscience-related careers after their course, and demonstrated greater concern about problems related to the Earth. Students showed an increased concern for environmental problems, and a statistically significant increase in concern for Population Growth and Loss of Biodiversity in particular. This is coupled with increased responses of “Strongly agree” to both the career goal option of “Helping people and society is important” and the career perception statements “Geoscience careers offer opportunities to help people or society/help the environment.” Faculty collaboration offers us a chance to shift student skills acquisition and content focus to support these attitudinal changes in a wholistic way, throughout a course of study that spans multiple institutions.