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Descriptors:
Earth Science; Misconceptions; Plate Tectonics; Oceanography; Mineralogy; Geology; Scientific Concepts; Climate; Internet; Time; Weather; Seismology; Elementary Secondary Education; Data Collection; Classification

Abstract:
This paper organizes and analyses over 500 geoscience misconceptions relating to earthquakes, earth structure, geologic resources, glaciers, historical geology, karst (limestone terrains), plate tectonics, rivers, rocks and minerals, soils, volcanoes, and weathering and erosion. Journal and reliable web resources were reviewed to discover (1) the frequency of misconceptions by subject matter, group (primary, middle-school, high-school, middle-/high-school, college, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and undefined) and source (journal versus web); and (2) the pattern of misconceptions across age groups and (3) directions for future research. A total of 502 misconceptions were discovered, with over 40% targeting a middle- and high-school audience. Plate tectonics comprised 19% of all misconceptions, with another 14% and 13% associated with weathering/erosion and historical geology, respectively. Over 80% of all the misconceptions were derived from peer-reviewed journals or web sources, the rest originated from reliable sources on the World Wide Web. The supernatural origin for many of the geoscience phenomena listed here is abandoned by middle school, but in other cases, some misconceptions seem robust through adulthood. Examples of such misconceptions include the origin/pattern of earthquakes, thickness of the earth's crust, oil's origin, movement mechanisms for glaciers, co-existence of humans and dinosaurs, water movement within karst terrains, the nature of plate boundaries, the power of water as an agent of geomorphic change, what constitutes a mineral and a rock, thickness of the soil layer, the distribution of volcanoes, and the difference between weathering and erosion. (Contains 12 tables and 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Case Studies; Science Tests; Science Education; State Standards; Stakeholders; Earth Science; Core Curriculum; Federal Legislation; Academic Standards; Educational Assessment; Alignment (Education); National Standards; Science Curriculum; Statistical Analysis

Abstract:
In a standards-based system, it is important for all components of the system to align in order to achieve the intended goals. No Child Left Behind law mandates that assessments be fully aligned with state standards, be valid, reliable and fair, be reported to all stakeholders, and provide evidence that all students in the state are meeting the standards. This study reports an analysis of the alignment between the "National Science Education Standards" (NSES), New York State "Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum" (Core Curriculum) and New York State "Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents Examination" (Regents Exam)--the sources teachers use for creating Earth Science curricula in New York State. The NSES were found to have a 49% overlap with the Core Curriculum and a 27% overlap with the Regents Exam. The Core Curriculum and Regents Exam, represented by matrices consisting of performance indicators and cognitive demands, were compared using the Porter Alignment Index. The alignment was 0.35, categorized as slightly aligned, due to the different emphases on cognitive levels. The Core focused on cognitive skills of Understand and Apply while the Regents concentrated more on Apply followed by Understand and Remember. It is suggested that the NSES be revised and the Core updated to include quantifiable emphasis on the major understandings such as percentage of time. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Grading; College Faculty; Physics; Earth Science; Chemistry; College Science; Mathematical Applications; Values; Logical Thinking; Conflict; Protocol Analysis; Interviews

Abstract:
Grading practices can send a powerful message to students about course expectations. A study by Henderson et al. ("American Journal of Physics" 72:164-169, 2004) in physics education has identified a misalignment between what college instructors say they value and their actual scoring of quantitative student solutions. This work identified three values that guide grading decisions: (1) a desire to see students' reasoning, (2) a readiness to deduct points from solutions with obvious errors and a reluctance to deduct points from solutions that might be correct, and (3) a tendency to assume correct reasoning when solutions are ambiguous. These authors propose that when values are in conflict, the conflict is resolved by placing the burden of proof on either the instructor or the student. Here, we extend the results of the physics study to earth science (n = 7) and chemistry (n = 10) instructors in a think-aloud interview study. Our results suggest that both the previously identified three values and the misalignment between values and grading practices exist among science faculty more generally. Furthermore, we identified a fourth value not previously recognized. Although all of the faculty across both studies stated that they valued seeing student reasoning, the combined effect suggests that only 49% of faculty across the three disciplines graded work in such a way that would actually encourage students to show their reasoning, and 34% of instructors could be viewed as penalizing students for showing their work. This research may contribute toward a better alignment between values and practice in faculty development. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Foreign Countries; Concept Formation; Earth Science; Scientific Concepts; Elementary School Students; Cultural Differences; Interviews; Cross Cultural Studies

Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to explore Chinese and Australian primary children's conceptual understandings of the Earth. The research was conducted in the interpretive paradigm and was designed to be descriptive with comparative and cross sectional elements. Participants were Year 3 and Year 6 children from three schools in Hunan Province, central south China (n = 38) and Year 3 and Year 6 children from three schools in Western Australia (n = 36). In-depth interviews including drawings were carried out to explore the participants' conceptual understandings of the Earth's shape, gravity, day/night cycle and seasons. The results showed that, regardless of different cultures, children from the same year group constructed similar concepts about the Earth. The Year 3 children were more likely than the Year 6 children to demonstrate intuitive conceptions of a round and flat Earth. The Year 6 children were more likely to demonstrate consistent understandings of a spherical Earth. The findings supported the universality of entrenched presuppositions hypothesis. Cultural mediation was found to have a subtle impact on children's understanding of the Earth. A model of conceptual development is proposed. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Concept Formation; Interviews; Earth Science; Children; Cognitive Structures; Academic Discourse; Social Influences

Abstract:
Tao, Oliver, and Venville's paper addresses a debate between two hypotheses of children's development of conceptual understandings of the Earth. The authors aim to investigate whether culture influences students' conceptions of the Earth. However, one questionable assumption shared among conception and conceptual change studies is that researchers can identify children's mental models, through their discourse, to explain their conceptions of scientific phenomena. In this commentary, I challenge this assumption by looking closely at various interview data and examining different dimensions of interview discourse about the Earth. Based on my findings, I suggest that instead of seeing science talk as representations of mental models, we look at children's science talk as discursive practices mediated by the immediate social situation and the broader social milieu. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Science Instruction; Science Experiments; Earth Science; Physics; Scientific Concepts; Motion; Astronomy; Hands on Science; College Science; Measurement Equipment

Abstract:
I describe how to obtain a rather good experimental determination of the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit, as well as the obliquity of the Earth's rotation axis, by measuring, over the course of a year, the elevation of the Sun as a function of time during a day. With a very simple "instrument" consisting of an elementary sundial, first-year students can carry out an appealing measurement programme, learn important concepts in experimental physics, see concrete applications of kinematics and changes of reference frames, and benefit from a hands-on introduction to astronomy. (Contains 6 figures and 4 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Earth Science; Online Courses; Science Teachers; Educational Resources; Science Instruction; Science Education; Plate Tectonics; Geology

Abstract:
The "issue" of there being only limited time available to teachers for the development of teaching and learning resources has been with us a long time. This article outlines the rationale behind the development of online teaching resources that are freely available on the Earth Science Teachers' Association (ESTA) website and introduces readers to two particular resources, GEOTREX and STEGO. These are both hosted on the website and provide easily downloadable and printable teaching resources designed specifically for Earth science teachers by Earth science teachers. (Contains 3 tables, 4 figures and 1 online resource.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Learning Activities; Heat; Teaching Methods; Earth Science; Science Instruction; Workshops; Science Activities; Thermodynamics; Teacher Education; Seismology; Physics; Scientific Concepts; Geology; Secondary School Science

Abstract:
Earth science has a part to play in broadening students' learning experience in physics. The Earth Science Education Unit presents a range of (free) workshops to teachers and trainee teachers, suggesting how Earth-based science activities, which show how we understand and use the planet we live on, can easily be slotted into normal science lessons. Waves and resonance, for example, are illustrated by earthquakes, electromagnetic induction is used to design seismometers, metal detectors and wind turbines, and thermodynamics is illustrated by heat exchangers used for space heating. The "Earth Physics" workshops, which show how to set up the activities within a physics lesson, have been well received by teachers. (Contains 1 table, 7 figures and 3 online resources.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Astronomy; Evidence; Physical Sciences; Scientific Concepts; Earth Science; Science History

Abstract:
The Earth's primary atmosphere, which was similar to that of the gas giant planets, was soon lost, and a secondary atmosphere was established by outgassing from the early Earth and from colliding debris. The composition of this atmosphere was probably similar to present-day volcanic emissions but with a tiny percentage of photochemically produced oxygen. In this atmosphere, early anaerobic bacterial life evolved, including photosynthesising cyanobacteria that produced oxygen. From then on, the evolution of the atmosphere was tied closely to the evolution of life, but with chemical constraints that meant progress was slow. In the last 500 million years, the changes have been dramatic, resulting in our current atmospheric composition, which is unique in the solar system. (Contains 4 tables and 11 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Science Education; Foreign Countries; Earth Science; Misconceptions; Plate Tectonics; Textbooks; Surveys; Textbook Content; Geology; Secondary School Science

Abstract:
A survey of the Earth science content of science textbooks found a wide range of misconceptions. These are discussed in this article with reference to the published literature on Earth science misconceptions. Most misconceptions occurred in the "sedimentary rocks and processes" and "Earth's structure and plate tectonics" categories; the most common are listed and reviewed. The prevalence of misconceptions in science textbooks is of concern as evidence indicates that many UK teachers of Earth science rely on school textbooks for their teaching. Reference to this article, Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU) workshops and the "Earthlearningidea" (ELI) website may help teachers to address such misconceptions in the future. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure and 2 online resources.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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