This paper reports on a two-week Earth Science programme, designed and delivered by the New Zealand Crown Research Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS Science) referred to as the GeoCamp. This initiative has offered 10- to 13-year-old students learning experiences outside the classroom in several regions throughout New…

Field experiences are an important element of paleontological knowledge building. However, there is little information about the effects field experiences have on science stewardship and personal growth in high school learners. This pilot study analyzed the reflections of a group of female and male 9th grade U.S. high school students (N = 72) on…

This collaboration between the Nez Perce Tribe and the University of Idaho aimed to address the unique needs and perspectives required for Tribal Natural Resources Management (TNRM). TNRM involves the governance and caretaking of the land and waters, emphasizing the recognition of cultural significance, sovereignty, self-determination, and…

Socially relevant geoscience topics may be difficult for students to learn. For example, connecting hydraulic fracturing to Midwestern US earthquake swarms and using the fossil record to infer past Earth environments may challenge students because of their prior exposures to nonscientific explanations. Sociocognitive theoretical perspectives based…

Despite clear scientific evidence to support an urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions, societal action remains inadequate to meet international climate goals. New approaches in climate change communication are needed to motivate climate action. "World Climate" is an interactive, engaging, and socially rich role-play simulation that…

Three cohorts of six pre-service Earth Science teachers (undergraduate majors in Earth Science Education) participated in summer research experiences focused on developing dynamic physical models of Earth processes to help middle and high school students understand complex concepts and confront misconceptions. The pre-service teachers used…

Student performance in high school Earth Science coursework often depends upon access to high quality teaching and resources. This study employed a non-experimental correlational research design to explore teacher-level and school-level variables and their relationship to students' Earth Science performance. The theoretical framework is derived…

Although many have suggested the use of games to motivate active learning, studies that evaluate the learning outcomes of games with high school students are scarce. Here, we present the evaluation of the board game "Taphonomy: Dead and Fossilized" as an active learning tool to teach fossilization and Earth systems thinking with rising…

Many geoscience phenomena cannot be perceived at human temporal or spatial scales. As a consequence, we can only understand many processes that drive geological phenomena through analogical reasoning. Building deep conceptual understanding requires instruction that activates the appropriate source analogs and allows students to build useful…

To raise Earth Science (ES) interest in pre- and in-service K-12 teachers, we incorporated ES into an environmental education (EE) course for this audience. The approach recognizes the growing interest in EE, and the focus on inquiry and student-centered learning in British Columbia schools. This case study examines the impact of this innovation…

Groundwater is a critical component of the global water cycle and standards-based topic within science education. However, students articulate an array of ideas about groundwater systems, including their natural and human elements. One way to support students' learning about groundwater systems is through the use of data-driven, computer-based…

In the past decade, emphasis on promoting "climate literacy" in K-16 science classrooms has increased. Teachers play a critical role in cultivating these opportunities, especially in secondary science classrooms. However, most prior climate education research has focused on students and student learning; little is known about how…

This article describes an innovative intervention used within a professional learning experience (PLE) for early-career high school science teachers. The intervention aimed to develop participants' conceptual understanding of climate change while supporting engagement in learning via scientific practices through use of epistemic instructional…

The Fluid Earth (FE) is an interactive data visualization initially developed for learning about Earth's atmosphere in informal educational settings. In this study, we tested FE in middle school classes to assess student engagement in a formal educational setting. Using a quasi-experimental design, students were assigned to interact with the data…

Education must provide substantive knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors toward environmental education. This study aims to identify seventh-grade students' conceptions regarding climate change, global warming, and the greenhouse effect. The research was conducted at four local secondary schools in the Special Region of Yogyakarta,…