Sources of individual differences in scientific problem solving were investigated. Participants representing a wide range experience geology completed tests visuospatial ability and geological knowledge, performed bedrock mapping task, which they attempted to infer the structure an area Tobacco Root Mountains Montana. A Visuospatial Ability × Geological Knowledge interaction was found, such that positively predicted performance at low, but not high, levels knowledge. This finding suggests...

The Columbia River flood basalts include some of the world's largest individual lava flows, most which were fed by Chief Joseph dike swarm. majority dikes are chilled against their wall rock; however, rare caused rock to undergo partial melting. These melt zones record thermal history magma flow and cooling in and, consequently, emplacement it fed. Here, we examine two‐dimensional models basalt injection, flow, a 10‐m‐thick constrained field example Maxwell Lake dike, likely feeder...

Adoption of science content standards that include anthropogenic climate change has prompted widespread instruction in for the first time. However, controversial nature topic can be daunting and many teachers share misconceptions lead to weak treatment classrooms. Nevertheless, numerous have embraced are providing illustrations deliberate education. In this study we investigated teacher motivation using focus groups with middle school who currently teach change. Qualitative analysis...

Individuals are exposed to misleading or outright false anthropogenic climate change (ACC) information. The goals of this study identify ACC dissenter messages, and develop an instrument that quantifies the extent which individuals agree with these messages. was developed using a sequential mixed methods design. A qualitative analysis YouTube videos produced bank Likert-type survey derived from statements completed by adults who reside in United States America (N = 133) via Amazon's...

Columbia River Basalt Group dikes invade biotite–hornblende tonalite to granodiorite rocks of the Wallowa Mountains. Most are strongly quenched against wallrock, but rare dike segments have preserved zones partial melt in adjacent wallrock and provide an opportunity examine shallow crustal melting. At Maxwell Lake, 4 m thick zone contains as much 47 vol. % (glass plus quench crystals) around mineral reaction sites along quartz–feldspar boundaries. Bulk compositional data indicate that...

Training a scientific workforce in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change drives an international need for science education, including Ghana. How preservice teachers understand change, and often misunderstood relationship between ozone depletion global warming, critically students they will teach. This mixed method, descriptive study explores teachers' knowledge, documents sources their ideas. Elementary from three colleges education Ghana completed survey (N = 255) interview (n...

The investigation of how geologists engage in field mapping, including strategies and behaviors, is an open area research with significant potential for identifying connections to best instructional practices. While study experts array disciplines has yielded general conclusions about the nature expertise, consideration geoscience experts, especially authentic settings, virtually unstudied. Field mapping involves a complex interplay between individual mapper natural environment. Both...

Effective instruction hinges in part on understanding what prior knowledge students bring to the classroom, and evaluating how this changes during instruction. In many disciplines, multiple-choice tests have been developed gauge student assess learning. study, a 15-item version of Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) was used learning enrolled an introductory physical historical geology course specifically designed for preservice elementary (K-8) teachers. Gains (pretest posttest) among...

Abstract Geologists consider field mapping skills necessary for the development of expertise in geology. We discuss results a day-long geology exercise Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana, USA. Sixty-seven volunteer geologists, chosen specifically to represent continuum from novice expert, were asked create map bedrock approximately 70 square hectares. In order identify and assess strategies, GPS tracks each participant's activities analyzed using GIS sequence alignment techniques. Results...

Each science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) discipline has developed a rich, ongoing program of education research scholarship teaching learning (SoTL). Recent interest in con...

The geoscience education research (GER) community has produced a collaborative framework that summarizes guiding questions for future to inform and improve undergraduate teaching learning. GER Framework (St. John [Ed.], 2018a) was developed through an iterative process involving multiple stages of input. In total, approximately 200 educators researchers contributed this project in one or more the following capacities: as authors, reviewers, survey respondents, workshop participants, webinar...

José teaches a capstone course for geoscience majors, and has recently become head of his department's curriculum committee. As prepares the first meeting committee considers structure course, he is thinking about what department should expect their undergraduate students to know or be able do by time they graduate. Some will go on geology related jobs, particularly in environmental industry, others attending graduate school MS PhD programs. In addition acquiring core factual knowledge...

Geoscience employers have increasingly called for the future workforce (students) to demonstrate competence in non-technical skills, including teamwork. This descriptive qualitative study contributes ongoing efforts identify specific practices, habits, and knowledge that make up these desired teamwork competencies geosciences. We collected interview data from three online focus group discussions centered around Focus participants (n = 12) were hydrogeology environmental geology team managers...

The geosciences consist of multiple disciplines including geology, oceanography, and atmospheric science. Significant work expended to understand spatial thinking skills important teaching learning geology has advanced our ability support students in courses achieve increased student success, retention, diversity programs. However, as we investigate broadly, oceanography science, an question is how well frameworks previously used geoscience education research (GER) map onto these...

Virtual field experiences (VFEs) are augments to traditional fieldwork in the geosciences that seeing increasing use college courses. However, VFEs not easily located and implemented courses by geoscience instructors have little no value. This qualitative, descriptive study engaged five focus groups of U.S. from diverse institutions investigate how they search for, select, implement their Each 1-to-1.5-h group session 3–7 participants was recorded on video-conferencing software transcribed...

Understanding which cognitive factors facilitate meteorology skills is important for training and education. This study investigated aspects of cognition to successful completion tasks typically provided student meteorologists. With a sample 81 participants—spanning the range experience from undergraduate students professional meteorologists—we administered two spatial thinking tests, visuospatial working memory test, concept inventory, an questionnaire. We compared resulting scores...

Topographic maps and aerial photographs are particularly useful when geoscientists faced with fieldwork tasks such as selecting paths for observation, establishing sampling schemes, or defining field regions. These types of images crucial in bedrock geologic mapping, a cognitively complex field-based problem-solving task. Geologic mapping requires the geologist to correctly identify rock three-dimensional structures from often partial poor-quality outcrop data while navigating through...

A field-based environmental geochemistry course was developed at Western Michigan University for undergraduate geosciences and studies students to (1) improve student understanding of complex systems, specifically targeting lake systems; (2) facilitate development professional-level, field- laboratory-based skills water sediment analysis; (3) strengthen teamwork communication skills. In this course, designed completed a study quality in local kettle lake. The instructor used short "question...

A survey with nine meteorological charts, maps, and images from a 2015 significant weather event was administered to meteorologists (N = 93) identify which spatial thinking skills they report using each chart, map, image. Results reveal high reported use of mental animation (74.6%), disembedding (72.4%), perspective taking (71.6%) the images. Lower rates accompany object location memory, visual penetrative ability, rotation, contrasting prominence these in geology. Analysis response patterns...

As much as we think of a geologic map objective, it is filtered through the experiences individual geologists and larger geology community. Thus important to understand how become proficient at mapping. part naturalistic study mapping strategies, 67 ranging from undergraduates professionals described that promoted personal competence. These interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded interpreted. Using Lave Wenger's (1991 Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate...