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The Impact of an Inquiry-Based Geoscience Field Course on Pre-service Teachers

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Journal of Science Teacher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effects of a field-based, inquiry-focused course on pre-service teachers’ geoscience content knowledge, attitude toward science, confidence in teaching science, and inquiry understanding and skills. The field-based course was designed to provide students with opportunities to observe, compare, and investigate geological structures in their natural environment and to gain an understanding of inquiry via hands-on learning activities designed to immerse students in authentic scientific investigation. ANCOVA and MANCOVA analyses examining differences in outcome measures between students in the field experience (n = 25) and education students enrolled in the traditional, classroom-based course (n = 37) showed that students in the field course generally had significantly higher scores. Results provide evidence of the value of the field and inquiry-based approach in helping pre-service teachers develop the needed skills and knowledge to create effective inquiry-based science lessons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Gwen Nugent, Gina Kunz & David Harwood

  2. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Michael D. Toland

  3. GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

    Richard Levy

  4. Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA

    Denise Green

  5. Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA

    Kathy Kitts

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  1. Gwen Nugent
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  2. Michael D. Toland
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  3. Richard Levy
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Correspondence to Gwen Nugent.

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Nugent, G., Toland, M.D., Levy, R. et al. The Impact of an Inquiry-Based Geoscience Field Course on Pre-service Teachers. J Sci Teacher Educ 23, 503–529 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-012-9283-2

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