Name-Dropping or Understanding?: Teaching to Observe Geologically

Abstract

This study investigates how teaching can support students' ability to apply rock identification by addressing scientific observation. In the context of geology education in Norway, we investigate two cases in which different approaches to teaching rock identification are carried out. Case A involves traditional teaching activities in one class of upper secondary school students, while Case B consists of teaching activities focusing on observation in a class of elementary school students. The study relies on analysis of video data using headcams from classroom activities and fieldwork. A year later, we asked the same students to apply rock identification to samples that were new to them. Results indicate that the teaching approach influenced the students' opportunities for developing an understanding of rock identification. The students in case A identified the samples by applying specific names of rocks and geological terminology, which led to errors and misconnections. Their application of rock identification can be characterized as name-dropping. By contrast, the students in case B identified rocks by noticing the patterns. They also explained theories of rock formation and geological terminology, thus demonstrating understanding. We discuss how the findings from case B can be translated into a tool for teaching rock identification.

The Impact of Student-Constructed Animation on Middle School Students’ Learning about Plate Tectonics

“…It is well-known within the literature that school students experience considerable difficulty in coming to understand geological concepts and processes (Francek, 2013;Mills, Tomas, & Lewthwaite, 2016). Research has shown that students have incorrect or incomplete understandings about key ideas such as rock formation and classification (Froyland, Remmen, & Sorvik, 2016), and plate tectonics (Dolphin & Benoit, 2016;Mills, Tomas, & Lewthwaite, 2017), and they struggle to comprehend the vast temporal and spatial scales inherent to learning about geology (Yoon & Peate, 2015). To illustrate, an Australian study that explored middle school students' (n=95) conceptions about geological topics found that students had a limited understanding of plate tectonics, the formation of landforms, and the occurrence of geological events such as earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries (Mills et al, 2017).…”

Students’ use of observation in geology: towards ‘scientific observation’ in rock classification

“…Despite this, review articles demonstrate that students of all ages struggle with understanding the nature of rocks, including what a rock is, how rocks can be classified into the major categories, how these categories represent the geological processes that form rocks and the mechanisms driving those processes (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2015; Cheek, 2010;Dove, 1998;Francek, 2013;King, 2008). Students' alternative conceptions and misunderstandings can partly be ascribed to the strategies they use when classifying rocks (Ford, 2005;Frøyland, Remmen, & Sørvik, 2016;Hawley, 2002). Typically, students sort rock types by choosing superficial features, such as colour or shape, and by comparing and identifying rocks using photographs.…”

Nærmiljø som læringsarena i undervisning for bærekraftig utvikling. En analyse av læreres erfaringer og refleksjoner <br/>Local environment as learning arena for teaching sustainable development

“…Studier har vist at undervisning utenfor klasserommet kan ha positive effekter på kognitivt laeringsutbytte, sosiale relasjoner, motivasjon, motorisk utvikling og helse (Fjørtoft, 2004;Fägerstam & Blom, 2013;Hartmeyer & Mygind, 2016;Jordet, 2010;Malone, 2008;Rickinson et al, 2004;Waite, 2011). Samtidig har andre studier vist at det å ta elevene ut av klasserommet ikke automatisk bidrar til mer kognitiv laering og forståelse (Brody, 2005;Frøyland, Remmen, & Sørvik, 2016), men at laeringsutbyttet kan økes hvis erfaringene settes i en sammenheng gjennom dialog og tilpasset forarbeid og etterarbeid (Jordet, 2010;Munkebye, 2012;Remmen & Frøyland, 2015;Rickinson et al, 2004). I beskrivelser av miljøundervisning har det ofte vaert en kobling til metoder der det tas utgangspunkt i elevenes naermiljø og lokale miljøutfordringer (Breiting et al, 2009;Sandell & Öhman, 2010;Sandås & Isnes, 2015).…”