The Position and Importance of Geology Education in the Schools

Abstract

Many countries are currently focusing on obtaining financial income through the use of underground resources and promoting awareness of natural hazards. However, geology education, including these issues, is often limited to superficial coverage under geography courses in countries like Greece, China, Indonesia, and Slovenia. In contrast, some countries like Portugal struggles to engage students in their secondary school geology curriculum. While some consider that geology education is too complex for primary and secondary school students, there is evidence that new technologies, such as VR and gaming, can facilitate geology education. This review article aims to clarify the importance of geology education in schools, discussing its scope and the different approaches taken in various countries. Ultimately, the article explores the position and importance of geology education for primary and secondary school students based on existing literature.

Misconceptions in the Learning of Natural Sciences: A Systematic Review

“…These findings explain the lack of understanding of basic concepts as a direct cause of the occur-rence of misconceptions. Other researchers also mention that the transmission-reception model, characterized by the teacher's verbal exposition and memorization of definitions and formulas, among other aspects, does not favor the development of knowledge, but rather generates erroneous conceptions [73][74][75].…”

Learning Sciences from the Past: Recovery, Study, and Cataloging of a Historical Natural History School Museum

“…As Reis [18] (p. 218) pointed out, within formal education in European secondary schooling, earth sciences are frequently scattered through other teachings and usually do not represent an individual subject. In this regard, Korkmaz and Altinsoy [19] highlighted how African countries have been experiencing a shortage of science teachers since the 1950s, and thus, providing geology education in schools can be challenging. The authors [19] then noticed that geology education is limited and overlooked in the school curriculum even in countries with more resource-efficient economies, such as Greece and the United Kingdom.…”

“…In this regard, Korkmaz and Altinsoy [19] highlighted how African countries have been experiencing a shortage of science teachers since the 1950s, and thus, providing geology education in schools can be challenging. The authors [19] then noticed that geology education is limited and overlooked in the school curriculum even in countries with more resource-efficient economies, such as Greece and the United Kingdom. On this subject, Reis [18] also outlined that students are not inclined to attend geology courses even in those countries (e.g., Portugal), offering them as separate options in high school curricula.…”

“…In the pages that follow, the recovery of the 18th century geo- From the data in Figure 1, it is pertinent to ask if geology education is still a relevant topic in scientific literacy. On this subject, Korkmaz and Altinsoy [19], quoting Gogoi et al [27], argued that geology education is crucial for the sustainable exploitation of underground resources. It also provides students with a broad and deeper understanding of geodiversity (including the risk mitigation of natural hazards), and geoheritage, while developing different thinking skills such as deep time dimension, spatial, and cycling thinking, e.g., [28,29].…”

“…Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the lectures given by Gismondi were open to the public since he believed that a private institution aimed to serve public education [128]. The Mineralogical Cabinet prospered since the first half of the 20th century thanks to the work of Piarist Fathers such as Adolfo Brattina (1852-1935), who held practical classes in mineralogical analysis, especially on silica minerals and quartz mineralogical associations with sulfides and sulfosalts [129] (p. 19) using the specimens kept in the cabinet. This brief overview thus outlined how Collegio Nazareno's geo-mineralogical collections were used in teaching and learning activities within a more extensive background of scientific and sociocultural practices [130].…”