跳至主要内容

Teacher and Student Perceptions of Earth Science and Its Educational Value in Secondary Schools

Read full paper at:
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=47209#.VFw5a2fHRK0

Earth science educators struggle to gain an equal footing in the K-12 curriculum with the life and physical sciences. The low number of students taking Earth sciences courses is at odds with theNational Science and Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996, 2012) that gives equal emphasis to Earth and space science (ESS). The purpose of this investigation was to analyze students’ and teachers’ perceptions of Earth science and its perceived educational values in secondary schools. The sample for this study consisted of 39 science teachers in public secondary schools, and 46 students taking science in those schools. The instruments for the study included a 14-item Earth Science Teacher Survey (ESTS) and a 14-item Earth Science Student Survey (ESSS) (surveys modified from King, 2001). The results of this study showed that teachers do not think that ESS is as important to the secondary school curriculum as physics, chemistry, and biology. Not unexpectedly, Earth science teachers had more positive perceptions of Earth science and its educational value than non-Earth science teachers. Students in this study had more positive perceptions of Earth science and its educational value than teachers. These students also reported a high level of enjoyment learning about Earth science and a high interest in learning about ESS topics.
Cite this paper
Betzner, J. and Marek, E. (2014) Teacher and Student Perceptions of Earth Science and Its Educational Value in Secondary Schools. Creative Education, 5, 1019-1031. doi: 10.4236/ce.2014.511116. 
 

[1] Benbow, A. E. (2011). Geoscience Currents. Report No. 44, American Geosciences Institute, Alexandria.
[2] Dodick, J., & Orion, N. (2003). Geology as a Historical Science: Its Perception within Science and the Education System. Science and Education, 12, 197-211.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1023096001250
[3] Geological Society of America (2011). The Importance of Teaching Earth Science Position Statement.
http://www.geosociety.org/positions/position4.htm
[4] Gonzales, L. (2009). Status of the Geoscience Workforce. American Geosciences Institute, Alexandria.
[5] Gonzales, L. (2011). Status of the Geoscience Workforce. American Geosciences Institute, Alexandria.
[6] King, C. (2001). The Response of Teachers to New Subject Areas in a National Science Curriculum: The Case of the Earth Science Component. Science Education, 85, 636-664.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sce.1030
[7] Lewis, E., & Baker, D. (2010). A Call for a New Geoscience Education Research Agenda. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47, 121-129.
[8] Lowry, R. (2010). Two-Way Anova. http://faculty.vassar.edu/lowry/anova2u.html
[9] National Research Council (1996). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
[10] National Research Council (2012). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
[11] Oklahoma State Department of Education (2012). Oklahoma C3 Standards.
http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-c3-standards                   eww141107lx
标签：

评论

发表评论

此博客中的热门博文

A Comparison of Methods Used to Determine the Oleic/Linoleic Acid Ratio in Cultivated Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Cultivated peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil and food crop. It is also a cheap source of protein, a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, and a component of many food products. The fatty acid composition of peanuts has become increasingly important with the realization that oleic acid content significantly affects the development of rancidity. And oil content of peanuts significantly affects flavor and shelf-life. Early generation screening of breeding lines for high oleic acid content greatly increases the efficiency of developing new peanut varieties. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of methods used to classify individual peanut seed as high oleic or not high oleic. Three hundred and seventy-four (374) seeds, spanning twenty-three (23) genotypes varying in oil composition (i.e. high oleic (H) or normal/not high oleic (NH) inclusive of all four peanut market-types (runner, Spanish, Valencia and Virginia), were individually tested ...
发表评论
阅读全文

Location Optimization of a Coal Power Plant to Balance Costs against Plant’s Emission Exposure

Fuel and its delivery cost comprise the biggest expense in coal power plant operations. Delivery of electricity from generation to consumers requires investment in power lines and transmission grids. Placing a coal power plant or multiple power plants near dense population centers can lower transmission costs. If a coalmine is nearby, transportation costs can also be reduced. However, emissions from coal plants play a key role in worsening health crises in many countries. And coal upon combustion produces CO 2 , SO 2 , NO x , CO, Metallic and Particle Matter (PM10 & PM2.5). The presence of these chemical compounds in the atmosphere in close vicinity to humans, livestock, and agriculture carries detrimental health consequences. The goal of the research was to develop a methodology to minimize the public’s exposure to harmful emissions from coal power plants while maintaining minimal operational costs related to electric distribution losses and coal logistics. The objective was...
发表评论
阅读全文

Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Continuous Use of a Home-Use High-Frequency Facial Treatment Appliance

At present, many home-use beauty devices are available in the market. In particular, many products developed for facial treatment use light, e.g., a flash lamp or a light-emitting diode (LED). In this study, the safety of 4 weeks’ continuous use of NEWA TM , a high-frequency facial treatment appliance, every alternate day at home was verified, and its efficacy was evaluated in Japanese individuals with healthy skin aged 30 years or older who complained of sagging of the facial skin.  Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), melanin levels, erythema levels, sebum secretion levels, skin color changes and wrinkle improvement in the facial skin were measured before the appliance began to be used (study baseline), at 2 and 4 weeks after it had begun to be used, and at 2 weeks after completion of the 4-week treatment period (6 weeks from the study baseline). In addition, data obtained by subjective evaluation by the subjects themselves on a visual analog scale (VAS) were also analyzed. Fur...
发表评论
阅读全文