The intricacy of real-world challenges in project-based geoscience learning is complex to assess with a STEM approach; hence, research into an effective model is necessary to address current issues in education. Understanding the role of STEM in resolving challenging real-world issues requires integrating STEM literacy that is appropriate for…

This study explores the relationship between the self-confidence and content knowledge of undergraduate students in a large enrollment geoscience course following an active-learning think-pair-share (TPS) activity, and whether high confidence necessarily leads to overconfidence. We used a pre-experimental, one group pre-test -- post-test design,…

Climate change is a major concern to undergraduate students. Understanding climate change relies on an understanding of polar regions. However, courses on polar regions are rare at undergraduate institutions. Polar ENgagement through GUided INquiry (PENGUIN) modules were designed to give students experience with polar research in a variety of…

In response to geoscience education research and calls for the need to reform STEM teaching in higher education, many geoscience faculty are adopting research-based pedagogies to improve student learning in their courses. Our own effort to reform our introductory geology course included daily student-centered activities and other reforms we…

The Next Generation Science Standards call for engineering design solutions using computer technologies, but many K-12 classrooms either do not have accessible technologies or the teacher pedagogical knowledge on how to effectively implement engineering design into the curriculum. Without access to computer or mobile technologies, teachers are…

Students often experience science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses as competitive, weed-out spaces. Learning Assistants (LAs) have potential to improve students' experiences in these courses. Previously, we elucidated themes describing the impact of LAs on students' sense of STEM belonging and science-related confidence in…

Many teacher educator preparation programs do not provide opportunities for preservice teachers (PSTs) to experience and examine the use of popular fiction as a connection point to science teaching. This study explores a unit designed to support PSTs in learning and applying core concepts and processes of literacy and science by leveraging a…

Learning about the Earth through geoscience education is important in order to make informed decisions about the future of the Earth. The aim of this study is to examine students' conceptual development on geoscience subjects based on inquiry-based learning. 7th grade students participated in this study. The researcher prepared lesson plans and…

Capacity strengthening activities -- be that in the form of courses, workshops, seminars -- have become embedded in research projects as a requirement for funding and as a means for researchers to demonstrate positive societal impacts. We apply qualitative research techniques including interviews, questionnaires and observations to scrutinise and…

Stable isotopes in natural materials provide a powerful way to study energy flow in many systems and are widely used in fields such as archaeology, ecology, forensics, geochemistry, geology, oceanography, palaeoecology and palaeoclimatology. Based on the manner in which stable isotopes fractionate in natural systems, they allow scientists to…

Background: Science teachers represent the critical link to the development of a scientifically literate citizenry who is capable of addressing societal problems and global challenges in ways that positively affect the quality of life. Purpose: We investigated how a long-term, inquiry-based professional development program could be utilized to…

Active learning classrooms (ALCs) are designed to support collaborative learning in large class sections that are often taught with a lecture format. Studies on ALCs indicate that they have positive influences on student learning, but the same studies fail to look at learning differences between subgroups of students. In the current study,…

Water sciences education is paramount to sustainable groundwater resource management, especially of drinking water, but misunderstandings about groundwater among non-experts remain widespread. Groundwater residence is an especially challenging concept to learn because it is not directly visible in typical circumstances. The present study uses a…

The innovation calls insist on the fact to identify new forms and models of learning and teaching. Actually, the educational approaches that encourage effective learning among student, is the Investigative Approach, which demonstrates more and more its potential in teaching. It is a scientific approach based on questioning and investigation where…

This paper highlights the design process and implementation for an "all majors" undergraduate course that allows students a chance to reconnect with the natural world. During this course students explore a wide range of biological and physical science based topics that seek to highlight human intervention and our impacts on the planet.…