The geoscience education research (GER) community has evolved and grown over the past several decades. Using Wenger et al.'s Community of Practice (CoP) model (2002), we discuss how the GER CoP (which is broader than the formal discipline of GER) has changed, highlighting noteworthy events and growth points. Trends in community membership and…

First-generation college students (FGCS), defined as students whose parents did not earn a baccalaureate degree, encounter distinct obstacles navigating academia. Barriers faced by FGCS, including lack of financial security, lower sense of belonging, and inadequate mentorship, are often compounded by the intersection of other marginalized…

Community-based research models hold potential to change who conducts geoscience research, its relevance to the public, and how researchers may begin to address historical injustices. However, this potential is contingent on such projects being led in ways that meaningfully and equitably bridge the worlds of scientists and community stakeholders.…

A recurrent theme in the geosciences is the persistent need for more student demographic diversity, especially in academic programs. A strategy to make the geosciences inclusive and motivating for one marginalized group may not succeed with another, requiring the search for new approaches. The Geoscience Ambassadors, an extracurricular program for…

Geoscience employers have increasingly called for the future workforce (students) to demonstrate competence in non-technical skills, including teamwork. This descriptive qualitative study contributes to ongoing efforts to identify the specific practices, skills, habits, and knowledge that make up these desired teamwork competencies in the…

As a response to the increased need for humanization and representation in STEM, a set of open-source, customizable icons was developed using stackable vector graphics to allow participants to design their own research icons. These icons have the potential to both grant research participant's greater agency in their representation and attempt to…

Flipped classrooms have been shown to be useful in both introductory and advanced computational Earth Science courses. However, to date they have not been implemented in advanced level non-computational courses. Here we assess a three-year study into the use of flipped classroom techniques in a fourth year undergraduate Mineral Deposits class. One…

Training students to become ethical geoscientists has generated significant interest, particularly when confronted with the need to consider geoscience practice in light of geo-technological advances and environmental issues associated with resource extraction, pollution, and climate change. In this research, we examine from the perspective of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate students' conceptions of Earth scientists, using drawing as a tool, during introductory Earth science courses. We explored two research questions: 1) What student conceptions are evident in undergraduate students' drawings of Earth scientists? and 2) How do undergraduate students'…

Ventura, California's 2023 winter storm activity underscored the impact that runoff has on recreational water quality and public health. To examine public perception of stormwater runoff, coastal water quality, and community decision-making toward recreating in polluted water, an online survey of the Ventura River watershed community determined…

Undergraduates majoring in geoscience are often unaware of their career options beyond traditional resource industries; they need explicit supports to consider their post-graduation options. This mixed methods study sought to fill gaps in the literature related to the overabundance of solely quantitative studies related to career awareness and the…

Recent studies have identified an incomplete student understanding of how elastic rebound causes earthquakes. We hypothesized that realistic imaging of spatial patterns in ground motions over the course of the earthquake cycle would improve student understanding. Incorporating spatial change information in the form of both motion vectors and…

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…

Math anxiety involves moderate to extreme fear, anxiety, and occasionally physical pain associated with anticipating or performing mathematical tasks. High levels of math anxiety have been tied to students taking lower levels of math and choosing less quantitatively challenging courses and careers. In a small geoscience program in a primarily…

Undergraduate summer field programs are valuable experiences that can foster or reduce students' self-efficacy, an important factor in students' success and retention in geoscience. Growing research findings show that science field experiences can be hostile and unwelcoming to students with marginalized identities, which may negatively impact…