248 Geoscience Education (Posters)

Wednesday, 3 November 2010
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Hall D

GEOSCIENCE AFFECTIVE RESEARCH NETWORK: RESEARCHING STUDENT ATTITUDES, MOTIVATIONS, VALUES AND REGULATION OF LEARNING IN INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE COURSES

Paper number: 248-9
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Authors

Abstract

Concerns about ensuring a scientifically literate society and the continued supply of able scientists are particularly relevant to the geosciences. At a time when college and university enrollments are climbing, geoscience enrollments are in decline. Though there are many resources available to instructors for improving student cognitive strategies (e.g., analytical and critical thinking), there is relatively little guidance available for addressing student affect (personal characteristics that influence student learning and attitudes toward science). Few previous studies have explored the relationship between student cognition and affect in college science classrooms, especially in the geosciences. The Geoscience Affective Research NETwork (GARNET) is an NSF-funded study that aims to explore the connections between instruction, student affect (attitudes, motivations, values, and regulation of learning) and geoscience learning. Results to date have documented significant differences in student affect and learning gains in introductory geoscience courses at multiple institutions; both have important implications for how we teach. Best practices that have the potential to improve student affect and learning outcomes have also been identified.

GARNET seeks broad participation by introductory geoscience instructors from community colleges, private liberal arts colleges, and public universities to investigate student affect and learning. Students enrolled in participating courses will complete some or all of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Additionally, in some cases, student learning gains may be measured using the Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) and the learning environment may be characterized using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). Instructors will also have materials and guidance for using a range of teaching interventions that can improve student learning and affect in their classes. Instructors will receive information about student learning gains, affective characteristics, and the learning environment, all with the goal of promoting better student learning, retaining students in the geosciences, and improving instructor satisfaction.