Linking the Fields of Geoscience Education to Education Psychology:

How Do We Convince our Students that Geoscience is worthwhile?

Kaatje Kraft(based on collaborative work with Jenefer Husman,

Steve Semken, LeeAnn Srogi & Mimi Fuhrman)

This project was made possible due to a sabbatical appointment from Maricopa Community College District

Motivation Theory

• Expectancy x Value (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000)– Increase student expectation for success

• Provide opportunities for regulation of their learning process• Provide timely and relevant feedback• Provide opportunities for students to have control over their learning

– Students need to value what they are learning• Task value• Utility value• Interest

Emotion Theory

• Positive and Negative Emotions influence student learning (Pekrun et al, 2002)– Positive activating emotions: enjoyment of learning, hope for

success, and pride– Positive deactivating emotions: relief– Negative activating emotions: shame, anger, anxiety– Negative deactivating emotions: hopelessness, boredom

• The environment we create in our classroom can contribute to these emotions

Connection to Earth

• Our expert opinion informs our appreciation of Earth’s beauty (Carlson, 2000)

• Distinct to sciences that involve Earth• Part of why we do science, but not always what we

reveal to our students about our discipline (Flannery, 1992)

What do we do in geosciences?• Connect to places of meaning

– Motivation: task value & interest– Emotion: enjoyment of learning– CtE: examine places with depth of knowledge and

(sometimes) beauty

• Go outdoors– Motivation: task value and interest– Emotion: enjoyment of learning– CtE: appreciate being outdoors

• Visualize– Motivation: support expectancy for success, utility value– Emotion: enjoyment– CtE: photographs, images can be aesthetically pleasing both

from an internal and an informed expert perspective

How do we get our students to care?

• Intertwine our goals:– Social Interactions--students are more likely to

value what they are learning if they have opportunities to interact with their peers

How do we get our students to care?

• Intertwine our goals:– Future goals: make content relevant & be explicit

Lifestyle ProjectWorkplace Skills

Communication Skills (Writing,Speaking)

Interpersonal Skills

Self-Regulation

Provide writing assignmentsProvide writing assignments

Incorporate Incorporate metacognition

Encourage group workEncourage group work

How do we get our students to care?

• Model what we want to see– Thinking process– Appreciation/Values– Emotion