TITLE:
Teacher and Student Perceptions of Earth Science and Its Educational Value in Secondary Schools
AUTHORS:
Jason P. Betzner, Edmund A. Marek
KEYWORDS:
Earth Science, Educational Value, Perceptions, Secondary Schools
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.5 No.11,
June
25,
2014
ABSTRACT: 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.