Fieldwork in Geology: Teachers’ Conceptions and Practices

AbstractThe learning of geology taught at secondary schools has undergone changes over time. Many researchers look for new strategies or try to reformulate the existing ones in order to improve the methods of teaching this subject and to contribute to the emergence of active, critical and assertive citizens. Fieldwork is an increasingly used strategy for integrated learning in the area of Geosciences. In this investigation, we sought to identify the type and frequency of fieldwork implemented by geology teachers. We also aimed at understanding the importance of fieldwork in the teaching of geosciences. For that purpose, a survey was drafted and answered by 16 Biology and Geology 11th grade teachers. Results show that the majority of teachers resort to fieldwork up to three times each year. Also, teachers understand that the most adequate type of fieldwork for this level of teaching is Problem Solving Fieldwork. However, the majority of the activities carried out by teachers show that they usually implement Directed Observation Fieldwork type. These results indicate that teachers need to receive training at the level of the implementation of problem solving fieldwork