Pre-/Post-Knowledge Assessment of an Earth Science Course for Elementary/Middle School Education Majors

Abstract

This article discusses the benefits of experiencing the process of Earth Science through active learning strategies, and how a simple assessment instrument was developed and used to evaluate a specific course in Earth Science for educators. The course itself was broad in scope and designed specifically to fulfill science requirements for elementary and middle-level education majors. The assessment instrument consisted of statements to which students responded true-false or "I don't know." Based on pre- and post-course assessments of 108 education majors who took the class over a period of 5 semesters, the researchers reported an average increase in their content knowledge of 30 percent. Educational levels: Graduate or professional, Graduate or professional