Exploring Pre-Service Earth Science Teachers' Perceptions About Learning On Geological Field Trip

The purpose of this study is to investigate pre-service middle school earth science teachers' perceptions about the learning of geological field trip. The study sample consists of 39 undergraduate students at the university located in a metropolitan city. Additionally, 4 pre-service earth science teachers are semi-structure interviewed. The instrument of the study includes a 5-category perception about the learning of geological field trip, which consists of needs, educational values, educational experience, teaching methods, and training for learning. The results are as follows. First, participants are important to the need and educational values of learning about the geological field trip regardless of gender and grade level. Second, all participants have experienced geological field trip in college. They have more opportunities to experiment for field trip as they advance to higher grade. There is significant difference between lower and higher graders in terms of the goal of learning about geological field trip. It needs a new lesson model to teach geology between men and women regarding teaching methods category. In order to practice geological field trip in school, participants perceive that they need the knowledge of geological context, experiment of field trips, and how to teach geological field trip to students. This study suggests that pre-service earth science teachers' perceptions include how to teach and learn geological field trip during their college year.