Scientific practices in geology educational sequences with field work. Review of experiences

Abstract

In order to develop scientific competence, students have to appropriate scientific culture through scientific practices. In geology teaching, the field is also a context for enculturation. The interrelation between practices and fieldwork has been scarcely studied. In this paper a review is made of articles that include field trips, published in ten science teaching journals over the last ten years. Mention of operations related to scientific practices was identified in 20 articles. Argumentation was identified in all age groups, inquiry practically only at university level and modelling was hardly present at all. It is concluded that fieldwork played a role in the development of practices beyond data collection. The absence of fundamental operations in the practices was detected, which leads to raise some educational implications illustrated with identified good practices.