Integrating environmental education field trip pedagogy into science teacher preparation

Abstract

Field trips are commonly used methods for teaching about the environment and their potential educational benefits are well documented. However, teachers receive minimal preservice training for how to make use of field trips to enhance environmental education (EE) and improve pedagogy in general. A review of the research on field trips reveals that many learning opportunities are missed. However, this same line of research also leads to a wealth of recommended strategies for optimizing learning on field trips. A summary of these recommendations is provided along with suggestions for how they might be integrated into a science methods course targeting preservice teachers. We make the case that inclusion of field trip pedagogy in the existing science methods courses may be accomplished without restructuring the course objectives and without displacing other important material to be covered. In fact, we assert that introducing field trip strategies in science methods courses will serve many existing course and program goals while simultaneously leading to improved EE instruction at both the secondary and university levels. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.