Earth & Space Science Education BS
Program Purpose
Students graduating with a B.S. in Earth and Space Science Education will have completed a degree that involves two academic components: 1) formal training in the Earth and space sciences and 2) formal training in education. The underlying core values and philosophies of this program are those espoused in the BYU Mission and AIMS. The Earth science content is designed to give broad training in traditional geological science courses with an emphasis on geological processes, Earth history, and human interaction with Earth. Students take multiple classes in geology, physics, chemistry, and astronomy. This training allows students to become competent science teachers and gives them a framework within which to pursue graduate studies if they so choose. The science curriculum is comprehensive enough to place students in teaching positions in both junior high and high school.
The professional education component will assist graduates to become outstanding professional educators as well as productive citizens in their communities. Course work will prepare them to deal with the challenges facing public school students today and will provide them with the tools to enable lifelong learning as educational needs and models change. We support the science teaching standards as outlined by the National Research Council and National Academy of Sciences. Students take courses in multicultural education, adolescent development and exceptionalities through the David O. McKay School of Education. They also take specialized courses in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences to model the pedagogy of teaching earth and space science, effectively dealing with laboratory safety and managing the typical range of classroom problems teachers face when conducting labs, demonstrations, and field trips.
Curricular Structure
Learning Outcomes
Earth and Space Science Fundamentals
Obtain a broad, basic knowledge of the earth and space sciences. (BYU AIMS 1,2,3)
Be able to design and develop inquiry-based science units. (BYU AIMS 2,4)
Understand and apply the goals and standards of Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC). (BYU AIMS 2,3,4)
Understand how to teach sensitive scientific concepts such as evolution by means of natural selection, age of the Earth and solar system and the Big Bang in the public school setting.
Understand and apply the Moral Dimenstions of Teaching as embraced by the McKay School of Education (BYU AIMS 1,2,3,4)
Evidence of Learning
Specific courses in the core curriculum are tailored to fulfill particular program learning outcomes. Both direct and indirect measures are used to evaluate how well our students meet these criteria.
Direct Measures
- Students will pass the content area exams as well as the PRAXIS Earth Science test with a score of 140 or higher.
- Students will create a Teacher Work Sample for a teaching unit that incorporates the principles of inquiry and deliver it to a public school classroom.
- Students will receive a minimum overall score of 3 on the Clinical Practice Assessment System (student teaching) evaluation.
- Students will be able to articulate and defend the Moral Dimensions of Teaching as a framework for adolescent education.
- Alumni Transition Point evaluation
Indirect Measures
1. The AQ and surveys of alumni employers and graduate advisors give us an indirect measure of how well the program has fulfilled the learning outcomes (GEOL Obj. 1-5.)
2. The undergraduate mentoring program is an important avenue for developing scientific inquiry skills among students (GEOL Obj. 2.). Therefore, we provide as many students as possible the opportunity to participate in this program and to present their research at the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Spring Research Conferences as well as at national/international scientific meetings.
3. We bring in a number of seminar speakers to enhance the students' exposure to current topics in the field.
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
Analysis, Evaluation, and Improvement Process
1. Program assessment will be formally conducted every four years beginning in 2007. Four year reviews will be supplemented by annual or more frequent internal evaluations by the faculty directly involved with the program and via their feedback through the chair to the Curriculum Committee. Changes that might require immediate implementation will be evaluated annually.
2. Plans for improvement will initially be reviewed at the department level by the Curriculum Committee. Subsequently, plans/proposals will then be reviewed by the general faculty, openly discussed in a faculty meeting and then voted on by the faculty. Department recommendations will then be reviewed by the College Curriculum Council.
3. The chair of the Department Curriculum Committee is also a member of the College Curriculum Council. All proposed curriculum plans and changes will be reviewed and discussed by the College Curriculum Council prior to submission and final review by the University Curriculum Council. Proposals for curriculum and program changes will also be considered by the University Council on Teacher Education.
4. Implementation of program changes/improvements (every 4 years or more frequently) will be implemented once the department-college-university review cycle has been completed.