The role of field works in the learning of geology.
LACOSTE, Corinne, 12 juillet 2001

Science teaching is not a simple learning of fixed scientific knowledge, but requires learning of investigation capacity : this is essential to be a citizen for today and for the future. Actually, it’s necessary to master empirical and theoretical practices and the experience-type events. But what’s the matter with geological teaching ? Teachers in primary school (at the end of the third round), in secondary school and in university relate that pupils and students have real difficulties to discern and construct the spatial and temporal dimensions of geology’s objects. Are field works a usual practice in geology teaching ? What does this practice induce in knowledge acquiring ? 

This research deals with the analysis of the influences of field works in the learning of geology objects, in referring to the scientific didacticalogy and sensorial psychophysiology. We, first, approach the importance of space and time in geology. Then, we explore the field teaching practice of primary and secondary schools teachers and we show the specific problems of this practice. We take advantage of this exploration to show more exactly the difficulties of pupils, students and then, teachers in learning or teaching of geology topics in three different situations. We analyse pupils, students and teachers confronted with the field. Some lists of questions about teacher’s conceptions of field work complete this research. At the end of this research, we try to elaborate a didactical frame of reference for field works.