A foundational skill for all field-based sciences is the ability to accurately record the location of field observations onto a map. To investigate the strategies children use when recording their observations during field-based inquiries, fourth graders were asked to indicate the location of colored flags by placing similarly colored stickers on…

Field instruction remains a mainstay in most teacher education programs, but there is little empirical evidence as to its effectiveness--whether it contributes to better teachers or influences student achievement. Research says even less about how field instructors learn to do their work. The aim of this study is to describe and explain field…

There is considerable international interest in the value of residential fieldwork for school students. In the UK, pressures on curriculum time, rising costs and heightened concern over students' safety are curtailing residential experiences. Collaboration between several key fieldwork providers across the UK created an extensive programme of…

There is an increasing interest in the field of experiential education to move beyond simply documenting the value of experiential education programs and, instead, develop more evidence-based models for experiential education practice (cf., Gass, 2005; Henderson, 2004). Due in part to the diversity of experiential education programs, participants,…

This article uses the metaphor of "goodness of fit" to highlight the core features of a relational approach to field instruction. The distinctive attributes of this approach are contrasted with a traditional model of field instruction. The "teach or treat" dilemma is discussed to demonstrate the necessity for field instructors to maintain the…

A new challenge in science education at the university level is the implementation of effective field components within online courses. In nationwide online graduate geoscience courses composed of practicing teachers (N = 130), Google Earth laboratory exercises were incorporated to provide virtual field experiences. Student opinions of these…

In recent years, professional practice has been an issue of concern in higher education. The purpose of this study is to design students' projects to facilitate collaborative learning in authentic contexts. Ten students majoring in Management Information Systems conducted fieldwork with spatial technologies to collect data and provided information…

This article addresses the development of a conceptual model of fieldwork practice and the creation of an associated set of skills for the geosciences. The set of eight generic and seventeen specific skills is applied in two international field courses to demonstrate the utility of such a skills-centered model across a broad range of venues,…

A field-based course at the University of Arizona called Sense of Place (SOP) covers the geology, ecology and cultural history of the Tucson area. SOP was quantitatively assessed for pedagogical effectiveness. Students of the Spring 2008 course were given pre- and post-course word association surveys in order to assess awareness and comprehension…

The purpose of this study was to explore field instructors' experiences and insights in working with lesbian and gay MSW students. In-depth 1- to 1.5-hour interviews were conducted with 8 field instructors selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis and a constant comparative method. One set of themes…

Case methodology is receiving more recognition in the field of education as a viable pedagogy for use in the preparation of future educators. In this article, the coauthors explore two examples of case method instruction that extend beyond university classrooms to field sites: case report and case study. Both examples were used in special…

Human geography fieldwork is important. Research has shown that when students "see it for themselves" their enjoyment and understanding is enhanced. In addition it helps develop subject-specific and transferable skills, promotes 'active learning' and links theory to "real world" examples in a "spiral of learning".…

In this article, the authors propose a comprehensive integration model (CIM) based on learning transfer principles that promote integration by systematically and multidimensionally linking coursework with field education. This model improves the integration of classroom and field instruction by specifying how content in each course and in the…

Increasingly, instructional technology research and design grounded in field-based data collection takes place in classrooms, after school programs, and informal learning settings. One byproduct of a commitment to naturalistic, unfolding inquiry in authentic settings is a significant degree of uncertainty, a situation oftentimes provoking ethical…

Environmental education (EE) pedagogy is grounded in a view of teaching as a "creative and dynamic process in which pupils and teachers are engaged together in a search for solutions to environmental problems." However it is not only the students who need support engaging in this search but the teachers--in creating dynamic, rigorous…