Exploring Learning Effects of Elementary Students in a Geological Field Trip Activity concerning ‘Minerals and Rocks’

Abstract

: The purpose of this study was to explore the learning effects in elementary school students who participated in a geological field trip conducted under the theme ‘minerals and rocks’, focusing on novelty space. A total of 10 sixth-grade students participated in this program held at a public elementary school in Seoul as part of after-school club activities. Students observed mineral and rock samples in a classroom and outdoor learning environment. The authors collected activity papers (texts, drawing), researchers’ participation notes, video and audio recordings containing the study participants’ activities, and post-interview data To analyze the learning effects in the cognitive domain of students, the observation analysis framework for rock classification of Remmen and Frøyland (2020) and the rock description analysis framework of Oh (2020) were used. Additionally, to explore the learning effects of psychological and geographic areas, students’ drawings, texts, discourses, and interview data were inductively analyzed. The results showed that the students demonstrated ‘everyday’ and ‘transitional’ observations in the classroom learning environment, while in the outdoor learning environment (school playground, community-based activities), they demonstrated ‘transitional’ and ‘scientific’ observations. Moreover, as the scientific observation stage progressed, more types of descriptive words for rocks were used. In terms of psychological and geographic aspects, students showed their selection of places to explore familiar outdoor learning environments, positive perceptions of outdoor learning, and aesthetic appreciation. Finally, this study not only discussed novelty space as a tool for analyzing students’ learning effects but also suggested the need for an academic approach considering new learning environments, such as learning through virtual field trips.