A Phenomenographic Analysis of Undergraduate Student Perceptions of the Geosciences and Geoscience Careers

The climate crisis is upon us, whether we like it or not, and its undeniable effects are evident. Take, for example, Hurricane Helene, which caused unimaginable devastation to what was once considered a “climate haven,” Asheville, NC (Andreoni, 2024; Medina & Fausset, 2024). Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4, jumping from a Category 1 in less than 24 hours (Andreoni, 2024), and is noted by the National Hurricane Center as a major hurricane (National Hurricane Center & Central Pacific Hurricane Center, 2024). With the Earth now unlikely to remain below 1.5°C of warming (IPCC, 2023b), perhaps we can use Hurricane Helene as a wake-up call to the increasing likelihood of adverse weather events that put communities at high risk. More recently than even Hurricane Helene, new research has determined that the Earth may already have hit 1.5°C this year (Jarvis & Forster, 2024). Given the mounting dangers, the geosciences are more relevant today than ever before. Yet, many people in the U.S. do not take Earth science beyond 8th or 9th grade, and those who enroll in a geoscience course in college often do so to fulfill a general education science requirement. Considering college introductory geology courses may be the last time to pique student interest in the geosciences, having a more complete picture of the perceptions of geology with which students leave their intro courses will help guide curriculum development for the immediate and near future. Overall, there are few qualitative studies that specifically ask students what they think of the geosciences and geoscience careers. This research utilizes a case study design with a phenomenographic lens to investigate the variations in student perceptions of the geosciences and geoscience careers after completing an introductory geoscience course. Due to its focus on person inputs and contextual affordances, the Choice Model of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) by Lent et al. (2002) is leveraged as the theoretical framework, informing design aspects such as questions in the semi-structured interviews and data analysis. Data was collected from a public, R-1, Primarily White Institution (PWI) in the Southeastern U.S., where a total of seven participants were interviewed after an introductory geology course. To situate their responses, students were asked about their current career paths and values, and their communities and their influences. Participants also identified their biggest takeaways and interests from the course and the most pressing issues related to climate change and their communities. By developing a deeper understanding of the perceptions with which students leave introductory geoscience courses, educators can more effectively tailor teaching approaches, curriculum design, and engagement techniques to better support students, promote inclusivity, and enhance desired learning outcomes, specifically given the outcomes of this research. Findings from this study suggest that undergraduate college students attending university in South Carolina who have finished an introductory geoscience course are not making the connections to climate change as a threat to today’s society.