Research on Learning during Field Trips in the Earth Sciences

Field trips have been used as an educational tool in the teaching of Earth Science since the Civil War (Camp, 2006). The consensus of research is that field trips can be effective at teaching both comprehension of subject matter and in giving the students a more positive attitude toward science. However, it is difficult to measure the learning that occurs because all of the research has flaws in design or application. These flaws occur because the available instruments do not deal well with emotions and perceptions.