Surveys are widely used to gain insight into the education system, as they can provide data from a large number of participants in order to investigate system-wide or discipline-wide practices and trends. Survey results can be analyzed to inform professional development, resource allocation, and further research.

We sought to align a survey of geoscience teaching with new research in (1) the skills and dispositions that geoscience employers seek in bachelors-level employees (Shafer et al., 2023; Viskupic et al., 2026), and (2) the efficacy of specific inclusive teaching strategies (National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, 2025). We modified and expanded questions from the National Geoscience Faculty Survey to ask instructors if students in their courses do specific activities to develop skills most frequently mentioned in advertisements for entry-level geoscience jobs. In addition, we developed new questions about dispositions and career preparation. Content validity was obtained through expert review and grounding new questions in well-established research. We tested questions with instructors from two institutions and conducted follow-up interviews to establish construct validity for new questions.

The revised, validated survey was widely disseminated during the 2025-26 academic year to reach faculty who teach a range of courses for undergraduate geoscience majors. Results indicate that a large proportion of respondents incorporate skills that are important in the workforce in their courses, including working as part of a team, using spreadsheets, and documenting field conditions. Most respondents indicate that students are likely to develop dispositions such as attention to detail in their course, and some report making use of evidence-based strategies to support disposition development. Fewer report incorporation of activities that build students' awareness of and preparation for entering the workforce. These results highlight areas where instructors would benefit from professional learning and resources to inform teaching approaches that support today's students.