Which Earth Science Topics Do You Like the Most? A Survey Among Italian Upper Secondary School Students

Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences) are mandatory subjects across various types of Italian high schools. Among the three disciplines, Earth Sciences are underrepresented compared to Biology and Chemistry in terms of curricular emphasis (Occhipinti, 2014; Boniello, 2016). The Italian guidelines for Natural Sciences, modified since 2010, integrate Earth Sciences into the curriculum for either four or one year(s), depending on the type of upper secondary school. These guidelines cover topics such as Earth movements, geomorphology, minerals and rocks, volcanoes and seismicity, and global tectonics.

To support Italian Natural Sciences teachers in Earth Science education, a five-year Earth Science curriculum was developed, emphasizing STEM competencies, student-centered learning, and the integration of authentic data (Gravina T. & Iannace A., 2024a). All along the 2024/25 academic year, this curriculum will be experimentally implemented in selected schools following teacher training sessions and teacher and students pre-/post-evaluation using validated questionnaires (Gravina T. & Iannace A., 2024b). Fourteen upper secondary schools from across Italy participated in the experimental phase, involving approximately 40 teachers and 3,000 students. The pre-surveys examined students' needs, interests, and self-confidence in Earth Sciences, with particular attention to their preferences regarding topics included in the Italian National Guidelines.

Preliminary results revealed that, among the Earth Science topics outlined in the Italian National Guidelines, students expressed less interest in geological subjects such as plate tectonics and minerals and rocks. Conversely, they appeared more engaged with topics like astronomical geography, which are no longer included in the Italian National Guidelines for Natural Sciences and are not traditionally classified as Earth Science topics. These findings offer valuable insights for teachers and researchers in Earth Science education, first of all the question how much dislike for such topics is a consequence of the way they are taught and, consequently, supporting the elaboration of educational materials and activities designed to engage students and raise their interest in Earth Science topics.