Geoscience awareness in educational and outreach contexts: a preliminary analysis

Communication and education in the geosciences are key elements for increasing awareness of natural hazards, fostering an integrated understanding of the Earth system, and improving natural resource management. Despite this, several studies highlight a persistent misalignment between the societal importance of geology and the way this discipline is commonly perceived by the public.

This study aims to explore how geological topics are received and interpreted by different audiences, representing an important step for the design of effective educational and outreach actions. The contribution presents preliminary results from a survey conducted within a broader PhD research project, focused on geoscience communication and outreach.

Two paper-based questionnaires, each consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions with four options and a single allowed answer, were developed and administered to a sample of approximately 220 children and 250 adults (including parents and teachers). Participants were involved in educational and outreach activities organized by the Department of Earth Sciences (DST) of Sapienza University of Rome. The survey was conducted in Rome and Central Italy. The adult questionnaire investigated themes related to geological awareness, Earth system processes, natural hazards, climate change, lifestyles, and the use of natural resources. The children’s questionnaire, stratified by school grade, focused on basic geological concepts, including rocks, fossils, minerals, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Preliminary results, based on an ongoing dataset, are presented separately for the two target groups. Among adults, responses indicate a tendency to interpret geoscientific topics primarily through interpretative frames, related to natural hazard mitigation and sustainability. These perspectives appear to reflect widely shared societal narratives, rather than an integrated understanding of geological processes operating across different spatial and temporal scales. Children’s responses, while often grounded in intuitive or narrative reasoning, show an overall solid understanding of some key concepts, particularly when supported by direct and hands-on experiences. In both samples, understanding of geological topics appears heterogeneous, context-dependent, and influenced by school-based learning and media exposure.

These initial findings highlight the importance of developing educational and outreach strategies that take existing interpretative frames into account and promote integrated, experiential, and territorially contextualized activities. Data collection is ongoing and will be extended to additional contexts and methodological approaches, supporting the progressive refinement of outreach and educational actions within the PhD project.