Understanding student motivations to attend and experience an optional geoscience field trip at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

This study aimed to use self-determination theory to examine the motivations of a sample of diverse undergraduate students attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution and the benefits they experienced on a field trip to southeastern New Mexico, USA, in the winter of 2023. We used a qualitative, single case study. The case comprised a field trip for undergraduate students—geology majors and non-majors. The field trip was a low-stakes opportunity for students interested in STEM and geoscience to experience fieldwork and explore new terrain at little to no cost to students. We recruited 17 undergraduate students attending the trip to participate in the study. We collected data <i>via</i> one-on-one online interviews prior to and after the field trip, and daily journaling during the trip. We used iterative cycles of coding to analyze the data as a team. We found that students had a mix of motivations to attend the field trip, including enjoyment, prior experiences, a desire to make new and deepen existing relationships, and an interest in learning more about geoscience and camping. We also found that their experiences mirrored their motivations—they benefited from the new knowledge about camping and geoscience, the new relationships they forged, and the enjoyment they derived from being outdoors with friends, looking at and for rocks. Our findings suggest that programs capitalize on students’ curiosity to motivate them to attend field trips, universities offer K-12 programming, and field trip organizers prepare students for the conditions they will encounter on field trips.

本研究旨在借助自我决定理论（Self-Determination Theory），探究就读于西班牙裔服务型高等院校（Hispanic-Serving Institution）的多元化本科生样本的参与动机，以及他们在2023年冬季美国新墨西哥州东南部实地考察行程中所获得的收益。本研究采用质性单一案例研究设计，案例主体为面向地质学专业与非专业本科生的实地考察活动。此次实地考察为对科学、技术、工程、数学（STEM）与地球科学（geoscience）领域感兴趣的学生提供了低门槛实践契机，使其能够亲历野外工作、探索全新地貌，且学生几乎无需承担任何费用。本研究共招募了17名参与本次考察的本科生作为研究对象。研究数据通过考察前后的一对一线上访谈与考察期间的每日日志记录完成采集。研究团队采用迭代编码循环的方式对采集到的数据开展分析。分析结果显示，学生参与本次考察的动机呈现多元化特征，涵盖追求愉悦体验的需求、过往经历驱动、建立与深化人际关系的意愿，以及对地球科学与露营相关知识的求知欲。同时，学生的实际体验与其参与动机高度契合：他们不仅获取了露营与地球科学相关的新知，还建立了全新的社交联结，并在与友人一同户外考察、观察与采集岩石的过程中获得了愉悦体验。本研究结果提出三点实践建议：相关项目可借助学生的好奇心激发其参与实地考察的积极性；高校可开设面向K-12阶段的相关科普课程；实地考察组织者需提前向学生说明行程中可能遇到的各类环境条件。