Emotions as a Means of Alleviating the Lack of Diversity in the
Geosciences
- Viranga Perera,
- Katrien van der Hoeven Kraft,
- Jenefer Husman,
- Steven Semken,
- Chris Mead,
- Regupathi Angappan,
- Ankit Barik,
- Sabine Stanley,
- Shannon MacKenzie,
- Sanlyn Buxner
Shannon MacKenzie
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Author ProfileAbstract
While the geosciences is interdisciplinary in nature, as a field it is
not demographically diverse. Causes for this deficiency and proposed
solutions have been identified over several years, but diversity within
the field has scantily changed in the last several decades. Dominant
historical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors largely cause the lack
of diversity and proposed solutions have generally been symptomatic
treatments. Since those dominant factors will linger in the foreseeable
future, geoscience educators need an effective means to alleviate the
lack of diversity. Here we argue that considering students' emotions is
the vital means by which diversity may be improved. Specifically, this
can be done by helping students develop and maintain emotions that are
constructive to their learning. We begin this work by defining emotions,
considering their neuroscientific and psychological basis, and then
reviewing some of the extensive research in psychology, neuroscience,
and education that demonstrates their importance to learning. We then
discuss emotional ramifications of forces that result in students
disengaging from the geosciences. We end by making specific
recommendations for instructors, institutions, and the wider geosciences
community.