New Perspectives in Science Education

The teaching of geology in secondary schools has evolved over time, prompting researchers to explore novel approaches and revamp existing ones to enhance teaching methodologies. Fieldwork has become a progressively employed strategy for integrated learning in Geosciences [1] and is called promoting learning and collaborative work [2]. This strategy is traditionally seen as an outdoor activity [3,4,5], a valuable enhancement to traditional indoor teaching and learning methods. This strategy instils a passion for continuous learning by immersing individuals in natural environments, cultural experiences, and societal interactions [6]. Currently, greatly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual field trips have begun to occupy a prominent place in education [7,8]. In geological education,

some studies have underscored the contribution of virtual field trips as an alternative to outdoor teaching [9]. Virtual field trips offer a means to surmount travel limitations, enabling the exploration of distant locations, foreign subjects, and learning opportunities [10]. While they may not provide direct contact with nature and the geological study object in a real-world environment, they facilitate the development of digital skills and constructing knowledge. In this study, a teacher-in-training developed a field trip to the UNESCO Geopark Arouca intending to nurture active, critical, and digital

competencies essential for 21st-century employment. The study followed an evaluation research methodology using mixed methods and was applied to 11th-grade students. The convenience sample was two classes, one with the experimental group (n=12 – 4 boys and 8 girls with an average age of

16) and the other with the control group (n=17– 7 boys and 10 girls with an average age of 15.7). The research involved a quasi-experimental study with test-retest in the experimental and control groups and a snapshot application in the experimental group. The teacher in training developed a virtual field trip with Google Earth and applied it during her training. Results were analysed resorting to IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 28, and qualitative data content analysis was done with the snapshot reports. The research findings led the team to conclude that, while both groups exhibited

improvements in knowledge development, only the experimental class demonstrated the acquisition of digital skills. In contrast to traditional outdoor activities, virtual field trips failed to foster collaborative competencies or facilitate contact with nature and its associated benefits. However, they did enable students to virtually "travel" to distant places they couldn't physically visit.