Abstract:

Although climate change, natural hazards, and environmental sustainability are central to current global challenges, Earth science topics remain underrepresented in school curricula and are increasingly less chosen by students. At the same time, careers related to geoscience, environmental monitoring, and risk reduction are expanding, highlighting a gap between educational content and societal needs. This contribution offers practical strategies to strengthen Earth science education through teacher professional development and international collaboration, with a focus on the Geoscience Education Field Officer (GEFO) program of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

The approach relies on inquiry-based and experiential learning methods, utilizing short, hands-on workshop formats designed for direct classroom use. Workshops cover topics such as earthquakes, climate processes, natural hazards, and environmental monitoring, incorporating simple experiments, observation-based activities, and low-cost instruments. Each activity is designed to be easily implemented with minimal resources and adaptable across subjects.

A primary goal of the program is to help teachers apply these activities in their own classrooms. After workshops, teachers incorporate concepts through practical exercises such as simulating seismic wave propagation, analyzing real or simplified environmental data, or using basic sensors to explore local conditions. Activities are tailored to students’ age levels and aligned with existing curriculum standards.

Workshops also offer access to open educational resources, lesson examples, and opportunities for teachers to participate in international events and collaborative projects. This creates an ongoing learning pathway that extends beyond initial training. Results show that teachers can incorporate Earth science topics more confidently and in a more integrated manner by using practical activities that link scientific ideas to real-world phenomena. At the same time, access to international networks helps keep content relevant and supports alignment with current scientific developments, while allowing adaptation to national curricula.

In summary, integrating teacher networks, practical resources, and ongoing support can improve classroom delivery of Earth science topics, leading to increased student engagement and a better understanding of science-related careers.

Keywords:

Teacher Professional Development, Earth Science Education, International Teacher Networks, Open Educational Resources, STEM Curriculum Integration.