Education Teacher Professional Learning

Last updated:13 March 2024

Geoscience Australia knows that helping teachers to better understand and teach the Earth sciences will lead to better experiences for budding science and geography students. Throughout the year Geoscience Australia hosts Earth science related programs and events for teachers. These initiatives focus on the skills and knowledge needed to teach geoscience topics within the Australian National Curriculum, with particular attention to engaging girls in STEM.

Teachers investigating the depth of earthquakes during a professional learning session.

Teaching Secondary Earth Science

Plate tectonics misconceptions Part 1

This session of "Can I Fall Down the Cracks?" focuses on common misconceptions that are encountered when teaching plate tectonics.

Plate tectonics misconceptions Part 2

This session of "Can I Fall Down the Cracks?" focuses on common misconceptions that are encountered when teaching about hazards associated with plate tectonics.

Teaching Primary Earth Science

The accompanying PowerPoint presentations from the sessions are available on our website.

Earth Science professional learning session

This session focuses on teaching 'Earth's surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity'. The presenters introduce slow changes to the surface and show hands-on investigations of weathering and erosion processes.

Earth Science professional learning session

This session focuses on teaching 'sudden geological changes and extreme weather events that can affect Earth's surface'. Geohazards (earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis) are the main topics considered and the presenters show hands-on demonstrations and inquiry activities to support student understanding.

All our videos are available on our YouTube channel.

TESEP

The Teacher Earth Science Education Programme (TESEP) runs professional learning sessions across the country. For further information about programmes in your state visit https://tesep.org.au.

In Western Australia similar sessions are available from Earth Science Western Australia (ESWA). Australian Earth Science Education is the national entity to ESWA and also runs professional learning sessions, particularly for senior secondary.