Environmental Resources Center: Increasing Effectiveness of Regional Earth Science Education

USGS / NSTA Earth Science Materials

Increasing Effectiveness of Regional Earth Science Education

Focus Group Study / USGS Water Posters -- Large Order Survey, Summer, 1999

The Focus Group Study summarizes recommendations from two national surveys and two focus groups. Both the surveys and the focus groups were designed to provide an assessment of the USGS water posters, other USGS earth science education materials, and future education resource needs. One national survey was sent to USGS State Representatives and the other to individuals who ordered 50 or more water posters at one time. Focus groups were organized to provide reactions from formal and non-formal education organizations in the Madison, Wisconsin area. Surveys and focus groups were conducted during the summer of 1999.

The results of the surveys and focus groups were summarized and analyzed separately, but they are reported together here to give a fuller sense of the quality and usefulness of current materials and the heartfelt need for new resources. While questions from the survey and focus group sessions were not identical and were not intended to be combined, results from the two projects are strikingly similar.

Survey results summarize comments from 65% of the USGS State Representatives and 67% of the groups which ordered 50 or more poster copies, at any one time.
Focus group participants provided comments based on education experiences with youth in the upper elementary or middle school age group (grades 4 - 8). Participants included 8 teachers in the formal educator group and 11 educators in the non-formal educator group.

Click here for a summary overview of the study and to download a copy of the findings of this USGS Focus Group study.