Highlighting altruism in geoscience careers aligns with diverse US student ideals better than emphasizing working outdoors

A common approach to attract students in the United States to the geosciences is to emphasize outdoor experiences in the natural world. However, it is unclear how successful this strategy is. Specifically, the geosciences have been less successful than other sciences at recruiting a diverse workforce that reflects different perspectives and life experiences. This study presents a survey of students enrolled in College Algebra at a Hispanic-serving institution in the southwestern United States. The results indicate that students prioritize altruistic factors, such as helping people or the environment, over outdoor work. Female respondents rated these factors higher than male respondents. The study argues that better informing students about the altruistic potential of geoscience careers would be an effective strategy to broaden recruitment.

Samantha C. Carter, Elizabeth M. Griffith, Theresa A. Jorgensen, Karin G. Coifman, W. Ashley Griffith