Teacher Earth Science Education Programme (TESEP)

TESEP 2022 Annual Report – extracts.

The 2022 annual report for Teacher Earth Science Education Program (TESEP) was released using statistics as of 18 February 2023. TESEP’s aim is to develop confident, well-informed, enthusiastic teachers of Earth and Environmental Science, with the multiplier effect of flow-on to tens of thousands of students over the years of most Science teachers working lifetimes. These Earth and Environmental Science-oriented students would have the potential to do tertiary studies and take up Australian positions in industry as professionals or technicians.

TESEP has an impressive track record having developed eleven professional development (PD) workshops covering a diverse range of earth science topics including the rock cycle, ore bodies and crustal geology, climate change, the hydrocarbon and coal stories, ground water, geothermal, nuclear and renewable energy, plate tectonics, critical minerals, 3D geological visualization and our place in space. New topic: Energy & the Energy Transition is being finalized for 2023 Term 2 webinars/PDs. TESEP relies upon the support of partners. A full list of programs, resources and partners is available on the TESEP website 

TESEP 15 years on, statistics to 18 February 2022

• Total PD workshops 227 (2804 teacher attendances)
• Fieldtrips/site visits 60 (793 teacher attendees)
• Webinars 76 (1934 teacher attendances mostly 2020-2022) Incl 995 in 2020, 618 in 2021 (lockdown years), 263 in 2022
• Incursions 82 (1986 students attended incursions in 2022, with face-to-face visits restarting from Oct 2021),
• Virtual Incursions 4
• Conference Talks (644 teacher attendees)
• RocksExpo school visits 5 in early 2021, increased to 57 school visits in 2022
• 54 school visit PD events in Qld (10), NSW (13), Vic (9), ACT (4) & SA (14) in 2022 
• X online webinar 1-hour, 6-part series (generally 2/term) Rocks & Minerals, Plate Tectonics, Our Place in Space, Fossils, Evolution & 5 Big Extinctions & Critical Minerals (36 webinars)
• 3 X short 1.5hr webinars Intro to Rocks & Fossils of Australia - have been run - with national participation.
• TESEP has influenced a Total of 2804 teachers/Labtech’s across the country & 1986 students (at school visits).

New Teaching Resources (as of Feb 2023)

• Critical Minerals PD & webinar series – Phil Gilmore (with additional material by Rob Kirk)
• Fossils, Evolution & Extinctions PD & webinar series (Rob Kirk & Malte Ebach)
• Our Place in Space PD & webinar series (rewritten Malte Ebach)
• Energy & the Energy Transition (written by Glen Nash, compilation of Energy PDs & updated Science)
• Volcanoes – South Grampians Fieldtrip (worksheets & fact sheets by Dr Stephen Carey)

Sponsors

There are a mix of geological society & industry partners: - AIG, MCA (Vic), South32, Yancoal, Evolution Mining, and the SA Dept. for Energy & Mining. Loss of significant long-term funding partners includes PESA, ASEG, AusIMM.

TESEP programs 2008- 2022