3-5 Hope in the Haze: A Qualitative Study of Undergraduate Experiences of Constructive Hope and Critical Science Literacy Through Acid Rain Community Science Data Talks (CSDTs)

Session: Advancements in undergraduate education: connecting classrooms to research and careers in sustainable geology

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Community Science Data Talks (CSDTs) are structured, place-based, data-informed learning activities in which students collaboratively analyze real-world datasets to examine geoscience phenomena in their local context. This qualitative study investigated the use of CSDTs within an undergraduate geology course to explore how engagement with geoscience data supports students’ cognitive understanding, emotional engagement, and development of constructive hope (i.e., combination of informed agency, actionable motivation, and recognition of real-world constraints in addressing local Earth system challenges). Student engagement was examined through one key CSDT on Acid Rain, implemented during a 5-week module, using pre-, mid-, and post-interviews as data sources. Analysis of two representative student cases revealed distinct yet complementary learning pathways. One student demonstrated a relational and affectively driven trajectory grounded in place, personal meaning, and community concern, while the other followed a more analytic and cognitively oriented pathway emphasizing evidence-based reasoning and disciplinary sensemaking. Despite these differences, both students translated engagement with geoscience data into applied learning outcomes, including strengthened place-based understanding, emerging civic responsibility, and orientation toward community-informed action. These findings highlight how CSDTs, when implemented in undergraduate geoscience education, can activate and integrate cognitive, affective, and action-oriented dimensions of learning, supporting critical science literacy while fostering constructive hope and agency rather than disengagement. Implications include guidance for adapting broadly applicable data-centered pedagogies to geoscience curricula in ways that connect undergraduate learning to local communities, sustainability challenges, and pathways for sustainable geoscience practice.

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