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Abstract. This study examines current accessible field-based instructional strategies across geoscience departments in the United States that support students with visual, hearing, and mobility disabilities. A qualitative questionnaire was administered to geoscience instructors from over 160 US geology departments. Outcomes from the data analysis were used to categorize accessible instructional practices into three distinct pedagogical methods: modifications, accommodations, and options for accessible instructional design. Utilizing the lens of critical disability theory, we then investigated how the identified teaching practices varied in inclusion, as some strategies can often be more exclusionary towards individual students with disabilities. Although from a US perspective, the outcomes of this study offer practical suggestions for providing accessible and inclusive field experiences that may inform a global geoscience instructional context.

Many traditionally-designed geoscience courses and field-experiences are unintentionally presenting barriers to active participation for students with disabilities (SWDs). As such, these barriers are potentially contributing to the under-representation of persons with disabilities in the geoscience discipline. Although geoscience organizations are calling for more inclusive approaches to geoscience education, departments have been left to independently develop inclusive curricula with little insight or pedagogical training. In order to encourage geoscience departments to implement inclusive instruction, we must first understand current practices on promoting accessible field experiences. This document reports the findings from a study on the conceptions that geoscience instructors and U.S. geology departments have regarding field-based accessibility. This study collected survey data from 160 two-year and four-year geology departments and follow-up interview data from three geoscience instructors from different institutions. Data collected included information on departmental practices when attempting to provide adequate field experiences for SWDs, department confidence in assessing field site accessibility, and the culture of access and inclusion in their own geoscience department. Reported practices were thematically analyzed according to:(1) modifications, (2) accommodations, (3) adaptations, and (4) accessible options. Interview data revealed instructor insight on accessible instructor practice, strategies for student success, the challenges associated with accessible instruction, and department-wide inclusivity. This study promotes inclusive field-based instruction through critical insights on current departmental practices.

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