معرفی
Ann Bykerk-Kauffman is a faculty member in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at California State University, Chico, with over 17 years of teaching experience in geoscience education. She specializes in courses including Principles of Historical Geology (GEOS 003), Concepts in Earth and Space Sciences (GEOS 342) for elementary education majors, Structural Geology (GEOS 208), and Field Geology (GEOS 271).
Her research focuses on the affective domain in geoscience education, particularly addressing math anxiety as a barrier to geology majors, reconciling religious views with scientific concepts, and fostering community among geology students. She developed a successful Earth Science course for prospective elementary teachers over 11 years, improving both scientific understanding and student attitudes toward science.
Bykerk-Kauffman brings unique expertise from her background in Jungian psychology (including 8+ years of personal Jungian analysis) to understand unconscious influences on student behavior and learning. Her notable work includes "Teaching Evolution in an Introductory Geology Course" (2007), where she refined her approach to evolution education after initial student resistance, incorporating "scientific storytelling" principles to improve comprehension.
She actively engages with pedagogical challenges such as winning students over without compromising academic rigor and navigating the tension between religious beliefs and scientific content. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes attention to emotional and psychological factors to enhance educational effectiveness.
