Geosciences in upper secondary school: from a multidisciplinary approach to interdisciplinarity

Geosciences are essential for understanding planetary change and for educating informed citizens, yet within the Natural Sciences curriculum of Italian upper secondary schools they are often marginalised compared to Biology and Chemistry. This thesis examines this issue through an integrated approach that combines quantitative and qualitative investigation, didactic design, and a diachronic analysis of school textbooks. The exploratory survey conducted through online questionnaires, together with the descriptive analysis of the collected data, provides an overview of the current state of Geoscience teaching within Natural/Integrated Sciences and Civic Education, as well as information on teachers’ educational backgrounds and their interest in adopting an interdisciplinary approach. The design and experimentation of teaching pathways aim to assess whether an interdisciplinary approach integrating Geosciences, Chemistry, and Biology can enhance the dissemination and quality of Geoscience education in secondary schools. The critical analysis of curricula and textbooks contributes to clarifying the conceptual framework through which Earth Sciences are presented to students and teachers. The overall objective is to construct an integrated perspective that not only describes the current situation but also encourages reflection on the role of Geosciences, so that they may achieve a level of relevance comparable to other Natural Science disciplines within Italian secondary education.