what was studied
This case study investigated conceptions of the geosciences held by a university geology instructor and five first year undergraduates students in geography before and after an academic year of instruction. Specifically, the researcher was interested in students' perceptions of the sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and geography) and where geosciences were conceptually located within this broader field. All participants has previous academic experience with the disciplines listed.

how effectiveness was measured
Repertory grids were used to elicit the personal constructs of both the professor and the students. Principal component analysis was used to determine the constructs with the highest epistemological value for the geosciences (i.e., those that played the most central role in students' perception and interpretation of the discipline).

what the findings were
Five main categories emerged, as shown in the table to the right. Constructs related to "objects, areas, and techniques of investigation" and "the nature of science" were far more central than constructs within the other three categories, and showed an increased use and centrality from pretest to posttest. The stereotypical antithesis between physics and the geosciences emerged: physics (and chemistry and mathematics, to some extent) was generally seen as objective and rigorous while the geosciences were seen as subjective and approximate. Moreover, some students believed the geosciences have a marginal influence on societal progress, both before and after instruction. As predicted, the instructor's constructs did not vary substantially.