Exploring Fieldwork Futures: Staff and Student experiences of GEES Fieldtrip provision before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper forms part of a wider project that evaluates pandemic fieldtrip experiences of both staff and students to consider the future of fieldtrip provision in undergraduate Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences programmes. The paper will draw upon initial findings from two online surveys, one conducted with UK-based staff on their experiences of designing and delivering undergraduate fieldtrips and a second completed by students and recent graduates who participated in fieldtrips prior to, and during the pandemic. Findings from pilot study interviews with students from diverse ethnic backgrounds will supplement this data to discuss the positive and negative experiences of a range of fieldwork provision. We hope to provide an insight into whether a ‘return to normal’ is the best approach to fieldwork or whether pandemic-enforced adaptations should remain as part of fieldwork in the future to help ensure provision is more inclusive and environmentally and socially sustainable.