The Effects of Geographic Affiliation on Students' Perceptions, Awareness, and Responses to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill greatly affected the Gulf Coast, and the news media reported information to wide audiences. Students enrolled in an online Environmental Geoscience course in fall 2010 voluntarily participated in a Gulf oil spill survey. More than 92% of the students (N = 77; 83 total enrollment), who were primarily in-service teachers, participated. The 24-question survey probed students' demographics, current geographic locations, affinity with the Gulf, oil spill knowledge, and emotions resulting from the incident. We sought to determine whether students with Gulf Coast geographic affinity (one aspect of Gulf sense of place) would have stronger reactions, have greater knowledge, and exhibit more behavioral changes than their noncoast peers. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed students with a geographic association with the Gulf Coast had stronger interest and emotional responses than did noncoast students. However, students with a Gulf affiliation did not score statistically higher on their knowledge of the spill, exhibit significantly different behavioral changes, or have stronger plans to incorporate the spill within their K-12 classrooms. Student age had no significant effect on any category. We concluded that current events that tap into students' affiliations and senses of place may offer affective portals through which instruction can be optimized, but more research is needed to elucidate media effects and competing variables.