Developing pre-service teachers' preparedness for inquiry with digital mapping tools in geography

Spatial thinking refers to basic skills in geography teaching, which enables students to understand spatial relationships, analyze geographical information, and develop a holistic understanding of the world. Teacher dispositions play a critical role in helping students acquire these skills. Despite their importance, our knowledge about teachers' dispositions to teach spatial thinking is quite limited. This research aimed to examine the effect of preservice geography teachers’ spatial self-efficacy and spatial anxiety on their dispositions to teach spatial thinking. It was conducted using a descriptive survey research design. The sample consisted of 585 students studying geography at state universities in Türkiye. The data were collected using the Spatial Ability Self-Report Scale, the Teaching Spatial Thinking through Geography Disposition Inventory, and the Spatial Anxiety Scale. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling. The analysis results yielded a significant positive correlation between spatial self-efficacy and dispositions to teach spatial thinking. As preservice teachers’ spatial self-efficacy increased, their dispositions to teach spatial thinking also increased. There was also a negative correlation between spatial anxiety and dispositions to teach spatial thinking. When preservice teachers’ spatial anxiety increased, their dispositions to teach spatial topics decreased. These results showed that spatial self-efficacy and spatial anxiety play an important role in preservice geography teachers' dispositions to teach spatial thinking. Accordingly, training programs and experimental work aimed at increasing spatial self-efficacy and reducing spatial anxiety would help improve preservice teachers’ dispositions to teach spatial thinking.

In problem-based learning (PBL), collaboration and productive interactions among group members are not spontaneous processes. One way to support students in PBL is to integrate self- and peer assessment to assess group members’ contribution to solving the problem. The purpose of this case study was to determine the perceptions of Bachelor of Education preservice geography teachers of their own as well as their fellow group members’ contribution in a geography PBL activity. The study used a quantitative research method based on assessment rubric application where geography preservice teachers were asked to provide an assessment on their own and fellow group members’ contribution, which included leadership, collaboration, initiative, attitude, effort, research, communication and a written report as well as individual tasks. The results indicated that effort, attitude and collaboration received the highest scores in self-assessment as well as peer assessment. Interestingly, the preservice geography teachers gave higher scores for their contribution to themselves, in comparison to peer assessment. No real gender differences in the self- and peer assessment of male and female preservice teachers’ contribution occurred in this study. The female preservice geography teachers received higher scores for most of the criteria in both self- and peer assessment compared to the male participants.

Students should be the primary beneficiaries of teachers' TPACK proficiency. This study aimed to investigate the proficiency of pre-service geography teachers in Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) through the lens of student perceptions. TPACK, a framework that integrates technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge, is crucial for effective teaching in the digital age. By understanding students' perceptions, this research sought to identify areas where pre-service teachers excel and where they might need further development. The respondents of this research were public high school (Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri/SMAN) students from Langsa City, Aceh Province. The number of respondents involved was 184 students. They came from SMAN 2 Langsa, SMAN 4 Langsa, and SMAN 5 Langsa where the pre-service teacher was placed during their teaching practice. The research method used is quantitative descriptive based on a questionnaire which aims to measure TPACK proficiency in pre-service geography teachers according to student perception. The results of the study showed that pre-service teachers' TPACK proficiency was very good based on the respondents' perspectives, especially in the aspects of pedagogy and geography content knowledge. However, technological knowledge has results at the good level, which is lower than the other two aspects. Based on these results, the recommendation offered is that the technological capabilities of pre-service geography teachers should to be improved to provide a better learning experience for students.

ABSTRACTThis study draws upon a Foucauldian notion of discourse to explore how four pre-service geography teachers in Singapore made decisions about what geography is and how to enact their understandings of geography in their classrooms. This analysis of discursive power is particularly relevant to Singapore because of the high level of state control over geography and teacher education. The particular ways in which teacher education is organised in this context also exert a number of conflicting discursive pressures that pre-service teachers have to reconcile in their subject conceptions and practice. Drawing upon data gathered from concept maps, photo-elicitation exercises, interviews and analyses of teachers' lesson plans and school curricular documents, the study highlights the dominance of discourses at the state and school levels in the Singapore geography education context. However, it also notes the ways through which participants “resisted” discourse, underscoring the importance of pre-service teachers' professional identities and beliefs about geography education in sustaining their practice through difficult times.

Developing young people’s understanding of geography concepts requires teachers who have detailed, structured, interconnected, and accurate conceptual knowledge and understanding. Accordingly, this study focuses on pre-service geography teachers’ understanding of the exemplar concept of contours on maps and discusses its implications for teacher training programmes. Data collected using a two-tier conceptual test and a questionnaire in a sample of 127 pre-service geography teachers indicated that pre-service teachers should not be perceived as a homogenous group with identical conceptual understandings and educational needs. The results highlighted the necessity to differentiate between pre-service teachers not only based on their conceptual understanding but also on the non-cognitive dimensions of concepts. Four types of pre-service teachers were identified based on success and certainty rates: successful-certain (SC), successful-uncertain (SU), failing-uncertain (FU) and failing-certain (FC). Both SU and FU types were characterised by low confidence in their related skills and a negative relationship to the concept of contours. The non-cognitive dimension manifested in opposite ways in SC and FC types. The specific educational approach required by each type is discussed, and implications for further research are presented.

The status of geography as a separate school subject in Czechia is being increasingly questioned as pupils’ interest in it is declining. Pre-service teachers (i.e. teacher trainees at universities) are key players in recontextualizing geography education in the future. Therefore, understanding pre-service teachers’ conceptions of geography and its teaching are crucial. This article reports on the results of a survey of Czech secondary pre-service teachers’ conceptions regarding geography and its teaching. Our contribution to the literature extends existing knowledge by using a latent class analysis providing deep insight into the conceptions of geography and its teaching. The survey was conducted among a group of 114 secondary pre-service geography teachers studying at five universities in Czechia. A classification of conceptions of geography and its teaching developed by Simon Catling served as an analytical framework. The findings indicate that a majority of Czech pre-service geography teachers had a descriptive, information-oriented, and non-relational conception of geography and its teaching. The research results showed two homogenous groups of pre-service geography teachers: knowledge-oriented essentialists and learner-centred progressivists. This paper concludes by suggesting implications for pre-service geography teacher education.

Despite the proliferation of research on teacher education, pre-service teachers’ pedagogical preparedness to teach their minor subjects has received little attention in the literature. Therefore, this study assessed Ghanaian pre-service geography teachers’ pedagogical competence in their minor subjects, including political science, economics, social studies, and history. Pedagogical competence was conceptualised using three constructs adapted from the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework: pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and technological pedagogical knowledge. Through a survey, a total of 182 pre-service geography teachers participated in the study. The empirical data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation. A one-way MANOVA test was conducted to explore the differences in the pre-service teachers’ pedagogical competencies based on minor subject classifications. The results showed that the pre-service geography teachers had relatively higher pedagogical knowledge in their minor subject than pedagogical content and technological pedagogical knowledge. Minor subject classifications significantly affected pedagogical knowledge, with higher scores reported among the economics minor group. The implications of the findings for teacher education curricula, in addition to the need for pre-service teachers to read pedagogy-related courses in their minor subjects, are discussed.

Problem-solving skills are often considered to be the key skills in today’s world, and their importance in geography education is widely recognized. However, empirical evidence analyzing whether and how teachers develop problem-solving skills during geography lessons is especially scarce in the context of preservice teachers. Accordingly, we conducted a questionnaire survey with 256 respondents. The survey analyzed preservice teachers’ experience with problem-solving skills and different teaching styles in their pre-college (upper secondary) geography education. The results show that preservice geography teachers prevailingly perceive that they were not exposed to problem-solving skills even passively, let alone actively developing them. The insufficient development is in line with the prevalence of teacher-centered styles. The article concludes with a discussion of possible causes and recommendations for improvement.

The pre-service training of competent geography teachers requires searching for effective teaching methods to increase their professional competence. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of interactive teaching methods for teaching geography during the pre-service teacher training. The ideas of transactional analysis and interactionism underlay the interactive teacher training of 260 students from Kazakh universities. The survey revealed interactive teaching methods positively influence the readiness of pre-service teachers to enhance their professional competence. This research confirms the importance of using interactive teaching methods to promote students’ engagement and cooperation during the pre-service teacher training. Keywords: pre-service teacher training; professional competence; pre-service geography teacher; interactive teaching methods; methods for teaching geography;

The position of geography in Czechia at all levels of education has been declining. In order to improve this situation, it is necessary to innovate university pre-service teachers’ training. It is necessary, however, to first examine Czech pre-service geography teachers’ perspectives of geography as a discipline – and their perspectives of geography teaching. The analytical framework of the study is based on Simon Catling’s typology of geography perspectives. The survey was conducted with 183 pre-service geography teachers at nine geography departments in eight Czech universities. In the questionnaire survey the respondents ranked seven statements belonging to the perspectives of geography as a discipline and to geography teaching. In general, the most commonly held perspectives of geography as a discipline were “Interactionist”, “Earthist”, and “Globalist”. The “Globalist” perspective predominantly concerns perspectives of geography teaching. Research findings are used to formulate recommendations for the remedy of the image of geography.

Pre-service Geography teachers must be able to implement and develop technology in learning activities to effectively adapt to evolving educational demands, particularly in the context of the New Normal where e-learning has become integral to teaching and learning processes. TPACK (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge) as a basic competency of pre-service Geography teachers in implementing e-learning in the New Normal era. Furthermore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the TPACK competencies of pre-service Geography teachers at the Universitas Negeri Malang and find a clear correlation between the TPACK constructions on pre-service Geography teachers. Then, this study uses a qualitative quantitative approach with a descriptive method with primary and secondary data collection. The population of this study were undergraduate students of the Geography Education Class of 2018 at Universitas Negeri Malang, while the sampling using the slovin method was 109 participants. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the TPACK model, as it enables the analysis of complex relationships among the seven interrelated constructs within the framework. As a result, pre-service geography teachers have good TPACK competencies. The findings show that pre-service geography teachers are quite superior in the use of technology for learning (TPK). The focus of Content Knowledge (CK) that is being asked by pre-service geography teachers is in the scope of Anthroposphere. Meanwhile, the correlation between the TPACK constructs shows that each TPACK-forming factor has a varied correlation value. This revision clearly communicates the uneven distribution of competencies and highlights the need for targeted professional development, making the implications of the findings more explicit and actionable.

The professional competencies pre-service geography teachers acquire in university influence their contribution to education for sustainable development (ESD) in their future school careers. We assessed pre-service geography teachers’ (n = 100) competencies and attitudes towards the official, German ESD orientation framework to determine the specific need for higher education action. The results are a high competence assessment and even higher importance assigned to the ESD-related professional competencies. In the context of ESD, pre-service teachers are most confident in their content knowledge and social and personal competencies and least confident in their pedagogical knowledge. The cross-sectional analysis shows the perceived competence level rising with the semester number and a strong positive influence of the school practice module.

Master’s degree-level graduates in Subject Teaching (Geography) (hereinafter referred to as STG) in Chinese normal universities form a valuable pool of pre-service secondary school geography teachers. These graduates provide a comprehensive picture of the quality, focus and outcomes of current geography teacher training programs. However, there is a relative dearth of research appertaining to their research capabilities and the quality of their educational development. To address this gap, the present study adopts bibliometric and comparative analysis to shed light on the overall trends and specific characteristics of STG master’s theses from 2016 to 2022. The findings indicate that universities with divergent levels of subject assessment prioritize different research emphases, leading to variations in the depth of investigation into new teaching materials and the level of alignment with frontline geography teaching. Furthermore, in comparison with cutting-edge international and domestic research, the master’s theses of STG students are characterized by microscopic scale and insufficient depth. A three-pronged collaborative framework has therefore been advocated with the aim of enhancing the quality of STG graduates as pre-service geography teachers. This comprises close interactions among on-campus and off-campus tutors and learners, a partnership between universities and secondary schools, and inter-university cooperation.

This research tracked the confidence of 16 undergraduate and postgraduate pre-service geography teachers as they completed a single semester, senior phase geography curriculum course. The study focused specifically on the pre-service teachers' confidence in geographical subject matter knowledge and their confidence in teaching geographical skills. Data were gathered from participants through two surveys (one at the start of the semester and one at the end of the semester), interviews following video-taped micro-lessons in which participants taught a geographical skill to the class, and focus group discussions. Undergraduate students were more likely to have completed a larger number of geography discipline courses than the postgraduate students – a consequence of the program structure and selection process into the program. Results indicate that undergraduate students were also more likely to report higher levels of confidence in geographical subject matter knowledge and teaching geographical skills. Participation in microteaching activities appears to have had a positive effect on most participants' level of confidence in teaching geographical skills. These results have implications for geography curriculum courses taught in initial teacher education programs, particularly shorter graduate entry programs.

The earthquake and tsunami experienced in Aceh created the importance of disaster preparedness. Efforts to improve disaster literacy, including knowledge of its effects, should be conducted. The aims of this study are 1) knowing the level of student’s disaster preparedness knowledge, 2) obtaining gender differences in disaster preparedness knowledge, 3) knowing the difference in academic level on disaster preparedness knowledge, 4) knowing the effect of interaction between gender and academic level on disaster preparedness knowledge. This research involved Geography pre-service teachers on STKIP Al-Washliyah. The results were quantitative data obtained from a disaster preparedness knowledge test, and data collection used multiple-choice tests. A knowledge test instrument was created and validated for data validity and reliability using a wondershare quiz generator. Data were analyzed using an index to decide the extent of knowledge on disaster preparedness. The ANCOVA approach was evaluated to examine the relationship between gender and educational degree. The results indicate that 1) the score for knowledge of disaster preparedness is 49.11, which indicates that knowledge is still in the low category, 2) there is a difference in knowledge of disaster preparedness between male and female pre-service geography teachers with a significant value of 0.004 (<0.05), 3) there is a difference in knowledge of pre-service geography teacher with different academic levels and significance value of 0.000 (<0.05), 4) when viewed from the interaction between gender and academic level, no significant relationship was found on knowledge of disaster preparedness with a score of 0.185 (p> 0.05). According to the findings, it is crucial to increase disaster preparedness knowledge in basic and advanced courses of geography education study programs. Therefore, pre-service geography teachers have good knowledge and skills in disaster preparedness. One of the steps to increase knowledge is providing teaching materials and disaster simulation programs.
 Keywords : Disaster preparedness knowledge; Pre-service teacher; Gender; Academic levels
 
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