Priorities for Pan-American Geography Education: Needs and Trends

Abstract

Geography education research in Latin America is uneven in terms of its thematic focus and country-level contributions. Research demonstrates the necessity for a region-wide prioritization of geography education themes that builds on existing scholarship and adapts to emerging needs and trends. The Pan-American Institute for Geography and History, a scholarly society, established a research team with a four-year charge of advancing geography education in the region. Titled “Geographic Literacy for the Countries of the Americas”, the initiative develops research agendas that encompass the diversity of definitions and criteria, scholarly activities, and curricular resources across countries. The purpose of this study is to follow the process of identifying geography education research priorities involving scholars representing most countries in the region; describe the priorities and activities identified by project team members; and discuss emerging long-term research agendas. The study uses a descriptive research design to describe the process in general and to specify the outcomes. Results show the prioritization of the four areas as follows: teaching geography online, teaching geography face-to-face, methodological foundations of geographic education, and connecting geography and education stakeholders. Activities and research agendas within these categories include both traditional, longstanding themes and emerging themes related to recent global crises and technological innovations.