Promoting Lifelong Professional Development in Geography Education: International Perspectives on Developing the Scholarship of Teaching in Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century*

Abstract

Whereas the global march towards the professional development of geography teachers in schools was, perhaps, the major achievement in geography education of the twentieth century, promoting the professional development of faculty teaching geography in higher education is one of the major challenges that faces us in geography education for the twenty-first century. What little educational development is currently provided for faculty teaching in universities is largely generic. There is a need for a disciplinary specific component in educational development, both for the initial training of faculty and for their continuing professional development. This article explores how the professional development of faculty is related to the international debate about developing the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education. It reviews some recent initiatives, particularly from the United States and the United Kingdom, and examines the role of national associations and international networks in supporting faculty teaching geography in higher education. Some of the challenges involved in professionalizing teaching geography in higher education are discussed. The article ends with some suggestions for promoting lifelong professional development in geography in higher education nationally and internationally. *I am very grateful to the Organizing Committee of the 29th International Geographical Congress for inviting me to present an earlier version of this article to the plenary session on Developing Geographical Educators for the 21st Century, 14–18 August 2000, Seoul, Korea. Brian Chalkley, Gordon Clark, Iain Hay, Alan Jenkins, John McKendrick, Jan Monk, and Ifan Shepherd provided some very helpful comments on a draft version of the paper, as did three anonymous referees.