Geography Curriculum Research Articles

Evaluation of Geography Curriculum in the Context of the 2023 Education Vision Document

Evaluation of Geography Curriculum in the Context of the 2023 Education Vision Document

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ВИВЧЕННЯ ГЕОГРАФІЇ АДМІНІСТРАТИВНОГО РАЙОНУ У ЗАКЛАДАХ ЗАГАЛЬНОЇ СЕРЕДНЬОЇ ОСВІТИ (НА ПРИКЛАДІ ЖИТОМИРСЬКОГО РАЙОНУ ЖИТОМИРСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ)

The purpose of the work. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology for using materials that describe the geography of administrative districts in general educational institutions (on the example of the Zhytomyr district of the Zhytomyr region). The method of work. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach to scientific research, which involves the interaction of several scientific areas: geographical and historical, landscape-constructive, socio-economic, environmental and statistical. At the same time, the dialectical method was used, which makes it possible to analyze and interpret scientific data. The method of synthesis of the available material made it possible to study it in the physical-geographical, socio-economic and methodological directions, thereby revealing the problem in a comprehensive manner. As a result, it is possible to deepen and expand students' knowledge of the nature, population and economy of the region, to make them more accurate and complete. Scientific novelty Local history materials can be used in school geography curricula and there are a number of relevant lessons. Local folklore materials are the best visual aids for studying the curriculum in geography, their use allows you to consolidate the cognitive activity of students and develop a commitment to their native land. The use of local history materials is especially important when studying topics in physical geography, since they can show complex natural patterns, relationships and interdependencies between the components of the natural complex. This paper proposes a new research method and approach that takes into account the geographical features of the administrative districts of the Zhytomyr region. Practical meaning. The author of the study suggested using innovative teaching methods in teaching geography in secondary schools and studying local history. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the material and results can be used for further development of didactic means of using local history material in geography lessons in educational institutions, for students to comprehend the physical-geographical and socio-economic features of the territory of the Zhytomyr region, for the further development of theory and methodology Teaching Geography in General Educational Institutions.

Secondary school / gymnasium geography curriculum update: from passive to active geography

The article presents the methodological approaches that are the basis for updating the geography curriculum of Lithuanian secondary schools/upper secondary (grades 11-12) and gymnasiums (grades III-IV). The aim is to answer the question: how to substantiate and systematically link the trends of geography science and development of didactics, based on the international and Lithuanian educational documents defining today’s geographical education? Lithuanian educational and international (charters, declarations) documents are analyzed, which define the modern trends of curriculum renewal and geographical education. The historical development and perspective of geography and its didactics (school geography) are compared. The scatter of areas of educational achievements and competences in individual levels of the comprehensive school is shown. Keywords: geography, didactics of geography, concepts of geographical knowledge, spaces, educational competencies and achievements.

The Place of Health Geography Course in Geography Curriculum

The Place of Health Geography Course in Geography Curriculum

Use of web-based GIS applications in geography teaching-the implications from Türkiye

Geography, as a discipline which examines the earth, aims to increase analytical thinking skills by instilling spatial thinking (ST) skills in students. The youth who enrich a sense of space with these talents will effectively solve the spatial problems they encountered. In the modern world, where spatial issues are frequently being faced with, ST is extremely important for analyzing and interpreting data. Geographical information systems (GIS) appear as a method commonly used to process data and transform it into spatial information. In this context, despite the renewal of the secondary education (SE) geography curriculum in T?rkiye, with the components required for the use of GIS at the SE level, prevented the use of GIS in SE from reaching the desired level. Developments in technologies have also caused significant changes in the field of GIS with the power of cloud technologies and, the work done in the personal computer environment has been moved to the internet environment. Web GIS applications, which can be used via a web browser, are much easier to use than desktop software and can reach many users from any device with the internet. Within the scope of the study, a sample application was designed to use web GIS tools in geography teaching. With the application, it is possible to assess the students? achievements in the geography lessons regarding verbal and spatial data. Thus, it was aimed to ensure the active participation of the students in the geography lessons, develop their ST ability, and perception of space.

Utilization of Modern Methods of Teaching Geography Curriculum in Iraq

Geography teaching is fulfilled within the frame of a specific curriculum and in order to achieve some acquirements in Iraq. Though there are course books prepared in accordance with the curriculum and activities in order to achieve the acquirements in geography teaching, they are geography teachers who will coordinate and fulfill the curriculum and achieve the terminal behavior defined as education. A qualitative method has been used in order to examine the teachers' effectiveness in geography teaching. In three different types of high school, 19 geography teachers were interviewed using a semi structured interview form prepared by the researchers. During the interview, the researchers asked the teachers some questions about their teaching methods, teaching techniques and materials used, skills provided, classroom management, and developments made through in-service training. The data acquired were evaluated through content analysis and some categories were formed. According to the findings, it is seen that the geography teachers are effective in education and training. According to the results obtained from the research, it is determined that the geography teachers use the materials, methods and techniques in accordance with the curriculum. In addition, it is seen that they participate in the in-service training in order to develop and maintain the effective teaching.

Geography curriculum fidelity in map-skills development: Examining teachers’ personal concepts, lesson objectives, and observed lessons

Quality education requires teachers to approach the curriculum systematically. Systematicity in education can be viewed from different perspectives. One of these is fidelity across the different levels of the curriculum: planned, implemented, and acquired. The basic premise is that what has been planned should be implemented and mastered. Therefore, transitions between different levels of the curriculum should not trigger unintentional changes in objectives, contents, and so forth. Thus, this study aims to examine curriculum fidelity and systematicity, specifically, the links between the planned and the implemented curriculum, in one specific segment of geography education: map skills. To this end, a combination of observations and recordings of model lessons and interviews was used to research 20 lower secondary school teachers and their lessons. The results suggest little systematicity in the development of map skills, that is, only weak fidelity between the planned and implemented curriculum. Particularly, a fundamental problem was observed in setting the learning objectives of a concrete lesson.

The possibilities of implementing the ideas of sustainable development in the content of school geography

The article analyzes the possibilities of implementing the ideas of sustainable development in school geography. A review of the literature conducted through keywords shows that there are problems in introducing the ideas of sustainable development into school geography curricula, which is due to the different status of the geography subject in different countries and the predominance of some sustainable development goals over others. In particular, the school geography is dominated by the environmental component of the sustainable development goals, it is expressed mainly in the form of suggestions on how to behave in nature, etc. The results of the analysis of the content of the school geography curriculum in Kazakhstan are presented. In addition, within the framework of the geography course at the school, an attempt was made to identify the main ways to implement the ideas of sustainable development.

Ideological and Political Elements Exploration in the Course of “Physical Geography”

“Physical Geography” is a course to study human beings and the environment, revealing the basic characteristics, formation mechanism and development laws of various physical geography elements, with rich ideological and political elements and high moral value, and is an important course to cultivate geographical professional interests and enhance national pride. By fully sorting out the ideological and political resources contained in the curriculum, deeply excavating the ideological and political elements, and reasonably designing the integration, this paper analyzed the dimensions of ideological and political education in the physical geography curriculum. Taking professional knowledge as the main line, the educational elements in five aspects were refined, namely, philosophical thinking, power of a big country, patriotism, strict science, and aesthetic education. This paper established the ideological and political element system of the curriculum, and achieved the moral education of the professional curriculum moisturizing and silent effect.

학교 도시지리교육과정의 민주시민성 담론에 대한 비판적 분석

오늘날 도시는 시민성 함양을 위한 인식의 대상이자 시민성의 구체적 실천 공간으로 주목받고 있다. 한국 정부는 2022 개정 지리교육과정에서 ‘도시의 미래 탐구’ 교과를 신설하는 등 도시지리교육을 통해 바람직한 민주시민성 함양을 도모하고 있다. 본 연구는 학교 도시지리교육이 어떠한 민주시민성 함양 담론과 연결되어 있는지, 그렇다면 보다 나은 학교 도시지리교육의 방향성은 무엇인지를 탐색하는데 목표를 둔다. 비판적 민주시민성 및 포스트 식민주의 지리를 이론적 틀로 설정하여, 본 연구는 2015 지리교육과정 도시지리 영역에 대해 비판적으로 분석한다. 연구 결과, 현행 지리교육과정은 인식론적 장치인 ‘선형적 개발’, ‘양분적 경계’, ‘차별적 위계’, ‘선별적 기억’ 및 이들 간 상보적 결합을 통해 근대적 도시 세계 상상 및 탈정치화된 민주시민성과 긴밀하게 연결될 수 있음을 보여준다. 본 연구는 이러한 결합을 넘는 민주시민교육을 위해 ‘학교 지리교육의 탈식민지화’를 주장하고, 이를 위한 구체적인 전략을 ‘지리교육과정 지식’, ‘교수법’ 및 ‘인적 네트워크’ 측면에서 제안한다.

Attitudes of Teachers and Students towards the Possibilities of GIS Implementation in Secondary Schools in Croatia

The geographic information system (GIS) is, at the global level, recognized as one of the best ICTs for implementation in the subject of geography. The application of GIS in the Republic of Croatia (RH) lags behind developed countries. The main objective of this research was to examine the attitudes of secondary school students and geography teachers regarding the introduction of GIS in the educational system process. In the period from 3 October 2021 to 27 January 2022, a survey questionnaire was conducted in 30 secondary schools in the RH on a sample of 611 students and 96 teachers. The results have showed that both teachers and students have a positive attitude toward the introduction of GIS for the purpose of teaching geography. More than 80% of teachers believe that GIS is not sufficiently represented in the high school and geography curricula which is recognized as one of the most important factors which limit GIS implementation. A majority (77%) of teachers are not using GIS on any teaching level, which is not surprising since both surveyed teachers and students have poor knowledge of GIS, although teachers rated their knowledge a little higher. Teachers perceive students’ interest in GIS exactly as students express it; predominantly indifferent. The most important factors limiting the implementation of GIS are recognized as: a lack of necessary GIS software and licenses; not knowing how to use GIS; and an insufficient number of teaching units dedicated to GIS in the geography curricula. An equal percentage of both teachers and students believe that there are prerequisites for GIS implementation in their schools. One of the basic prerequisites for GIS implementation is that education authorities need to “see” GIS as an important part of geography and include it more in school curricula. In almost all countries where GIS has been implemented in schools, difficulties in its implementation have been documented.

Powerful pedagogies for the school geography curriculum

Michael Young’s concept of “powerful knowledge” has received widespread attention from many in geographical education. I use the claims Young has made about powerful knowledge as a starting point for considering how pedagogic practices could contribute to making geographical education powerful. I present three sets of pedagogic practices: connecting everyday knowledge with school knowledge; practising geography and debating and discussing geography. Each set of each practices is illustrated with examples of activities all of which involve the active engagement of students and the interactive support of teachers. I outline ways in which the three pedagogic practices are powerful and suggest the kinds of classroom culture that supports them.

The relationship between the teaching experience of South African geography teachers and their involvement in self-directed professional development activities

This study explores the relationship between teaching experience of geography teachers and their involvement in self-directed professional development (SDPD) activities to enhance their geography knowledge, skills and attitudes, understanding and development in the geography curriculum areas, as well as teaching and learning practices. A non-experimental survey design was employed in the study. Grade 10 to 12 geography teachers (n = 130) from the Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Bojanala Platinum districts in the North West province in South Africa with different amounts of teaching experience in geography education who attended the scheduled geography meeting with their respective subject advisors, completed a questionnaire on SDPD activities in geography education, developed by the researcher. The analysis of the results did not establish any relationship between geography teachers’ teaching experience and their involvement in SDPD activities. In this study the practical significance was calculated to indicate whether the difference between the geography teachers with different teaching experiences and their involvement in SDPD activities is large enough to have an effect in practice. Medium to small practically significant differences between early-, mid- and late-career geography teachers’ involvement in reading articles and books, watching videos, consulting role-players and experimentation were reported. Interestingly, medium practically significant differences were reported between mid-career and late-career geography teachers in conducting self-directed research in geomorphology, development geography and geographical information systems.

The geography GCSE curriculum in England: a white curriculum of deceit

ABSTRACT The Black Lives Matter movement has increased attention paid to whiteness and education. This paper contributes to this attention by investigating epistemologies of Geography and their enactment in two ‘multicultural’ schools. Through textual analysis, lesson observations and interviews with GCSE Geography students and teachers, I inquire into the discourses of whiteness in the Geography GCSE topic of ‘Global Development’. Analysis showed three main technologies at work: ‘Dividing the World’, ‘”Race”, Whiteness and Colour-blindness’ and ‘Performativity’. The geography curriculum promoted an ‘us’ and ‘them’/’white’ and ‘Black’ narrative, with which students and teachers complied to achieve target grades. Students’ in-school and out-of-school narratives conflicted. Teachers avoided or deflected the latter by prioritising their ‘professional responsibilities’ to teach white knowledge. The findings deepen understanding of the constituent elements of whiteness in education more generally and in Geography specifically. I conclude by offering hope for the future.

Negotiating applied and critical perspectives within the geography curriculum

Negotiating applied and critical perspectives within the geography curriculum

The role of social enterprise in student employability: the case of SIDshare, a co-curricular student led social enterprise

ABSTRACT Within Geography, as in other disciplines, the neoliberalisation of Higher Education has led to an increasing curriculum focus on graduate attributes with student employability as an outcome. The multiple and competing discourses of employability that shape pedagogies can at times ignore social enterprise and enterprising skills that are too often neglected within geography curricula. In this contribution we draw on our experience working with SIDshare, a co-curricula student run social enterprise operating as an NGO (non-governmental organisation), to show how enterprising skills nurtured through student communities of practice have enhanced employability. Drawing on a series of semi-structured interviews undertaken with graduates who previously participated in SIDshare we analyse how their engagement contributed to graduate employment outcomes. SIDshare had increased not only the development of enterprising skills and entrepreneurialism but also encouraged the development of transferable, so-called “softer skills”. These included strong interpersonal skills, team skills and good working relationships as well as professionalism developed through participation in an extracurricular student community of practice alongside engagement with external partners. Effectual and causal reasoning skills were developed further encouraging entrepreneurialism. Graduate interviewees clearly demonstrated that their career success had been aided by their involvement in the co-curricular student led social enterprise, SIDshare.

Challenges facing in Organizing Modern Geography Textbooks using Dewey Decimal Classification System: An Analytical Study

The Dewey Decimal Classification System is the basic standard used to organize the information resources collected in libraries. This classification method organizes the universal knowledge using Hindu-Arabic numerals from 000 to 999. In this regard, there are some problems in organizing Geography textbooks.Especially today; the Geography curriculum found in the University curriculum has expanded and developed into anInterdisciplinary Science filed that incorporates various other disciplines. However, the Geography textbooks cannot be organized into a single volume within the given numerical codes 910 and 913-919, which was refered by the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Modern Geography textbooks are not organized in a number construction like Philosophy, Religion and Art. For example, the branches of Human Geography include Political Geography; Cultural Geography and Economic Geography, which have to be organized under the main category of Social Science (300). Similarly, the main branches of Physical Geography are Topography, Geomorphology and Meteorology, Climate Geography, Atmosphere and Rocks, and Oceanography have to be organized under the main category of Science (500). The primary purpose of this study is to identify the Geographical textbooks scattered in different places and propose strategies that will make it easier for the reader to meet their needs. For this research, descriptive methods were used. This study recommends that the library shall develeop and maintain an ‘Athority File of Subject Headings’to organize the Geography Textbooks. Particulalrly this research concludes that organizing Geography textbooks under the Class code 550 will be a solution to bring the Geography textbook under one umbrella for the readers rather than organizing the Geography textbooks under the DDC’s given main category (910).

How Does the Geography Curriculum Contribute to Education for Sustainable Development? Lessons from China and the USA

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) must play an important part in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and, while it may be advanced through harnessing the unique advantages of the geography curriculum, connections between the geography curriculum and sustainable development competencies have not yet been systematically investigated in China and America. In order to explore the value of geography education in promoting learner competencies in sustainable development, we conducted a detailed analysis of China’s geography curriculum standards and American geography curriculum standards, and explored the potential contribution of the geography curriculum to ESD. Learning objectives in China’s geography curriculum standards for middle school (98 items) and high school (141 items), and American geography curriculum standards for middle school (80 items) and high school (85 items) were analyzed using content analysis supported by WordStat 8.0. Our findings suggest that geography education plays an important role in cultivating learners’ cognition and ability regarding sustainable development, although there remains much room for improvement in cultivating learner attitudes and values towards ESD.

Training of environmental skills for 12th grade students, with application in the local horizon of the Nistru river on the Anenii Noi district sector

The article reflects methodological and practical aspects of training environmental / ecological skills of students in the 12th grade of LT ,,Olimp”, Puhăceni village, Anenii Noi district. The content refers to the normative requirements of the national curriculum in Geography, highlighted as specific competencies. These competencies are developed not only by studying the content of the textbook for the 12th grade and school atlases as teaching materials, but also by studying some legislative acts, an example being Law no. 440 of 27.04.1995, regarding the areas and strips for the protection of river waters and water basins. The consolidation of environmental / ecological competence was achieved through research in the local horizon in the protected area of ​​the Dniester River, through visual analysis and assessment of environmental components in relation to the articles of law studied. The students participated in several activities related to the sanitation and arrangement of the researched territory, in informing and raising the awareness of local public authorities and the community members regarding the most obvious forms of negative impact on the environment.

TEACHING GEOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL-NATURAL THEMES IN THE EARLY YEARS IN THE CURRICULUM OF TERESINA

School Geography can substantially contribute to the formation of critical citizens who are aware of the socio-spatial processes that occur in the lived reality. In the context of teaching Geography, physical-natural themes constitute an important approach to student education. However, in order to be meaningful, they must be related to the experience of the students. In this context, this work proposes a discussion about the way physical-natural themes are approached in the Geography Curriculum of Teresina-PI. Thus, the question is: does the way in which physical-natural themes are addressed in the Geography Curriculum of Teresina contribute to the critical formation of students? As a guide to answer this question, a main objective was traced: to evaluate how the physical-natural themes are being approached in the teaching of Geography in the initial years, in the perspective of the Teresina Curriculum, with a view to the critical formation of the students. As for the methodology, the work is based on the assumptions of the qualitative approach, in which bibliographic research was adopted, supported by references such as: Alves and Queiroz (2019), Callai (2005), Cavalcanti (2013), Lopes (2014), Morais (2011), among others. For the documentary research, the analysis of Teresina's Geography Curriculum was carried out, focusing on physical-natural themes in the 1st and 2nd cycle of Elementary School. As a result, it was possible to notice that the skills presented in the Geography Curriculum of Teresina present a proposal to approach the physical-natural themes articulated with the actions of the human being on space, at the same time that it relates these themes to the lived reality of the students, that is, to Teresina space. Thus, it can be considered that the Geography Curriculum of Teresina for the early years presents a good proposal for the study of physical-natural themes, with a view to the critical formation of students.