Geography Curriculum Research Articles

COĞRAFİYA FƏNNİNİN TƏDRİSİNDƏ ÖYRƏNMƏ MÜHİTİNİN YARADILMASI ÜÇÜN B. BLÜM TAKSANOMİYASININ TƏTBİQ EDİLMƏSİ

The aim of the study is to examine the achievements of the 9th grade Geography curriculum based on the revised cognitive stages of Blum's taxonomy. Grade 9 is a class level where students take a geography course for the first time, so it is important to analyze the achievements of this class. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. Although there are achievements in the curriculum that correspond to the stages of application, analysis, and evaluation, it is found that there is no success that represents the stage of creation. Studies show that gains are insufficient in terms of high-level cognitive processes and are not evenly distributed among the dimensions. Based on the results of the research, recommendations were given to experts, researchers and textbook authors on curriculum development. Key words: Geography, subject teaching, Blum Taxonomy, learning environment, taxonomy, education, teaching

Cross‐national comparisons of inquiry learning in secondary geography curricula

AbstractInternationally, there is a clear turn towards inquiry as a core approach to learning secondary school geography. This research critically compares how inquiry learning is expressed and justified in six jurisdictions (Australia, China, England, Hong Kong, Singapore, USA). Through content analysis of national curriculum documents, we found that most of the jurisdictions have placed inquiry prominently in their curriculum. Despite national variations, inquiry is justified as a desirable pedagogy to develop conceptual understanding, build disciplinary knowledge and enable students to assess knowledge claims. An inquiry‐rich curriculum in school geography promises to recalibrate the balance between how existing knowledge of geography is valued and taught and how the skills of geographical inquiry can be integrated to expand students’ experiences of building knowledge. This research addresses a research gap on powerful pedagogies like inquiry in the intended curriculum. We argue that pedagogy needs to be examined in tandem with knowledge in curriculum analyses because enabling students to access knowledge and developing their capacities to inquire are intricately linked. We further argue that ideas about knowledge and pedagogy in curriculum are context‐dependent, necessitating an understanding of jurisdictional influences on curriculum.

GEOGRAPHY AND IDENTITY: AN ANALYSIS OF GEOGRAPHY CURRICULA IN TURKEY

Although there are differences in identity construction depending on countries and periods, some courses have come to the fore in the education system in each per i od. In Turkey, the education system in general, and history, geography, citizenship and social studies courses, in particular, have instrumental importance in the construction of identity. When the literature is examined, it can be observed that there are many studies on history, social studies and citizenship lessons for identity construction. However, there is a limited number of studies on identity construction for the geography curricula. The main purpose of this research was to examine the secondary education geography curricula in Turkey in terms of identity and citizenship construction. The study was planned and carried out as a qualitative case study. Case studies often describe the exploration of a bounded system. In this research, the sample was limited to the 2005 and 2018 geography course curricula, and a detailed description was made by using “content analysis” based on the research purpose. As a result of the research, it was determined in both curricula that the national identity theme had the most expressions, and national identity was aimed to be built by presenting details about the geography of the homeland. In addition to national identity, it was determined that there were also contents related to social identity, ecological identity, universal identity, and a limited number of digital identity and religious identity themes.

Teaching “wicked” problems in geography

Wicked problems form the most significant challenges to society and science. The current and next generation of researchers, educators, planners and policy-makers require the inter- and trans-disciplinary understanding and skills to address these issues. Higher Education has a role and responsibility to lead research (Dentoni & Bitzer, 2015) into and also teach wicked problems (Wilson, 2009). Young people are increasingly aware of and proactively taking action on issues such as climate change, single use plastics and pollution. This demonstrates the need for module and programme designers to consider how to integrate and embed teaching of wicked problems and affiliated aspects such as environmental management, social justice, and global citizenship, into Geography curricula. There is also the need to develop the knowledge, understanding and higher-level transferable and problem-solving skills of undergraduates to equip them to deal with the challenges of researching and communicating wicked problems, whether through actively changing workplace practices, influencing policy-makers or training the next generation of teachers. Geography can be viewed as a key facilitating subject which has an important role in equipping students and researchers with the skills to confront problems and to work towards solutions (Kate et al., 2019).

Investigating the Use and Challenges of Field Work Towards Teaching and Learning of Geography in Selected Schools in the Wa Municipality

The study was undertaken to examine the contributions of field work towards the teaching and learning of Geography in selected Senior High Schools in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The sample population was students and 3 Geography teachers. Both structured questionnaires and interview guides were the instruments used to collect the data for the study. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data was organized into themes. Findings from the study revealed that the extent to which field work was used by Geography teachers is not frequent though it was affirmed by students and teachers that field work is vital in the teaching and learning of geography. Further, it was recognized that challenges such as lack of financial resources, inadequate time, lack of support from school management and parents and lack of logistics and material resources such as vehicles to convey students to the field in most instances deprived teachers from organizing field work as a method of teaching and learning. The study recommended the following; the Ghana Education Service should organize workshops and seminars to equip teachers in the organization of workshops, availability of videos of field sites that are in line with the geography curriculum for senior high schools, teachers should also explore more on the field work opportunities within their immediate school and community environment and all educational stakeholders should assist in the organization of field work to enhance effective teaching and learning of geography in senior high schools. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-22-03 Publication date: August 31 st 2021

Nimble at work: equipping students with first-order and second-order thinking

ABSTRACT Geography lecturers face increasing teaching challenges from the state, institution, department, and students to better equip undergraduates for their subsequent careers. I argue that the primary objective in geography curriculum should be exposing undergraduates to a mixture of both applied and theoretical perspectives, which, among other benefits such as acquiring and developing their disciplinary knowledge, would allow them to best transfer their skills and knowledge to the workplace. The former is crucial for students as they need to embark the workplace in broadly knowing how to approach matters realistically in applied measures (second-order thinking), whilst the latter will prove useful in enabling them to frame issues in a wider manner (first-order thinking). Using a research proposal project as an example in a field studies module offered by a geography department in a Singaporean university conducted in Thailand, I reflect on this engagement via the consultation and guidance and grading their assignment. Whilst field-based modules arguably offer better first-hand experience for students, I conclude by suggesting how we could take this combination of applied and critical geographies for students to experience back in the classroom.

Building quantitative literacy in critical human geography curriculum

ABSTRACT This paper argues for increased attention to quantitative literacy in undergraduate critical human geography curriculum. The rationale is twofold: On the one hand, it is increasingly easy to integrate quantitative material into curriculum, given the widespread availability of open-source or low-cost platforms for interpreting data. On the other hand, it is increasingly important to develop quantitative literacy informed by critical theory in a political era of anti-science rhetoric and resurgent propaganda. The paper reviews recent scholarship on quantitative methods in critical human geography, highlighting a shift toward methodological pluralism in both research and pedagogy. This creates opportunities for enhancing human geography curriculum, for instance, by applying technical skills while thinking critically about the social construction of data. This is explored with a case study on quantitative exercises in introductory Human Geography curriculum at a public university in the United States, evaluating strategies for integrating critical spatial theory with quantitative data analysis, and tools for assessing the educational value added by their integration.

ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated the availability and adequacy of Geography instructional resources in senior secondary schools in Osun State. It also examined the instructional strategies being employed by Geography teachers in teaching and learning in the classroom. Furthermore, the study assessed the quality of teachers in terms of qualification, content knowledge and years of experience in the state. These were with the view to providing information on the implementation of the Geography Curriculum in Senior Secondary Schools in Osun State. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The population consisted of all Geography teachers in senior secondary schools in Osun State. Eighty (80) Geography teachers constituted the sample for the study. Two instruments were used for data collection. These are the Instructional Resources and Strategies Observation Checklist (IRSOC) and Teaching Personnel Questionnaire (TPQ). Data collected were analyzed using frequency count and percentages. The results showed that instructional resources were not readily available for use. Globe (73.33%), Topographical map (83.33%), Atlas (93.33%), and Geography textbooks (100%) were resources that are available while Chart of Weather Symbols (60%), Globe (72.72%), Geography Textbooks (76.67%), Topographical maps (80%) and Wall maps (100%) were adequate in schools the resources were available. However, the instructional strategy employed by Geography teachers were peer tutoring (3.33%), group activity strategy (6.67%), inquiry (30%), demonstration strategy (36.67%) and expository strategy (100%). On the quality of Geography teachers in the state, the study showed that 57.50% studied Geography as a course while 6.25%, 10%, 11.25% and 15% studied Sociology, Urban and Regional Planning, Demography and Statistics and Geology, respectively. The study concluded that instructional resources, as well as instructional strategies employed by Geography teachers in Senior Secondary Schools in Osun State, were inadequate.

Toward a new energy paradigm in geography: revisiting the curriculum and teaching practices

Aim. The aim of the article is to investigate how energy topics are presented in the geography curriculum in Lithuania and how school geography becomes an educational response to the current global challenges related to energy production and consumption.
 Methods. The article presents research using several methods: review of literature on energy geography and energy literacy, analysis of Lithuanian national curriculum for geography, content analysis of 14 geography textbooks for forms 6–12, expert interview with 9 geography teachers.
 Results. The empirical research reveals that the national curriculum and textbooks still represent the old energy paradigm with a profound focus on fossil fuel and nuclear energy resources. Meanwhile, the new energy paradigm is realised in the teaching of experienced and qualified teachers who, in addition to the new green energy economy, emphasise environmental and social issues of energy use.
 Conclusions. The conclusions include observations on necessary changes in teaching energy geography: on the one hand, by revising the formal curriculum and textbooks and integrating concepts of energy literature and new energy developments; on the other hand, by initiating changes in primary and continuous teacher education. Professional development of teachers could include new energy topics, new teaching and learning sources (political debates in media, TV, strategic energy development documents), new teaching and learning strategies and methods.

Developments in Academic Geography and Its Relationship with Geographical Education – The Case of Southeast Asia.

For over 30 years, the Southeast Asian Geography Association (SEAGA) has provided a dynamic platform for the exchange of knowledge, research findings, and ideas among academics, policymakers, and educators from Southeast Asia and those working on Southeast Asia. Using Marsden’s (1989) notion of the politicization of geography by significant power groups, this article describes a critical narrative of the key trends, themes, and topics defining scholarly discourse in the community of SEAGA and its potential impact on school geography in the region. For each of the three decades (1990-1999, 2000-2009, and 2010-2019), the authors analyzed significant themes and issues for each period. Employing purposive sampling of conference proceedings and topics presented between 1990 and 2017, the authors found the following trends over the years: i) the pluralization and diversification of themes and topics; ii) an increasing interest for cross-thematic studies, and iii) a greater emphasis on sustainability and environmental issues in recent years. Based on these observations, the authors acknowledge that the evolution of discourses in SEAGA conferences is also a part of broader thematic shifts in international publications such as the Journal of Geography and has a direct bearing on changes in the geography curriculum in schools in other places around the world. In addition, there is a natural confluence of academic geographers and geography educators in the region in discoursing topics that matter to Southeast Asia.250 words maximum.

The Evaluation of Senior High School Geography Curriculum using Countenance’s Model and A Responsive Approach

This study aims to evaluate the Geography curriculum for senior high school using Countenance’s model and responsive approach. This study is qualitative research and it used the interview and document study for data collecting. The interview was done by interviewing 15 Geography teachers of senior high school in the West Java Province. The interview also has been done by interviewing the leader of Association of Indonesian Geography and the Coordinator of Facilitation and Curriculum Evaluation from the Center of Curriculum of Ministry of Education and Culture. Document study has been done by studying the document of 2018 Revision from 2013 Curriculum. The data of the research has been analyzed using interactive analysis from Miles and Huberman. The results shows: (1) 75% interviewees said that the design of Geography curriculum should be reviewed; (2) 87% interviewees said that having Geography in the specialization social subject is less precise;(3) 63% interviewees said that distribution of basic competency and material of Geography for class X-XII should be reorganized;(4) Need improvement in Geography learning, so it would encourage critical and analytical thinking, also the student’s geocapabilities. The recommendations are: (1) The team of curriculum development should consider the suggestions about the change of Geography curriculum; (2) MGMP Geography in the regencies or provinces should arrange any programs to increase the competencies of Geography teachers which is collaborated with the other stakeholders; (3) Formulating the draft of new curriculum should consider any suggestions so Geography would be given the realistic contribution in lives.

A fenntartható fejlődés megjelenése Magyarország és Anglia földrajztanterveiben

The emerging global problems of our world have led to the development of the concept of sustainable development. Sustainable development today no longer deals only with the effects of human activities on the environment, but also, more broadly, with issues of social equality and responsibility. Sustainable development issues are integrated into the teaching and learning process through the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiative. The subject of geography can be a pioneer in the implementation of sustainable development and sustainability topics in schools. The study aims to examine the role of geography in teaching sustainable development in Hungary and England. It examines the emergence of the Sustainable Development Goals, launched by the United Nations in 2015, in the geography curricula. It also analyzes the appearance of the components of skill development and attitude formation related to the topic. The study was performed using the MAXQDA 2020 software.

글로벌 사회의 객관적 인식을 위한 초등 지리교육과정의 보완적 구성 방안 연구

오늘날 사회는 세계화, 정보화가 가져온 빠른 사회변화에 맞춰 글로벌 사회에 대한 지식의 업데이트를 요구하며, 고정관념과 편견 그리고 발전 이전의 부정적 시각으로 사회를 바라보는 데서 오는 사회적 문제를 극복하고 긍정적 시각을 갖고 발전적인 측면에서 시민성을 요구한다. 특히, 글로벌 사회를 이해하는 데 핵심 역할을 갖고 있는 지리교육에서 이에 대한 관심과 교육적 실행은 시급한 과제라고 할 수 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 이러한 시민성 교육의 방법으로 객관적 인식력을 키워주는 교육에 주목하였고 이를 위한 지리교육과정의 보완적 구성 방안을 제안하는 데 목적을 두었다. 연구 결과로서 네 가지의 지리교육과정의 보완적 구성 방안을 제시하였다. 첫째는 정보탐색 방법의 다양화와 활성화이다. 둘째, 사회 변화와 현재의 사회상을 반영한 내용 구성이다. 셋째, 지역의 범주화 방식에 대한 재고 및 논의이다. 넷째, 비판적 사고력 함양을 위한 탐구과제의 적용이다.

Map Literacy Skill in Social Sciences Curriculum of Turkey: The Gap between Theory and Practice

The aim of this study was to analyze the attainments in the 2018 Social Studies course curriculum according to the learning areas according to the map literacy skills, which are attainment one of the skills of the same program, and the applicability of the program in this respect was examined. The research sought answers to the following questions: 1. How is the distribution of attainments related to map literacy skills in the 2018 Social Studies course curriculum by class levels and learning areas? 2. What is the level attainments associated with map literacy in the 2018 Social Studies course curriculum related to the lower dimensions of map skills in the high school geography curriculum? 3. What is the applicability level of map literacy skills related to the 2018 Social Studies course curriculum in terms of student-centered activities? Looking at the results of the study, it was found that at the fourth-grade level, there was an improvement in the global connections learning area at the same grade level, where four skills were included with map writing in the learning area of people and places and environments. At the fifth-grade level, it was found that there were two attainments linked to map literacy in the learning area of people places and environments, while there was one attainment in the learning area of global connections. According to the results of the research, it was found that at the sixth-grade level, there were four achievements in the field of learning People, Places and environments, one achievement in the field of learning production, distribution and consumption, and three achievements related to map literacy skills in the field of Learning Global Connections. Finally, at the seventh-grade level, it was found that there were two achievements related to map literacy skills in the field of learning People Places and environments. When social studies textbooks were examined, it was observed that map literacy skills and application activities were at a limited level. Social studies course learning areas the level of applicability in terms of map literacy skills is quite high. The recommendations to be developed on this issue are to teach both teachers and students Geographic Information Systems, where students can find application areas, support map literacy skills.

The Development of Values Education in the Turkish High School Geography Curriculum

In addition to providing knowledge and skills to individuals in the educational process, it is also aimed to attainment value and attitude. In this context, today, values are included in the curriculum of many countries around the world as a curriculum component. The aim of this research is to examine the geography course curriculum (GCC) applied in Turkey from the Republic to the present day with the dimension of values education. In this study, which is a qualitative research, descriptive content analysis method was used. All GCC’s applied from 1924 to the present day constitute the universe of research. Since the entire research universe has been reached, no sample selection has been made. All GCC’s that make up the research universe have been subjected to descriptive analysis.According to the results of the analysis, the research findings were presented in three periods: 1924-1971, 1971-2005 and 2005 2021. Accordingly, the GCC’s applied between 1924 and 1971 do not include any content related to values education, while the GCC’s applied between 1971-2005 included values implicitly in the general teaching purposes, and in the period 2005-2021, a curriculum element of values was included in the GCC. With the 2017 GCC, values were relationship with attainment, unit and class level for the first time. As a result, in the last half century, GCC’s have shown slow but continuous development in terms of values education, but there are some problems inpractice.

COĞRAFİYA KURİKULUMUNDA LİTOSFER MÖVZUSUNDA AZƏRBAYCAN COĞRAFİYASININ YERİ

As we know, in the traditional teaching, the geography of Azerbaijan was taught in the VII grade. Physical geography of the Republic of Azerbaijan was taught in the first half of the eighth grade, and in the second half economic and social geography of the Republic of Azerbaijan was taught. In the curriculum geography it completely differs. In the active training, the geography of Azerbaijan is given both in the form of a free topic and in the all other topics.In this article was given an analysis of the lithosphere in Azerbaijan geography by grades and topics. Keywords: mud volcano, breccia, salza, denudation, accumulation, endogenous, exogenous, bedland

Content analysis of the K to 12 Junior High School Geography curriculum in the Philippines

This study is a content analysis of the K to 12 Junior High School Geography curriculum of the Department of Education in the Philippines. The First Quarter competencies of Grade 7–10 were categorized and coded to determine the orientation of the curriculum in terms of curricular approaches. Then, themes from evidence of curricular approaches were used to align approaches with sub-disciplines and allied disciplines of geography. Findings show that Grade 7 and 8 have traditional orientation due to the domination of anthropocentric, factual, and determinist approaches into the curriculum. Grade 9 and 10, on the other hand, have contemporary orientation as these are dominated by the issues-based approach. This means that students have low-level thinking skills and have probably developed negative attitudes toward human, physical, and environmental geography in Grade 7 and 8. Students are then ill-prepared to appreciate complex concepts in political ecology when they proceed to Grade 9 and 10. This implies the need to have a stand-alone geography subject in the Junior High School that employs an issues-based approach, which emphasizes concepts and processes in political ecology. This is to provide students with extensive knowledge and critical understanding on the dynamics of human–environment relations.

Disaster Risk Reduction Education in School Geography Curriculum: Review and Outlook from a Perspective of China

In order to investigate the content evolution of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the school geography curriculum in China, this research used the five dimensions of DRR learning framework, namely knowledge, response, action, participation, and integration, as a platform and a conceptual premise upon which to review the primary and secondary school geography curriculum standards from 1986 to the present. Geography as a carrier subject had been an integration approach of DRR in the national curriculum in China. Using the method of qualitative content analysis with the support of the software NVivo 12, we came to the following results: the DRR-relevant content in the geography curriculum standards that used for analysis in this research had undergone constant changes and finally reached a relatively stable state; the changes of DRR-relevant contents in primary school, middle school, and high school curriculum presented different characteristics. In the future geography curriculum reform, it is necessary to realize that the term disaster does not describe the natural event per se, but instead its impact on/consequences for infrastructure and society. It is bound to add more DRR-relevant content that belongs to the “action” dimension and the ‘participation’ dimension, especially at the primary and middle school stages, and to systematically incorporate the DRR-relevant content of the “integration” dimension into the school geography curriculum.

An Analysis on Change in World Geography Contents According to the Change in the Geography Curriculum in Primary Social Studies

An Analysis on Change in World Geography Contents According to the Change in the Geography Curriculum in Primary Social Studies

2.15 or Not 2.15? An Historical‐Analytical Inquiry into the Nearest‐Neighbor Statistic

Nearest‐neighbor analysis (NNA)—a method for assessing the degree to which a spatial point pattern departs from randomness in the direction of being either clustered or regular—was imported into academic geography from an article published in 1954 by ecologists Clark and Evans. In its simplest form, concerned with distances to the first nearest neighbor, NNA hinged on the behavior of the “nearest‐neighbour statistic,” Rn, supposed to vary between 0 (complete clustering) and 2.15 (complete regularity). NNA and the wider body of work on point pattern analysis quickly gained in sophistication, meaning that this simple test statistic only featured briefly in the frontline research literature of geographical analysis. Nonetheless, given its easy‐to‐grasp logic, it became and remains a staple of quantitative geography textbooks for undergraduate students and statistical methods training in school‐level geography curricula. The purpose of this paper is to chart the history of NNA and its test statistic in academic geography, and to provide an analytical demonstration that the value of 2.15 has been mistakenly identified as an upper limit for the latter. Broader speculations are then offered about what may be learned from the history of how the discipline has handled this statistic.