School Geography Research Articles

An Examination of the Effects of Social Media on Students’ Academic Performance in Geography in Senior Secondary Schools in Bade Local Government Area, Yobe State, Nigeria

This study examines parental attitudes towards girl-child education in Bade Local Government Area, Yobe State, focusing on the barriers to western education. A survey research design was employed, with a target population of 50,000 parents across the Bade Local Government Area. From this population, 200 parents were randomly selected to participate in the study. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which was subsequently analyzed using frequency tables and percentage distributions. The results indicate that a significant portion of parents in Bade maintain negative attitudes towards girl-child education. Key factors contributing to this unfavorable outlook include high illiteracy rates, widespread poverty, and the expectation for girl-children to engage in household and agricultural labor. These barriers significantly hinder the enrollment of girls in educational institutions. Based on these findings, the study advocates for targeted mass media campaigns aimed at raising awareness among illiterate parents regarding the benefits of girl-child education for both societal and economic development. Furthermore, it calls for the implementation of free education initiatives for girls, extending from primary school through tertiary levels, to promote greater access to education and empower future generations.

Integrating disaster literacy in high school geography: Designing and testing a flood assessment tool

Indonesia's high vulnerability to flood disasters has significant social and educational impacts, especially on secondary school students. This research addresses the need for an effective flood disaster literacy tool by developing a credible and validated test instrument designed for high school geography education. Using the ADDIE model, this research involved the stages of review, creation, implementation, testing, and assessment. The study involved a sample of 30 students from SMA Negeri 1 Beber, Cirebon Regency, who were assessed for their understanding through a specially designed flood disaster literacy test. The results showed a mix of correct and incorrect answers, with notable variations in students' understanding. The test instrument showed high validity and reliability, with a KR-21 coefficient of 0.963, confirming its robustness. Despite a few invalid items, the instrument effectively evaluated key aspects of flood disaster literacy, including knowledge, attitudes and practical skills. The findings highlight strengths and areas for improvement in students' understanding, emphasising the need for targeted educational strategies. This research contributes to improving geography education by integrating disaster literacy and offers a foundation for future curriculum development.

Reflecting on the powers, possibilities and constraints of geography curricula in England, Finland and Sweden

ABSTRACT National curriculum statements found within the Official Recontextualising Field (ORF) provide an insight into how geography as a school subject is conceptualized in a country’s education system. National curricula can shape teachers’ agency in curriculum making and what, how and where children and young people study and learn geography. This paper engages with the lower secondary national geography curriculum for England, Finland and Sweden. We examine the structure and nature of the national geography curricula in each country, before drawing on the threefold arrangement of geographical knowledge as a tool for the analysis of the curricula. Our analysis found that deep and descriptive world knowledge forms the largest proportion of all three national curricula documents, and we argue that this can lead to a potentially limited conceptualization of geographical knowledge and representation of geography. We also suggest that the threefold arrangement could more actively engage with political dimensions when considering futures, and that there should be greater attention paid to the histories and geographies of the discipline (geography) in school geography.

ФОРМУВАННЯ КЛЮЧОВОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ «ПІДПРИЄМЛИВІСТЬ ТА ФІНАНСОВА ГРАМОТНІСТЬ» В ОСВІТНЬОМУ ПРОЦЕСІ З ГЕОГРАФІЇ

The article is devoted to the problem of forming the key competence “entrepreneurship and financial literacy” by means of the school geography course in basic school. The authors analyze the sequence of implementation of this key competence in the educational process and the transformation of the category wording in domestic legislative and regulatory documents. The importance of the theoretical discourse on the content of the concept of “entrepreneurial competence” and the consideration of studies of the phenomenon in the social, psychological, pedagogical and content aspects is emphasized. The authors substantiate that in order to form entrepreneurial competence and financial literacy, it is important to clarify the peculiarities of the structure of this competence and determine the characteristics of the structural components. Based on the achievements of domestic and foreign scholars, the author's vision of the structure of entrepreneurship and financial literacy competence is proposed; the motivational, personal, cognitive and activity components are distinguished. In view of the problem under study, the characteristics of each structural component in the context of the content of the school geography course are proposed. The article analyzes the potential of the content of geography curricula/model programs in basic school as a theoretical basis for the formation of the key competence “entrepreneurship and financial literacy”. Particular attention is paid to the courses of economic and social geography in the 9th grade. Emphasis is placed on the importance of ensuring the integration of geography and economics content in the educational process to promote understanding of economic processes, forming students' readiness for entrepreneurship, developing critical thinking, responsibility and initiative. The authors draw attention to the changes in the methodology of competency-based teaching of geography and the importance of introducing methods that will help motivate students to succeed, willingness to act at risk, the ability to solve actual problems using practical tasks and situations, the ability to build interpersonal relationships, and responsibility for the implementation of a common cause.

Evolving into curriculum makers: the pivotal role of geography teachers as “boundary teachers”

This study explores how collaborative action research (CAR) can enhance high school geography teachers’ curriculum making capabilities and strengthen their status as “boundary workers.” The research team consisted of a graduate student pre-service geography teacher, a university theoretical mentor, and a high school practical mentor. The study lasted four months and employed a mixed-methods approach, utilizing four rounds of CAR to continuously reflect on and evaluate the effectiveness of boundary work-based high school geography curriculum making and its impact on enhancing pre-service teachers’ curriculum competency. Each CAR round focused on different aspects of curriculum making, such as designing problem situations, strengthening teacher-student interactions, creating localized curricula, and using interdisciplinary themes. The four CAR rounds collectively formed a “boundary work-based geography curriculum making model.” The research findings indicate that through sustained practice of this model, geography teachers, especially those pursuing graduate degrees, can effectively improve their curriculum leadership and become competent “boundary teachers.”

Research on the Cultivation of Education for National Identity in High School Geography

National identity is an important national conscience and plays a key spiritual role in maintaining national unity, stability and promoting the healthy and rapid development of the country. As an essential driver of education, the discipline must assume a major responsibility for national identity education. This study integrates national identity education into high school geography teaching, combines the latest geography teaching theory system with literature research method, text analysis method to analyze the components and specific content of national identity in high school geography teaching, and establishes a new teaching model. Simultaneously, the theme of “maritime rights and interests and ocean development strategy” was selected for teaching experiment, and the impact of the teaching mode proposed in this paper on the students’ learning efficiency in geography is investigated by questionnaire. The results of the teaching experiment show that the proposed teaching model can improve students’ awareness of national identity and serve as a reference for the teaching of national identity in subject subjects.

Content Analysis of Disaster Risk Reduction in Secondary School Geography Textbooks in China and the United States: Promoting Disaster Resilience through Geography Education

Geography education plays an important role in the promotion of disaster resilience; however, the relationship between geography education and disaster resilience has failed to attract systematic attention in China and the United States (US). This study compares the contents regarding disaster risk reduction in secondary school geography textbooks in China and the US to explore the contributions of geography education to promoting disaster resilience. These textbooks are analyzed using content analysis based on the Sendai Framework with four actions. This study finds that geography textbooks in China and the US include disaster risk reduction content; however, the contents are unevenly distributed, with “understanding disaster risk” and “enhancing disaster preparedness” accounting for a higher proportion, whereas “strengthening disaster risk governance” and “investing in disaster risk management to enhance resilience” account for a lower proportion. The results indicate that geography education plays an important role in enhancing disaster resilience and can strengthen students’ understanding and preparedness for disaster risks. Meanwhile, this study points out the shortcomings in current disaster risk reduction education and provides a reference for improving educational practice and policy formulation.

THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL

In today's innovative education, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are increasingly emerging as powerful tools to enhance the learning experience, especially in the teaching of geography in primary schools. This research explores how these technologies are being used to improve geography teaching and stimulate students' interest. AI brings personalised learning where content is adapted to individual learners' needs. Easier access to information, better visualisation of content, and help with analysis and interpretation make learning more accessible for students. At the same time, the ease of recreating content and the help in tracking individual learners' progress allows teachers to adapt learning strategies better and provide additional resources according to individual needs. VR and AR technologies help to create more interactive and realistic learning environments. Virtual reality allows learners to experience geographical phenomena more directly, while augmented reality complements the real world with digital information that can enrich the understanding of geographical concepts. These technologies focus on creating interactive content, virtual field trips, simulations of natural phenomena, and encouraging student participation and interest. The study also discusses challenges and solutions related to introducing AI in school geography, such as access to technology, teacher training and professional development, curriculum adaptation and ethical dilemmas. AI, VR and AR technology enable a new, at least in Slovenia, technologically sophisticated approach to teaching geography in primary schools. It encourages students to explore, interact and better understand complex geographic content. Keywords: geography education, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, interactive content

Potential of mobile virtual reality as a tool for supporting students’ motivation in school geography

The purpose of this study is to present the possibilities of implementing mobile virtual reality (VR) in school geography and to examine its benefits and risks. A total of 163 students from various elementary schools in Slovakia participated in this study. We used qualitative and quantitative data analysis from students’ feedback and observations of the VR activities. The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire and researcher observation sheet were used as research tools. The study showed that the implementation of mobile VR is possible in the environment of Slovak schools and has positive effects on several areas of students’ internal motivation. The best results were achieved in the areas of interest/pleasure, understanding of the activity, and perception of the value and usefulness of the activity. We also found that the gender or age of the students in our research sample did not have a significant impact on students’ internal motivation when working with VR. Our work not only provides evidence to support the wider adoption of mobile VR in education but also clarifies several possibilities for its implementation in school geography. In conclusion, we identify the most significant benefits and risks of using mobile virtual reality in geography education. The results of testing mobile VR show the great usefulness of this technology, which serves as a motivational tool for 3D visualization of various locations and phenomena on Earth.

Cartografía temática y recursos TIC en la enseñanza y aprendizaje de la Geografía regional de Europa

In this article, we present a classroom experience with university students in training to be secondary school geography teachers. It is based on a didactic proposal using thematic cartography (Eurostat, ESPON, ESPON-SIESTA and the Information Society Atlas in Galicia) and ICT resources (statistical sources, free picture banks, aerial photography, Google Earth and Google Maps). The proposal´s aim is to use contents from the regional geography of Europe as a base or starting point to show a series of didactic recommendations for the teaching and learning of geography and social sciences. What is more, everything is with a clear idea, from a descriptive and rote geography to an active and critical geography, in which students participate in the construction of knowledge and increase their ability to reflect on geographical issues. The results of the experience will highlight the value of these tools in secondary education. We had also previously assessed the presence of thematic cartography and ICT resources within the required official Galicia curriculum to teach geography in compulsory secondary education. The idea is to deepen the value of the curriculum in didactic code, to know what tools it offers, how it offers them and with what intentions. This solution, among other opportunities, will allow us to identify a curriculum offering a specific teaching model. On the other hand, it will also give us the opportunity to firmly rebuke all the proposals considered to be erroneous, repetitive, or of little didactic value.

GEOPOLITICS IN SCHOOL EDUCATION: ASSESSING THE PERCEPTION OF KEY ASPECTS BY SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KAZAKHSTAN

This article analyzes the section “Geopolitics” in school geography curricula in Kazakhstan and assesses the level of knowledge and perceptions of secondary school students on this topic. To collect data to determine the degree of assimilation of geopolitical concepts, a survey method was used. The authors set the goal of analyzing the content of educational materials, developing a survey instrument, conducting a survey and analyzing the data obtained to identify the level of knowledge and awareness of students. The study found that most students demonstrate a good understanding of geopolitical concepts and are able to analyze world problems by relating them to geopolitical factors. However, some students have an incomplete understanding of geopolitics, which may be due to lack of clarity in teaching materials or lack of interest. Overall, the authors conclude that the study of geopolitics in the school curriculum contributes to the formation of a deep understanding of global issues and analytical skills of students, but requires additional effort to improve the effectiveness of learning. In addition, the study found that geopolitics receives full coverage in the curriculum for grades 10-11. However, the main question remains how students perceive this concept upon completion of studying the section, how much they understand the essence of world problems and assess current global trends in the field of geopolitics of the world and Kazakhstan.

Research on VR Geography Teaching Mode Based on SOLO Classification Theory

With the deepening of educational reform and the rapid development of educational technology, VR (virtual reality) technology is increasingly widely used in the field of education. In the face of various VR technology means and application paths, how to design scientifically in middle school, geography VR teaching mode has become an urgent problem to be solved. This paper aims to explore the VR geography teaching model based on SOLO classification theory, and improve the effectiveness of geography teaching and the level of students geography thinking by integrating the immersion of VR technology and the hierarchy of SOLO classification theory. This paper first introduces the theoretical basis of SOLO classification theory and VR technology, then analyzes the problems existing in current geography teaching, and finally proposes and designs the VR geography teaching mode based on SOLO classification theory, in order to guide the orderly development of VR teaching in middle school geography and improve the scientific and technological content of middle school geography teaching.

The Effects of Using Digital Technologies on High School Geography Learning

In recent years, the integration of digital technologies into educational practices has become a focal point for enhancing student learning experiences across various subjects, including Geography. Following this trend, the present study investigates the effects of digital technology use on high school Geography education by comparing traditional teaching methods with modern, digitally enhanced approaches. Thus, the main aim of the paper was to evaluate whether digital tools such as interactive maps, 3D simulations, and augmented reality can improve student engagement and academic performance in geography classes. A quasi-experimental research design was employed, involving quantitative analyses of student performance data before and after the intervention. The study sample consisted of 50 high school students divided into two groups: one taught using traditional methods and another exposed to digital learning environments. Curricular Geography tests were administered to the two groups, along with surveys and interviews, to assess differences in academic outcomes and engagement levels between the two groups. The findings indicate that students in the digital learning group outperformed their peers in the traditional setting, achieving higher test scores. This may be attributed to the use of interactive digital tools, which facilitated a deeper understanding of geographical concepts and promoted active participation in the learning process. However, the study also highlights challenges such as unequal access to technology and the necessity for ongoing teacher training to effectively implement digital resources. These conclusions and insights have led to several important implications for education. The positive impact of digital learning tools suggests that educational systems should consider integrating more technology into the curriculum to enhance learning outcomes.

Study on the Integration of Curriculum Ideology and Politics into Geography Classroom Teaching in High School

In the context of the implementation of the fundamental task of making people moral, the implementation of curriculum ideology and politics has become an inevitable trend of educational reform and development. In order to implement General Secretary's instruction that “all courses should be based on morality and provide courses that serve students' growth and success”, this study analyzes the connotation, value orientation and practice path of curriculum ideology and politics, combines the characteristics of geography, and mines out the rich elements of curriculum ideology and politcs in the teaching of geography in high school and proposes the application strategies. This study analyzes the meaning, value orientation and practice path of curriculum ideology and politics.

A Rétköz kutatója. Beszélgetés Kormány Gyula professor emeritusszal = The Researcher of Rétköz: A Conversation with Professor Emeritus Gyula Kormány

Gyula Kormány, professor of geography, was born on May 9, 1932 in Ibrány. After graduating as a secondary school geography teacher from the University of Szeged (1961), he obtained a degree in pedagogy from the Kossuth Lajos University of Debrecen in 1965. His landscape research activity began in the 1950s and included the examination of the natural features of Rétköz (a microregion in the Great Hungarian Plain). As a result of many years of research, he was the first in Hungary to summarize the conditions, possibilities, variants and methods of applying independent student work in geography education. He also wrote his candidate thesis, titled “The Possibilities and Effectiveness of Independent Student Work”. He worked as a lecturer at Nyíregyházi College from 1963 until his retirement. In April 2005, the Council of Nyíregyháza College awarded him with the title “Professor Emeritus” in recognition of his educational and scientific work.

The nexus between research methodology, classroom data and instructional policy: insights from enacting the Zimbabwe curriculum framework 2015–2022 reforms

ABSTRACT This article explores the nexus among research methodlogy, classroom data and instructional policy enactment through content analysis of lesson transcripts. It is a multiple-case research of four Zimbabwean secondary school geography teachers’ classroom practices. Coded lesson-transcripts and post-lesson teacher-interview transcripts subjected to thematic content analysis yeilded patterns of classroom interaction. Most lessons were teacher dominated question and answer episodes which failed to achieve mandated learner-centred teaching.Teachers relied on recall-type questions while failing to scaffold onto learner contributions for deeper geographical conversations. A weak pedagogical content knowledge partially contributed to this. Content analysis of lesson transactions showed a symbiotic nexus among research methodology, classroom data and instructional policy implementation. Coded classroom data holds opportunities for critcal scrutiny of classroom transactions to gauge instructional policy implementation. Findings suggest succesful instructional policy implementation can benefit from teacher training in content analysis of classroom transactions for reflexive practice.

Geography Teachers’ Pedagogical Reasoning and Action While Integrating Sustainable Development into APHG Courses

The aim of this study is to explore the pedagogical reasoning and action of high school geography teachers when teaching sustainable development within the context of the Advanced Placement Human Geography classroom. Through a multiple case study approach, this research examines the instructional decisions and rationales of seven APHG teachers throughout their entire teaching activities. The findings illuminate how participating teachers make informed instructional decisions through specific teaching strategies and practices and the rationale behind their decisions, encompassing both planned pedagogical actions and responses to unexpected instructional challenges in their classrooms.

Pre-service geography teachers from normal universities in China: what do their master’s degree theses focus on and imply?

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.

Mikä aiheuttaa ilmastonmuutoksen?

This article discusses the transformation of climate change science from scientific knowledge to Finnish upper secondary school geography curricula and textbooks from 1985 to 2023. Scientific knowledge transforms into teachable knowledge through the transformation process at the societal, institutional, and classroom levels. In our analysis, we apply the idea of powerful knowledge and use three levels of geographical powerful knowledge, including geographical knowledge, critical and conceptual knowledge, and propensity to imagine alternative futures. The research material consists of five framework curricula from 1985 to 2019 and a total of thirteen upper secondary school geography textbooks that are based on the curricula. Our findings suggest that climate science knowledge has transformed slowly into societal curricula. However, in textbooks, scientific knowledge has transformed more rapidly. According to our results, the transformation may not necessarily occur linearly, first at the societal level and finally in classrooms.

Opportunities and challenges of using geospatial technologies in teaching school geography in Kazakhstan

The rapid advancement of technology and widespread access to digital resources have transformed teaching practices and enhanced educators’ competencies. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer new avenues for understanding global events and conducting multidimensional analyses. This study aimed to evaluate teachers’ potential use of geospatial technologies by analyzing the objectives of geography curricula for grades 7–11 in Kazakhstan. Additionally, this study investigated barriers to GIS adoption among geography teachers and strategies for cultivating geospatial thinking skills. The research employed curriculum analysis and a teacher survey involving 208 respondents from across Kazakhstan. The results indicated moderate adoption of geospatial technologies, with mobile GIS applications being most prevalent. However, obstacles such as equipment costs, lack of experience, and time constraints hinder their utilization. This study underscores the importance of integrating geospatial technologies in geography education to foster students’ spatial thinking, creativity, and information literacy. Moreover, this study highlights the role of a GIS in enhancing educators’ and students’ proficiency in modern geoinformation systems and digital technologies. The findings offer practical insights for educators and serve as a valuable resource for enhancing geography instruction and promoting geospatial technology integration in the classroom.