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C08.11 Geographical Education
Session: State of the Art in Geography Education
Chair(s): Simon Catling & Alexandra BudkeAbstract:
Geography education carries the footprint of its specific national context. *The International Charter on Geographical Education* outlines the common core of our subject, but the subject is evolving. There is much change in geography education taking place at national levels around the World at the present time. Alongside the results of the international study of geography education started in 2010, and aiming to map the State of the Art in Geographical Education around the World, papers presenting national initiatives, developments, challenges and achievements are invited. Topics might include: changes to national geography education guidance and curricula; what is the range of geography and what is regarded as most important in a national geography curriculum; ways in which geographical themes, such as the nature-society relationship or the implementation of approaches in new cultural geography, are being incorporated into national geography; the different focuses and contexts of geography curricula for different age groups (pre-school, elementary and secondary) at school and for non-examniation and examination classes; and innovative approaches for teaching geography that are discussed in the different national contexts.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Students‘ Interests of Geographical Topics, Regions, and Methods
Chair(s): Gabriele Obermaier & Sirpa TaniAbstract:
We want to start an international research group about student's interests(topics and regions) in geography and geoscience. Our hypothesis is that there are similarities in student's interests about topics (e.g. natural hazards) but not about regions. If you have already done some research about student's interests or are interested in the topic please join us with a poster.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Preconceptions in Geography and Geography Education
Chair(s): Fernando Alexandro & Sibylle ReinfriedAbstract:
In recent years research about preconceptions and conceptual change regarding geographical concepts and the school subject of geography have gained momentum in geographical education. This trend is of great importance to geographical education because learners' preconceptions about geographical concepts and processes as well as teachers preconceptions about geography as a school subject are keys and obstacles to geographical learning and teaching. Conceptual change research concerns for example the identification of learners' personal ideas of scientific issues, teachers' ideas regarding the curriculum of geography and epistemological processes while studying geographical issues, strategies of how to change personal ideas, and methodologies that help to make processes of change understandable. In this session high quality research papers that address the issues mentioned above are welcome.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Examples of Best Practice in Geography Education and Teacher Preparation
Chair(s): Michael Solem & Christiane MeyerAbstract:
This session will offer international perspectives and examples of effective practice in teacher preparation in geography. Papers in this session should address examples of preparing teachers to become effective educators with geospatial technologies, field instruction, inquiry and problem based learning, among other potential topics. We especially welcome papers based on research in geography teacher preparation.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Innovative Learning - New & Traditional Media
Chair(s): Daniela Schmeinck & Joop van der ScheeAbstract:
Geography is a discipline in which especially visualisation is the starting point of thinking because geography focuses on what the world looks like as a first step in a learning process to understand the world as it is. Various means of representation thereby help us to look at and understand the world around us. According to this several different media play also an important role in geography education. Traditional teaching materials like e.g. textbooks, atlases, stones and models of river systems, are progressively supplemented by new media such as digital maps and movies, GPS and GIS. This session is beyond showing traditional and new media. It focuses on how traditional and new media can help students at all ages to understand the world. Very welcome are research reports that connect the development of geographical knowledge of primary and secondary school students and the use of traditional and/or new media.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Standards, Concepts and Experience
Chair(s): Joseph Stoltman & Armin RempflerAbstract:
National Standards for school Geography are being introduced in some countries; they are currently guiding the teaching activities in others; while in others there are calls for their abrogation and resistance to their implementation. Standards offer guidance in the selection of content that are intended to strengthen the curriculum and improve assessment practices. However, the discussion regarding whether teaching according to given standards is a good practice. This session offers a platform to discuss features, implementation, experiences, and critiques of standards for school Geography internationally.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Education for Sustainable Development & Global Learning
Chair(s): Yvonne Schleicher & Osvaldo MuñizAbstract:
“The International Geographical Union Commission on Geographical Education sees the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2005-2014 as an opportunity to confirm its commitment to education for sustainable development.” http://www.igu-cge.org/Charters-pdf/LucerneDeclaration.pdf The proclamation of a “Declaration on Geographical Education for Sustainable Development” by the IGU CGE in 2007 was followed up by different approaches to integrate the ideas of the declaration in Geography Education. This session is aimed to contribute to the discussion about ESD following the categories of the Lucerne Declaration: A. The Contribution of Geography to Education for Sustainable Development B. The Criteria for Developing Geographical Curricula for Education for Sustainable Development C. The Importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education for Sustainable Development in Geography. Abstract proposals concerning research about all categories of the Lucerne Declaration and examples of best practice are welcome.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Spatial Thinking
Chair(s): Sarah W. Bednarz & Detlef KanwischerAbstract:
Spatial thinking, traditionally a subject of interest among cognitive scientists, psychologists, and behavioral geographers, has grown in significance for geography educators with the explosive growth of geospatial technologies and consequent drive to prepare a spatially skilled workforce and citizenry. Defined variously as an amalgam of the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to use concepts of space, tools of representation, and processes of reasoning to structure problems, find answers, and express solutions to these problems (NRC, 2006), spatial thinking is widely acknowledged as a powerful interdisciplinary tool, useful in mathematics, science, and social science disciplines. It has also been identified as a core component of geographic thinking. We invite papers addressing all aspects of spatial thinking, including, but not limited to, submissions addressing the spatiality of various state and national curricula; theoretical considerations on the interpretation of various elements of spatial thinking, such as concepts of space, in the learning process; ways assessments can and do measure spatial skills and thinking processes; the degree to which textbooks, and other instructional materials support and feature spatial thinking; strategies to teach spatial thinking; the relationship between spatial thinking and geospatial technologies; learning progressions to develop spatial literacy; and individual learner characteristics in relation to spatial thinking
Timeslots: 1
Session: Risk Education
Chair(s): John Lidstone & Gregor FalkAbstract:
Nature risks and catastrophes strike our changing world with a growing frequency. In a globalizing world, available information circulated form and to remote spaces has contribute to a growing awareness. This session welcomes papers dealing with the risks and geography education through topics like causes, effects, processes, strategies, methods, and consequences. Both results or original research and best practice are welcome.
Timeslots: 1
Session: Urbanization in Geographical Education
Chair(s): Lex Chalmers & Péter Bagoly-SimóAbstract:
Contested tradition divisions of urban and rural, challenges of a changing urban, rural, rurban, or suburban lifestyle, effects of urbanization on people‘s life at different scales, embodied urbanism, or global interconnectivity through urban structures and flows are some of the topics concerning urban geographers. This session welcomes abstracts dealing with the urban topic from school, university, and practice.
Timeslots: 1