8/11/2019 EUROGEO EUGEO IGU Procura de Uma Estratgia
Internacional Para o Ensino de Geografia (2)
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Looking for an internationalstrategy for geography education
procura de uma estratgiainternacional para o ensino
deGeografia
La bsqueda de una estrategiainternacional para laenseanza de la
Geografa.
IGU, EUGEO and EUROGEO are convinced
that a good geographical education is
indispensable to the development of responsibleand active
citizens in the present and future
world. The position of geograph education can
be improved b!
1. Making the focus and contribution ofgeography education for
society moreexplicit.
"lthough #organ $%&'() writes that we need to
be cautious about rushing to define the sub*ectonce and for all,
he also states that similarthemes recur. +irstl, geograph is
concernedwith humanenvironment interactions in theconte-t of
specific places and locations and withissues that have a strong
geographical dimensionlie natural hazards, climate change,
energsupplies, land use, migration, urbanization,povert and identit
$/aubrich, '00%). 1econdl,geograph is ver practical and useful
ineverda life. Geograph helps us to get anoverview of locations and
regions. 2ocation is ae factor in life, especiall in an era
ofglobalization and internet. Geograph is thediscipline where
location has its base.Geographical nowledge and more recentl
alsogeospatial technologies offer uni3ueopportunities to show polic
maers that withoutgeograph we cannot mae sense of the modernworld
nor mae plans for its future. Thirdl,geograph is a wa of thining
and looing atthe world around us. The idea that geographeducation
is a lesson in how to thingeographicall is clearl described in
themanifesto 4a different view5 b 6avid 2ambertand his colleagues
$Geographical "ssociation,
%&&0). 7onnected with this wa of thininggeograph
education has its core concepts."ccording to Talor $%&&8)
diversit,interaction, change, and perspective are e
concepts. These concepts are what historians call4second order
concepts5 $Talor, %&'() but notall of them are distinctl
geographical. It is verimportant to realize how others see
geographand lie others to see geograph.
2. Describing the minimum requirementsfor geography teaching in
primary andsecondary schools as well as forgeography teacher
training institutes.
"n international e-change of geograph
standards from different countries can help todiscuss what
nowledge and sills are basic ingeograph education. 9e might define
whatoung people growing up in societ could neednow and in the
future. In addition to differentnational standards, the Geograph
International:accalaureate $I:) programme can be inspiring$Ottens,
%&'(). If we thin that the teaching ofgeograph should be
limited to teachers with a3ualified training in geograph and
geographeducation we have to thin about how we canreach this goal.
Geograph teachers in primarand secondar education should be well
trainedin phsical and human geograph as well as ingeograph
education. It is also needed to trainteachers to be adaptable, to
use geographicalnowledge and sills in a changing world and tocreate
a suitable and meaningful geographicallearning environment.
3. Developing an (internationalexchange of good practices.
3.The teacher is the e to innovation ineducation. 7ooperation
between geographteachers can strengthen the position ofgeograph in
schools and help to promotegeograph as an essential part of
futureseducation. 1ome schools have geographteachers that do
e-tremel well in modernizingand promoting geograph while in other
schoolsin the same cit or region geograph is almostding.
7ooperation between geograph sectionsof different schools is rare
and this cannot bee-plained b competition between schoolsalone.
Groups of enthusiastic geographteachers supported b teacher
training institutes
should tr to organize local and regional
;oop van der 17hee
8/11/2019 EUROGEO EUGEO IGU Procura de Uma Estratgia
Internacional Para o Ensino de Geografia (2)
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$virtual) meetings and help lines to develop achallenging school
geograph. 9e need morethan e-change, we need groups of
teachersworing together to develop their innovative
approaches.!. Developing a research agenda forgeography
education.
The last decennia show a growing number ofpublications written b
geographers ineducation. /owever, the 3ualit of thesepublications
is not alwas the same. 1ometimesthere is a lac of focus and often
there areinsufficient data and evidencebased studies tosupport
informed decisions maing in geographeducation $:ednarz, /effron
> /unh, %&'().
Review studies in important sectors ofgeograph education are an
option to get a betterview on the state of the art and where
furtherresearch is necessar. "nother wa to achievemore focus in
research in geograph education isto organize international research
groups. Thesegroups should not be e-clusive. :roos
$%&'&)states that we should tae notice of research ofthose
for whom research is part of their wor asacademics or educational
professionals, but alsotae notice of research of practicing
teachers.Recent initiatives in the U1 and the U< to set
aresearch agenda for geograph education areprimising.
". #reating a strong professional networkstructure.
6onert $%&&8)) states that it is necessar torecognize
the need to establish routes that enableour efforts for geograph
education to be longlasting and sustainable. " professional
networstructure is necessar to open a new horizon forgeograph
education. This networ needs to getsupport from a large range of
geographicalorganizations and staeholders. Its visibilit inthe
discipline and in the media is an importantissue to wor on.
Organizing a communit oflearners in geograph education using a set
ofcore practices ma be helpful.
The discussion about a *oin strateg for
geograph education will continue. There will
not be one solution that fits all, but it is possible
to strengthen our community of learners in
geography education b helping each other
e-changing curriculum ideas, research results
and good practices.
eferences
'. :ednarz, 1.9., /effron, 1. > /unh, ?.T. $Eds.)$%&'()$
%oad Map for 2&st #entury 'eography
ducation) 'eography ducation %esearch*
Report from the Geograph Education Research
7ommittee of the Road #ap for %'st 7entur
Geograph Education @ro*ect, 9ashington, 67,
"ssociation of "merican Geographers.
%. :roos, 7. $%&'&) /ow does one become aresearcher in
geograph educationA+nternational
%esearch in 'eographical and nvironmental
ducation, '0 $%), ''B''8.
(. 6e Cecchis, G., 6onert,
