Geography Education

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Geography Education in the United States and
Abroad a Case Study
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By Edmar Bernardes DaSilva Doctoral Candidate
Education - Curriculum Instruction Social
Studies   Florida Atlantic University Boca
Raton, FL Spring 2006   Professor Dr.
Penelope Fritzer Advisor and Chair of my doctoral
committee
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We KNOW that something has to be done!

• We have long been famous for advertising the
  arrogance of ignorance of other peoples ways and
  customs. .It is an insult for which we will pay
  deeply, over and over again.
• Dr. John Alatis, Dean of George Town University
  (1990)

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The purpose of this case study is to try to
examine geography education in and also outside
the United States in order to see who is getting
more geographical education, the Americans or the
non-Americans
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Definition of Geography An integrative
discipline that brings together physical and
human dimensions of the world in the study of
people, places, and environments (Geography
for Life, National Geographic Society, 1994 in
Mansfield, 2005)
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Geographys Identity

• The identity of geography as a discipline from
  the 19th century naissance of contemporary
  academia, if not before, has been extremely
  disputed
• (Turner, 2002)
• Today higher education in the USA and Brazil call
  it a GEOSCIENCE together with Geology and
  Environmental Science

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• Some countries call it EARTH SCIENCE and they put
  it inside a department called Earth Sciences
  Department (e.g. England)

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The Use of Geography

• Le Heron Hathaway (2002) consequently there is
  a universal question that most academic
  geographers have been asked by students What can
  I do with geography?

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The Use of Geography

• Le Heron Hathaway (2002) argue that an
  important dimension of improving the quality of
  geography education is closing the gap between
  the perceived social usefulness of the subject
  offered as preparation for workplace roles

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Geography Education in the USA and Canada

• In most parts of the United States and Canada,
  geography is not a visible entity in the
  curriculum in the lower levels (primary, middle
  school)
• with the exception of a hand full of optional
  courses (not required) at the senior high school
  level
• (Mansfield, 2005)

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Geography Education in the USA and Canada

• Geography education in the United States has been
  subsumed in Social Studies since the 1920s and
  has only periodically been recognized as
  essential to our education and society
• (Kerski, 2001)

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• Geography education has made great progress in
  the United States over the past two decades
• The decade of the 1990s was the time when
  geography education grew and matured as a school
  topic

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Joint Committee on Geographic Education (1984)

• The key factor that explains the rejuvenation
  of geography in the schools of the United States
  was the creation, publication, dissemination, and
  implementation of Guidelines for Geographical
  Education (Bednarz, 2002)

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However

• American college students know shockingly little
  about the geography of the United States
• American students know even less about the world
  and so that American geography or World Geography
  are forgotten subjects in our institutions of
  higher learning
• (Downs, Liben Daggs, 1988)

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• American students' geographical knowledge is far
  inferior to that of European, Russian, Japanese,
  Canadian, or Australian students
• The nation's students literally do not know where
  they are, what other cultures are like, or how
  things fit together
• (Grosvenor, 1987)

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• One in 10 young Americans cannot locate their own
  country on a blank map of the world according to
  a survey of geographic literacy
• (Recer, 2002)

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GEO Education in Other Nations

• United Kingdom, geography is much more important
  in the educational system
• In the United Kingdom the importance of geography
  has been recognized and since 1988 it has been
  one of the ten subjects to be studied by children
  from five years old on
• (Catling, 1999)

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• In Australia
• Geography is studied as an (independent)
  discipline, and is generally non-existent in
  grades K-6 (approximately ages 5-11 years) and,
  in some states this state of affairs extends to
  grades 7-10 (12-15 years) as well
• (Biddle, 1999)

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Confederatio Helvetica

• During the last 10 years geography in Swiss
  secondary schools faced a curriculum reform that
  considerably changed the perception and the
  performance of the subject (Reinfried,
  2001)

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• Hernando (1998) argues geography educators in
  Spain should seek to limit the evident dogmatism,
  which influences values and should rather seek to
  offer by way of alternatives, a renewal of the
  importance of critical thinking values in
  geography education

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Argentina

• For most people in Argentina, geography is hardly
  important though every now and then journalists
  write about geography topics in an interesting
  way but with little scientific relevance
• (Ostuni, 2000)

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Conclusions

• Is there a difference between geography education
  in the United States and outside of the United
  States?

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• However the value of geography education shifts
  from one country to another outside of the United
  States
• Some researchers claim that American college
  students know shamefully little about the
  geography of the United States, and that the
  American students know even less about the world
• Others state that American students' geographical
  knowledge is far inferior to that of European,
  Russian, Japanese, Canadian, or Australian
  students

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• Geography outside the United States it seems to
  be a much more important discipline in other
  nations educational systems than in the American
  education system e.g. GB

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BUT

• Bednarz (2002) geography education made great
  progress in US over the past two decades
• Catling (1999) importance of geographical
  education is not to be underestimated - the
  foundation for geographys place in curriculum is
  based on key elements of human experience

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• Downs, Liben Daggs (1988) programs of
  geographic education must link geographic content
  with an understanding of the nature of the
  learner and with expectations and knowledge of
  the teacher

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• Finally
• Future research should be done asking why
  American students are doing so poorly in
  geography education and what could be done to
  change this

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References

• Ahlberg, M. Ahoranta, V. (2002). Two improved
  educational theory based tools to monitor and
  promote quality of geographical education and
  learning. International Research in Geographical
  and Environmental Education, (11) 2, 119-123.
•  
• Ballantyne, R. (1999). Teaching environmental
  concepts, attitudes and behavior through
  geography education findings of an
  international survey. International Research in
  Geographical and Environmental Education, (8) 2,
  40-52.
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• Bednarz, W. S. (2004). United States world
  geography textbooks their hole in education
  reform. International Research in Geographical
  and Environmental Education, (13) 3, 223-238.
•  
• Berdnarz, R. (2002). The quantity and quality of
  geography education in the United States The
  last 20 years. International Research in
  Geographical and Environmental Education (11) 2,
  160.
•  
• Biddle, D. (1999). Geography in schools.
  Australian Geographer (30) 1. 75-76.
•  
• Catling, S. (1999). Issues for research in UK
  primary geography. International Research in
  Geographical and Environmental Education, (8)1,
  60-63.
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• Downs, R., Liben, Lynn Daggs, D. (1888). On
  education and geographers the role of cognitive
  development theory in geographic education.
  Annals of the Association of American
  Geographers, (78) 4. 680.

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• Fien, J. (1999). Towards a map of commitment a
  socially critical approach to geographical
  education. International Research in
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  140.
•  
• Gerber, R. (2001). The state of geography
  education in countries around the world.
  International Research in Geographical and
  Environmental Education (10) 4, 349-352.
•  
• Grosvenor, M. (1987, February). Geographic
  education An investment in your students'
  future. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of
  the American Association of School
  Administrators, New Orleans, LA.
•  
• Hernando, A. (1998). Values in geography
  education and teacher training. International
  Research in Geographical and Environmental
  Education, (7) 2, 168-174.
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• Kerski, J. (2003). Geography education across the
  Atlantic at the geographical association.
  Retrieved July 01, 2006 from http//education.Uni
  ted Statesgs.gov/common/lessons/geography_educatio
  n_across_atlantic.pdf.
• Le Heron, R. Hathaway, J. (2000). An
  international perspective on developing skills
  through geography programs for employability and
  life narratives from New Zealand and the United
  States. Journal of Geography in Higher
  Education (24) 2, 271-273.
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• Mansfield, T. (2005, June). Projecting geography
  in the public domain in Canada geography and
  schools. Paper presented as a part of the
  Canadian Association of Geographers Annual
  Meeting, London, Ontario University of Western
  Ontario, Canada.

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• Martin, F. (2000). Postgraduate primary education
  students images of geography and the
  relationship between these and students
  teaching. International Research in Geographical
  and Environmental Education (9) 3, 223-227.
•  
• Ostuni, J. (2000). How the Argentineans see
  geography. International Research in Geographical
  and Environmental Education (9) 2, 187-188.
•  
• Reinfried, S. (2001). Twenty-first century? The
  impact of curriculum reform on geography
  education in upper secondary schools in
  Switzerland. International Research in
  Geographical and Environmental Education (10) 4,
  411-418.
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• Recer, P. (2002, November 21). Geography eludes
  United States students Americans score a grade
  of D on a quiz given in nine countries. South
  Florida Sun-Sentinel, p. 3A.
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• Schmid, R. E. (2006, May 03). A lost generation
  a poll showed that young Americans are
  geographically challenged. The Miami Herald, p.
  3A.
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• Solem, M. (2002). The online center for global
  geography education. International Research in
  Geographical and Environmental Education, (11)
  2, 295.
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• Turner, B. (2002). Contested identities
  human-environment geography and disciplinary
  implications in a restructuring academy. Annals
  of the Association of American Geographers 92(1),
  52-53.

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