Perspective on geographical education in the 21st century - J-Reading
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Journal of Research and Didactics in Geography (J-READING), 0, 1, Dec., 2012, pp. 17-24
DOI: 10.4458/1005-03
Perspective on geographical education in the 21st century
Joseph P. Stoltmana
a
Department of Geography, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA
Email: stoltman@wmich.edu
Received: October 2012 – Accepted: November 2012
Abstract
The 2012 Congress of the International Geographical Union and Symposium of the Commission on
Geography Education (IGU-CGE) attracted geographical educators from many countries. For the past five
decades the IGU-CGE has served as a main international venue for geography education. The current paper
uses the frequency of scientific presentations as empirical evidence to categorize major topics at the 2012
IGU-CGE. The assumption is that the major directions in geography education internationally are reflected
in the topics represented by participants to the congress and symposia. The evidence suggests that
traditional interests of geography educators continue to prevail in the categories such as pedagogy and
teacher preparation. Interest in the use of geospatial technologies is on the increase, as are the topics of
spatial thinking and sustainable development. The United Nation’s attention to sustainable development
and the general engagement of geographers in the topic is reflected in the increased attention to
sustainability. Geography as a discipline and geography education in practice display deep roots in its
human-environment traditions, which include sustainability.
Keywords: Trends in Geography Education, International Geography Education, Sustainable Development
1. Introduction environmental conditions by virtue of the
interaction between people and the environment.
Teaching geography is one of the oldest of Survival was dependent upon knowing place
the academic disciplines to be included in a based geography, that rich knowledge of the
liberal or general education. It was perhaps due locale, its water, soil, resources, and
to the close proximity of geography and opportunities as well as being curious as well as
essential life skills that brought geography to the cautious about the groups of people that
forefront of practical intellectual information occupied adjacent territories. With time the
and skills. In early times the common person place based nature of geographic knowledge
needed to be knowledgeable regarding the expanded to include more distant places. The
seasons of the year, the response of vegetation nature of geography as a discipline and its
and other biota to temperature regimes, and the structure became much more inclusive of people
general tempo of life. Many of the applied and the global environment. Among those
aspects of survival were closely associated with
Copyright© Nuova Cultura Italian Association of Geography Teachers18 Joseph P. Stoltman
changes was the increased accommodation that have also had a strong influence on geography
the discipline had for using crosscutting education. For example, the Geographical
information from other subjects in the Association of the United Kingdom has had
humanities, social, and physical sciences. From major influences on the British Commonwealth
the earliest times, geography has been viewed as countries as curricula were revised and renewed
essential knowledge for the general citizenry as since the 1950s as part of post independence
well as for the members of academy. geography education initiatives. UNESCO has
also played a significant role in the development
In this paper I will focus on developments in
and structure of geography education
contemporary geography education
internationally through the publication of
internationally. I will do this by completing a
resource materials devoted to the subject
critical analysis of the major topics in
(Graves, 1982; UNESCO, 1965).
geographical education during the 2012
Congress of the International Geographical The CGE IGU also has several publications
Union. The IGU Congress provides geographic that lay the groundwork and suggest the means
education with a sampling of the discipline’s to address the issues that confront geography
international stature in the school curriculum teaching in the international context. They
and teacher preparation institutions. In this provide a widely agreed upon rationale for
review, I will first reflect on the teaching of teaching the subject using criteria that meet
geography internationally through the prism of CGE-IGU specifications. The first and best
the 2012 Pre-Congress Symposium of the known is the International Charter on
Commission on Geographical Education in Geographical Education (Haubrich, 1992). The
Freiburg, Germany. I will follow that analysis UNESCO publications and the charter and other
with a review of the 2012 IGU Congress Commission position publications have become
Sessions in Cologne, Germany, including the the trademark, guiding principles of the CGE-
sessions organized by the European Association IGU and UNESCO for the past four decades
of Geographers (EUROGEO). While not as (Gerber, 2003; Gerber and Lidstone, 1996;
thorough as a country by country survey of the UNESCO, 2005, 1965). The publications have
status of geography education, the combined been influential in the development of rigorous
topics and presentations among the three venues human and physical geographic content in
in 2012 does provide a sampling of international international education. They have enabled
geography education from among bellwether geography educators to influence public policies
activities sponsored by the discipline. regarding education within their countries by
aligning the national curriculum as closely as
practical with the recommendations of the CGE-
2. The International Geographical Union: IGU and other international positions on
Commission on Geographical geographical education.
Education The IGU CGE Symposium in Freiburg,
The Commission on Geographical Education Germany, in 2012 continued the traditions of
(CGE) is the longest standing, formally representing geography education
recognized group within the International internationally. The eclectic nature of the
Geographical Union (IGU). Initially chartered as discipline with it wide range of topics and issues
the Committee on the Teaching of Geography in addressed in geographic research was reflected
1952 at the Washington, DC IGU, the in the geography education topics presented in
Commission has consistently served two the symposium. The fundamental recognition
purposes. First, it has been the international that geography education implies two
voice and advocate for geographical education converging interests – geography and education
when curriculum decisions are being made – that are represented by distinct theories,
within countries. This is particularly true for the methodologies, and philosophical underpinnings
technologically and economically emerging makes it a challenging, but enticing field of
countries. There are other organizations that endeavor. Geography educators arrive at the
research and teaching focus from both ends of
Copyright© Nuova Cultura Italian Association of Geography TeachersJoseph P. Stoltman 19
the spectrum – the academic geography terminus a substantial range of topics representing
and the classroom teaching terminus. This geography education. I have categorized the
convergence is similar to merging the ideas of papers and posters presentations at the
Guido of Pisa and Maria Montessori in order to Symposium in Freiburg by topic in Table 1
focus on the capacity of students to learn and (Falk et al., 2012).
apply geography. The 2012 Symposium covered
Category Number of Category Number of
presentations presentations
Pedagogy 13 Uses of Geography 2
Teacher Preparation 11 Natural Hazards 2
Technology in Teaching 8 Geography Curriculum 2
Knowledge and Assessment 8 Philosophy of Teaching 1
Sustainability and Geography 3 Textbooks 1
Primary and Secondary School 3 Standards in Geography 1
World and Regional View 2 Total number categorized 57
Table 1. Categorization of Papers and Posters presented at 2012 CGE-IGU Symposium.
Source: Falk et al., 2012.
There are several different ways to group and Symposium. This was demonstrated by papers
categorize the topics from the Freiburg that focused on using Geographic Information
Symposium, but my intent is to use the Systems (GIS) in the classroom for mapping and
categorizations to reflect the major points of analysis of patterns and distributions of
interest among the international community. My geographic data on the surface of Earth. Other
criteria were derived from the key terms and technology included the use of smart phones for
words used in the titles of the presentations. geographic study outside the classroom. In an
When there was doubt, I referred to the printed era when many students have access to smart
short paper for further details regarding the phones, it is important we begin studying the
appropriate category. educational advantages of Geographic
Positioning and data retrieval capabilities of
There was a preponderance of interest in
smart phones and their utility and usage in
pedagogy and teacher preparation among the
geographic study. Professional geographers are
papers and posters in 2012. This reflects the
using such devices in data collection and
traditional interests of many professionals in the
retrieval, so they should be usable in geography
field, since we are mainly from teacher
education at the school as well as the university
education programs where we promote the best
level. The challenge is to make the transition
classroom practices in order to present the
from using the smart phone as a purely
content of geography. Both pedagogy and
communications device to a geographic device.
teacher education reflect the merging of
While cellular phones of nearly every vintage
geographic education with content, methods, and
are useful for communications and social
materials used in teaching. While basic and
networking, the discussion in Freiburg opened
applied research tends to focus directly on
the possibility for geographical networking. It
content or education, their integration in the
represents a new research and classroom
classroom is a main concern as we consider the
application challenge for geography education.
types of geographic education that is best for
There is perhaps no greater academic or skills
students in the 21st century context.
application for smart phones than in geography
There was also considerable attention to education.
technology in teaching at the Freiburg
A fourth category, knowledge and
Copyright© Nuova Cultura Italian Association of Geography Teachers20 Joseph P. Stoltman
assessment, was a continuing interest among the the discipline as a coherent process. A
presenters of papers in Freiburg. The two topics, geography curriculum widely accepted and
while often presented separately, were clearly researched for its beneficial effects on
categorized together. The rationale was that learners is an important means to prevent
since if knowledge is a measurable goal, then it disciplinary slippage in the overall national,
takes a clearly defined means of assessing the state, or local curriculum during times of
knowledge to measure it. There is a strong revamping of educational priorities. This type of
academic and research tradition within this revamping occurs with regularity in many
category among geography educators and it countries, and the best protection for the
ranges from national assessments to classroom curricular “territory” of geography is a well
based assessment. researched, clearly articulated and outcomes
demonstrated significance derived from the
What would I conclude to summarize the
inclusion of the curriculum in the schooling
state of geographic education derived from the
process (Lambert, 2011).
2012 Symposium proceedings? Two
observations are apparent in terms of what
researchers and practitioners reported. First we
are remaining engaged in research and practice
3. The Commission on Geography
in pedagogy and teacher education. The Education at the Cologne IGU Congress
rationale for this disciplinary posture is perhaps in 2012
the belief that sound geography education begins The papers presentations at the International
with quality, rigorous experiences in the Geographical Congress in Cologne were vetted
classroom. The belief is that the best way to by committees of international geographers prior
accomplish that quality and rigor is by to their acceptance. The vetting process was
certificating teachers with adequate content necessary due to the large number of papers
knowledge and models of classroom practice to submitted to the Congress and the plan by the
enable them to attain success. Second, organizers to feature particular foci for the
geography educators must pursue the most research and practice in geography education.
recent technologies that are applicable to the Therefore, the initial categorization in the call
teaching of the discipline both inside and out of for submissions was set to be consistent with the
the classroom. Our students arrive in our classes overall theme of the IGU Congress, Down to
as digital natives in the 21st century. They have Earth, and is used here. The categorization of
never known a time without the Internet, WiFi, papers is presented in Table 2 (International
blogging, and texting. These technologies are Geographical Union, 2012).
becoming as common as printed maps, atlases,
and field studies were for prior generations of The presentations on geography education at
geography students. The papers at the the Cologne Congress represented increased
Symposium reported that teachers and attention during recent years to sustainable
researchers are taking steps to both use digital development. What is the explanation for this
devices in their teaching as well as their large number of papers? While the CGE had
activities to research the effect on learning, proposed topics such as education for economic
active engagement with the content of development in prior decades, it was the United
geography, and the uses of social networking to Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
gain information about the world. Development (UNDESD) that extended the
opportunity for geography education to
One important component in geography collaborate in the international program
education was not well represented in the (UNESCO, 2005). There is a consensus among
Freiburg Symposium? That topic was geographers that sustainable development is well
represented by just two papers focusing on within the disciplinary interests and
curriculum development designs and research. responsibilities of geography. The affirmation of
In most subjects, including geography, it is the CGE’s commitment to sustainable development
curriculum that is the fabric holding together the has been affirmed by Professor Carol Harden, an
knowledge, methods, and skills represented by
Copyright© Nuova Cultura Italian Association of Geography TeachersJoseph P. Stoltman 21
eminent American geographer. manners. How could a thinking person or caring
society choose to intentionally reduce the
“To not embrace sustainability, to ignore the
resources and opportunities available for future
future, or, even worse, to intentionally support
generations?” (Hardin, 2009).
unsustainable practices connotes unen-
lightenment, greed, poor management, and bad
Category Number of Category Number of
presentations presentations
Education for Sustainable 11 State of the Art in Geography 8
Development & Global Learning Education
Examples of Best Practice in 11 Higher Education 4
Geography Education and
Teacher Preparation
Spatial Thinking 8 Innovative Learning – New & 4
Traditional Media
Standards, Concepts and 8 Preconceptions in Geography and 4
Experience Geography Education
Total number of presentations 58
Table 2. Categorization of Papers presented at 2012 IGU Congress – Cologne.
Source: International Geographical Union, 2012.
The introduction of sustainable development and the human-environment traditions of the
as an agenda for CGE began in earnest in 2006. discipline all contributed to the preponderance
The UNESCO sponsorship of a decade (2005- of presentations.
2014) dedicated to education for sustainable
The Cologne CGE presentations also
development provided a larger goal, but the
reaffirmed the concern for pedagogy and best
immediate initiative was carried out by active
practices in teaching geography. Eleven
members of the CGE, namely Professor Hartwig
presentations were dedicated to the topic. The
Haubrich, Dr. Sibylle Reinfried, and Dr. Yvonne
range of presentation subtopics was large within
Schleicher. Their initiative for geography and
best practices and the availability of empirical
sustainability resulted in the publication of the
data was abundant. The strength of the pedagogy
Lucerne Declaration on Geographical
and best practices topic was the inclusion of
Education for Sustainable Development
evidence, since reports of research and practice
(Haubrich, Reinfried and Schleicher, 2007),
were generally based on having field tested in
which has become a key policy statement for
the classroom a specific teaching methodology
geography educators globally.
or geography materials. Both the Freiburg
The attention among the presentations at the Symposium and the Cologne Congress provided
Cologne Congress to sustainability was evidence that pedagogy and best practices,
significant. The combined topics of instructional methodology, teaching techniques
sustainability and global learning were and other topics that fall within this larger field
represented by eleven presentations, with eight of research interest are among the most common
of those focusing specifically on sustainable concerns of geographic educators. Again, the
development. The attention to sustainable reason for this interest rests with its proximity to
development came from different countries and the work that may geography educators do in
regions, signifying it international importance as their professional responsibilities – the
a topic. It was apparent that the UNESCO preparation of teachers who will enter teaching
(UNDESD) program provided considerable equipped with the best possible means to assure
attention to the topic, that the CGE-IGU Lucerne their students successful study and engagement
Declaration on the role of geography education, with geography.
Copyright© Nuova Cultura Italian Association of Geography Teachers22 Joseph P. Stoltman
Three topics received nearly equal attention was represented by eight papers in the Cologne
during the Cologne CGE presentations. They CGE. The question of national standards for the
were spatial thinking (8 papers), standards, teaching of geography and design of the
concepts and experience (8 papers), and state of geography curriculum takes on two points of
the art in geography education (8 papers). view. The first is the philosophical discussion
Spatial thinking is a relatively recent focus of regarding the effect of standards on the creative,
geography education, but not of the discipline of innovative role of teachers. There is a belief that
geography. Geography is often referred to as the standards stifle good classroom teaching and
spatial science (Geographical Sciences instructional design. The second point of view is
Committee, 2006). The reorientation to the use that standards clearly define the content and
of the term spatial has been in response to skills that all students should know and be able
gaining prestige for geography as a discipline to produce at carefully considered benchmarks
that focuses on one of the important ways of in their schooling. Standards assist in the
thinking about and acting within Earth’s space. development and implementation of national
In some countries geography’s traditional role as curricula, in national assessments of student
a core subject has been infringed upon as a result proficiency in geography, and in making the
of greater focus on other disciplines, such as transition from school to school for migratory or
mathematics and language. In other countries the transient students less problematic. As the
multidisciplinary approach to the social studies number of countries adopting content and skills
subsumed geography and made it less visible in standards increases, the necessity for detailed
as a subject within the curriculum. research on their effects – both positive and
negative – should be a component of geography
The attention to the spatial attributes of
education investigations.
geography gives it two advantages. First, the
focus on spatial analysis implies a high level, Eight papers were presented about status of
rigorous academic endeavor. Geographic geography education in different countries. They
Information Science (GIS) has provided the join a long standing tradition for reporting on the
opportunity for not only geographers, but for changing conditions and stability for geography
many other disciplines to engage in the rigor of as a school subject. The studies tend to focus on
using spatial data and producing specialized single countries, but sometimes present a
maps addressing particular issues. The maps comparison among several countries. Those
made the spatial analysis of those data possible research studies provide a discourse on the
for non-geographers. Second, brain research opportunities and challenges that the discipline
over the past several decades has identified areas faces in national education contexts. While the
of the brain that process maps, photograph, and methodology and data vary, the cumulative
chart information – all spatial in their form – as results of such research reveal global or regional
opposed to other areas of the brain that process patterns that are worth noting. The continued
other types of stimuli, such as reading narratives. interest in status studies suggests that a global
The basic research that is necessary to determine study of the status of geography should be
the type of spatial information that is most completed under the auspices of the CGE-IGU
readily learned and the ways it can be presented during the next several years.
is of considerable interest within geography
education. The brain research is in its infancy in
geography, more advanced in psychology, and 4. EUROGEO at the IGU in Cologne
quite advanced in cognitive sciences. It is an
area of research with considerable importance to
geography, but that geographers are not well The presentations in the sessions sponsored
equipped to pursue without either specialized by the European Association of Geographers
training or collaboration with colleagues in were focused large on Europe or Europe in the
disciplines that are engaged in researching World. Technology in the teaching of geography
spatial thinking. was the research topic presented most frequently
(Table 3). It represented the major interest in and
Standards, concepts and experience as a topic
Copyright© Nuova Cultura Italian Association of Geography TeachersJoseph P. Stoltman 23
developments with the uses of technology in but that is gradually changing. Individual
European classrooms. While the use of teachers and possibly students who are inclined
technology in teaching geography was well to introduce geospatial technologies in the
represented during the CGE Symposium in classroom and through field work do so at their
Freiburg, technology was the focus of just 4 own initiative rather than through an educational
presentations at the CGE in Cologne, while policy or curriculum expectation. It appears
EUROGEO included 7 presentations. The from the presentations at the 2012 IGU that
possible explanation may be the greater Europe has considerable activity in using
commitment within the European regions for technology to teach geography, or at least
technology in geography, such as Geographic promoting the use of technology. That said, it is
Information Systems and Geographic also necessary to note the large proportion of
Positioning Systems, within the formal European colleagues who participated in the
curriculum. In the United States in general, IGU Symposium and Congress and may over
geospatial technology used by geography represent the overall use of geospatial
students is normally part of the informal technology.
curriculum rather than the formal curriculum,
Category Number of Category Number of
presentations presentations
Technology and 7 Sustainability 2
Teaching Geography
World and 3 Total 12
International Views presentations
Table 3. Categorization of Papers presented at EUROGEO Sessions 2012 IGU Congress – Cologne.
Source: Dohnert, 2012.
The IGU Congress and Symposium of the
5. Conclusions Commission on Geography Education have
significance for geographical education
This paper is based on the premise that the internationally. They bring geography educators
presentations on geography education during the together to reflect on the diverse array of topics
2012 CGE-IGU were representative of the that we include in our discipline? I believe this
leading topics in geographical education occurs for two reasons. The first is the belief
research and practices internationally. Granted, among geography educators that a practical
not all countries or larger regions of the world knowledge of Earth, its environment and people
were represented at CGE-IGU events. However, are essential to becoming a responsible citizen at
those attending do represent a global sample of the local place where one resides. International
current activity in geography education. The understanding and the ability to responsibly
2012 CGE-IGU was more heavily attended by consider the points of view of other people from
colleagues from Europe due to geographical different countries and groups are also tangible
proximity. However, there was representation benefits from knowledge of geography. As an
from North America and Asia. South America IGU and a Commission the larger goals are the
and Africa were less well represented. exchange of scientific knowledge, increasing
Therefore, the data must be viewed in terms of interactivity among geographers, and enhancing
its bias towards Europe, Asia, and North international understanding among people. Each
America. This bias is not equally proportional, of these outcomes is important to 21st century
and Europe led both in the number of papers and citizenship.
participation in the Congress sessions associated
Secondly, the Commission through its
with CGE.
activities is the advocate for furthering the
Copyright© Nuova Cultura Italian Association of Geography Teachers24 Joseph P. Stoltman
international foundations of the discipline 5. Gerber R. and Lidstone J. (Eds.),
through our flagship documents. I suggest that Developments and Directions in
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recommendations of the International Charter 6. Graves N.J. (Ed.), New UNESCO Source
on Geography Education, the United Nation’s Book for Geography Teaching, Paris,
Charter on Human Rights and a long term UNESCO, 1982.
inquiry into the ways in which we address 7. Hardin C., “President’s column:
sustainability issues and the outcomes. This will Sustainability and dancing”, Newsletter of
require continued attention to the scientific the Association of American Geographers,
contributions of the discipline as well as the 44, 9, 2009.
reservoir of humanistic and arts traditions that
geography brings to education. For example, the 8. Haubrich H., International Charter on
landscape paintings by Giovanni Costa of the Geographical Education, Freiburg,
Tuscan and Umbrian countryside are deeply Germany, Paedagogische Hochschule
geographic and filled with the emotion that Freiburg, 1992.
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