Eduard Hofmann

Geography Curriculum in Czechia: Challenging Opportunities

This chapter evaluates the geography curriculum in Czechia. We are fully aware that the concepts as well as the contents of geography education differ in every country due to their different history, language and culture. In other words, every curriculum is influenced by its national context. The chapter provides an understanding of the general education system in Czechia, current issues, developments, problems, changes and trends in teaching geography. At the same time, attention is paid to the strengths and weaknesses of current Czech geography education. The final summary is targeted at a comparison of selected teaching processes and approaches in a broader international, especially Central European, context.

Case Studies in Geography Education as a Powerful Way of Teaching Geography

A case study presents an appropriate form and method of providing students with a solution of real situations from the surroundings in which they live. This is called “powerful teaching”, and it is designed to help pupils and students to be able to cope with the rigours of everyday life through geography education. This method is not so well known and used in Czechia as abroad, where it is known under the name “powerful knowledge” or “powerful teaching”. For this reason the introductory part of this chapter devotes enough space to understand “powerful learning” and noted how it differs from inquiry-based, project-based, problem-based, student-centred and constructivist approaches to learning. Knowledge from the Czech geography education is in our case used for solving a case study in a decisive process in which students solve options and consequences of the construction of a ski resort in Brno (in Czechia). They submit their conclusions to the municipal council for assessment.

Integrating Physical Education and Geography - Case Study of the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Denmark

This is the first book of a new series published by the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University on topical issues in physical and health education. This book aims to address the lack of international knowledge and research in interdisciplinary teaching and curriculum development, especially when it comes to the subjects of Physical Education and Geography. The authors analyse and compare elementary school curricular documents from three countries, the Czech Republic, Denmark and the Republic of Slovenia, to reveal how integration is embedded at the policy level. A questionnaire survey of teachers shows how the integrated curriculum is implemented in practice. The book also includes examples of interdisciplinary cooperation between the two subjects.