L.J.A.E. Vankan

The International Challenge of More Thinking Through Geography

Geography is a brilliant, exciting subject but you would not say that when you look in some classrooms. Often pupils are bored and demotivated. The question is how to make geography lessons more interesting. In the 1990s the Thinking Through Geography (TTG) group, comprising teachers and lecturers in geographical education and based in north-east England, developed some successful strategies to stimulate pupils to think through geography. Some years later the ideas reached the Netherlands. A survey showed that geography teachers in the Netherlands like the innovation – a liking that grows with familiarity. Although there may be a discussion about the usability of specific strategies, more Thinking Through Geography should be an international challenge.

Towards a new way of learning and teaching in geographical education

Most countries are currently concerned with raising educational standards throughout the compulsory school years. But it is also argued, as the OECD (MacLure & Davies, 1991) points out, that the minimal requirements of schooling, i.e. mastery of the basics (reading, writing, mathematics, science etc.), however excellently taught, are not sufficient to meet the demands of the labour market and active citizenship. It is now recognised that a broader range of competencies, redefined as ‘higher order’ thinking skills, is required, because: