Sarah Witham Bednarz

Lessons Learned from Reviewing Research in GIS Education

As Roger Downs wrote in 1994, it would be nice to have some data upon which to make decisions regarding significant geography education issues. In the absence of data, it would be advisable to at least pay attention to research methodology, or what he terms, the basics of the empirical method. ”. . . [Mluch of the existing work in geography education fails to meet generally accepted research standards in terms of design, execution, and reporting.. ... There are too many one-of-a-kind, ad hoc studies that do not lead to a cumulative understanding of essential phenomena. Thus we lack a range of valid and reliable instruments for assessment. . . ..Therefore, we need to pay attention to the basics of the empirical method: sample selection, hypothesis formulation, data quality, statistical analysis, reporting requirements, research ethics, etc.” (Downs 1994,129). A decade later this call remains relevant, pressing, and still unmet.

Europe and the United States: the implementation of geographic information systems in secondary education in two contexts

Since its inception in the early 1990s, geographic information science and its related technology, geographic information systems (GIS), have diffused slowly into select groups of K‐12 classrooms worldwide. The technology has not been adopted at a rate commensurate with expectations. The purpose of this article is to explore GIS implementation by comparing the variable status of GIS education in pre‐collegiate education in the United States and Europe and factors that appear to play a role in diffusion. The authors use a model of internal and external factors that influence adoption of education innovation as a heuristic to compare and draw conclusions.

Community Engagement for Student Learning in Geography

This article examines the role and purpose of community engagement as a learning and teaching strategy within higher education geography. It explores different interpretations of the concept of community engagement and illustrates different examples of this kind of learning through six case studies drawn from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA. Key factors which can lead to success in community engagement and also some of the risks and challenges are discussed. Geographers are encouraged to become involved in this kind of experiential learning and to share practice across a wide range of institutions and countries.

Evaluating Geography Textbook Questions from a Spatial Perspective: Using Concepts of Space, Tools of Representation, and Cognitive Processes to Evaluate Spatiality.

Abstract This article examines whether questions embedded in geography textbooks address three components of spatial thinking: concepts of space, tools of representation, and processes of reasoning. A three-dimensional taxonomy of spatial thinking was developed and used to evaluate questions in four high school level geography textbooks. The results indicate that textbook questions focus on low-level spatial concepts more frequently than high-level spatial concepts; few questions require students to create various kinds of spatial representations; and textbook questions only rarely encourage higher-order cognitive skills. The study provides insights on the design and use of textbook questions to foster learning to think spatially.

A Research Agenda for Geospatial Technologies and Learning

Abstract Knowledge around geospatial technologies and learning remains sparse, inconsistent, and overly anecdotal. Studies are needed that are better structured; more systematic and replicable; attentive to progress and findings in the cognate fields of science, technology, engineering, and math education; and coordinated for multidisciplinary approaches. A proposed agenda is designed to frame the next generation of research in this field, organized around four foci: (1) connections between GST and geospatial thinking; (2) learning GST; (3) curriculum and student learning through GST; and (4) educators’ professional development with GST. Recommendations for advancing this agenda are included.

Geography Education: The Glass Is Half Full and It's Getting Fuller

Abstract This article examines the recent progress of geography education as an academic subfield of geography and as an area of activity in K–12 education. Challenges to both endeavors are described. A restructuring of geography educations research program that focuses on spatial thinking and reasoning and merges applied and theoretical research is proposed.

US World Geography Textbooks: Their Role in Education Reform

Textbooks play a central role in the US education system. High school level World Geography textbooks are an important tool in the campaign to reform geography education in the United States, particularly through the introduction of the National Geography Standards. The status of the Standards in US schools is appraised. Five factors (authority, power, prescriptiveness, consistency, and internal issues) influence the adoption of education reform efforts like the Standards. These factors can be used to assess implementation. The textbook selection process is described and previous research in tracking implementation of the Standards in geography textbooks is presented. A preliminary analysis of four high school World Geography textbooks is conducted to measure change over time.

Preservice Geography Education.

Abstract Improving preservice education, especially geography preservice education, is difficult because few geography faculty understand the teacher education process, many education professors who prepare geography teachers are not geographically well-educated, education and geography faculties do not communicate effectively, and efforts by alliances and other organizations have focused on inservice teachers, for the most part. Recommendations to improve preservice education in geography are offered. The authors argue that none of these recommendations should be implemented without considering its relationship with all of the components of the geography education system.

Preparing Geography Teachers in the United States.

Introduction Teacher preparation has been called the bete noire of geography education in the United States (Boehm et al., 1994). Despite progress in other areas of geography, teacher education remains a significant issue affecting the quality of geography instruction nationwide. It is a multifaceted, multidimensional problem tied inextricably to national trends in education and teacher education reform. Some problems have resulted from a spatially dispersed and decentralised system of teacher education and certification (Bednarz & Bednarz, 1995; Wang et al., 2003; Winston, 1984; Wilson et al., 2001). US teacher programmes vary widely. More than 1300 institutions prepare teachers. Today, however, many of the tensions within teacher education are the result of ideological arguments that have become highly politicised, pitting conservatives against liberals, Republicans against Democrats, in increasingly polarised discussions. As a consequence, geographers and professional geography societies have less influence in teacher preparation. This paper will briefly explore some of the significant issues affecting teacher preparation in the United States. We focus first on the volatile national context, particularly on changes in the last decade. The implications on teacher preparation of recent federal legislation entitled No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in general, and geography education specifically, are explored. Next, we describe the changing models of teacher education, including alternative certification, and the implications for geography education. We conceptualise teacher preparation as a three-stage process, and describe mentoring and professional development in geography education in the induction and early professional development stages. We conclude by reviewing the issues geography educators face in the next decade, suggesting research that may address them. Because of the limited space available, we will concentrate on aspects of teacher preparation as they affect geography teachers. For an excellent general review of US teacher preparation, see Preparing Teachers Around the World by Wang et al. (2003). One must remember that geography is a strand of the social studies curriculum in the IRGEE 158f

Geography Education Research in the Journal of Geography 1988-1997

Geography education has become a more important subfield of geography in the United States despite its different nature from other disciplinary subfields and observed status. It is defined as the intersection between two academic domains, geography and education. A typology of research in geography education is developed and used to characterise research that has appeared in the Journal of Geography, 1988-1997, a key period in the development of geography education in the United States. Changes in the scope and methodologies of geography education research are evident. Implications for its academic status are discussed.