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Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

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the coord<strong>in</strong>ate “space” to the coord<strong>in</strong>ate “time” (Teacher I),“The <strong>Geography</strong> fields ofwork are strongly related to Sociology, Economy and ma<strong>in</strong>ly with History” (TeacherII); “<strong>Geography</strong> is complementary with History” (Teacher III). <strong>Geography</strong> was seenas useful and positive <strong>in</strong> Citizenship education, “It helps <strong>in</strong> the understand<strong>in</strong>g ofdiversity” (teacher IV); and “<strong>Geography</strong> <strong>in</strong>troduces critical th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g”(Teacher V).Some f<strong>in</strong>al remarks“To have and to have not”, the title of this paper, could also be the ma<strong>in</strong> conclusionof the study. <strong>Geography</strong> is present <strong>in</strong> Spanish schools but it is not seen by students as“useful knowledge”, for them <strong>Geography</strong> does not matter. Is it due to its position <strong>in</strong>the curriculum? To what extent is the fact that it is be<strong>in</strong>g taught by non-Geographerscontribut<strong>in</strong>g to that perception?In spite of the shortage of geographers <strong>in</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g, it can also be said that teach<strong>in</strong>gwas traditionally the ma<strong>in</strong> perspective for the few graduates <strong>in</strong> <strong>Geography</strong>. S<strong>in</strong>ce1995, the <strong>in</strong>tensive use of GIS and ICT has opened new opportunities for Geograhygraduates and they are now ma<strong>in</strong>ly employed <strong>in</strong> technical jobs, <strong>in</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g andresearch units. In addition, the access to teach<strong>in</strong>g posts is becom<strong>in</strong>g even more difficultas the large surplus of graduates <strong>in</strong> History makes the competition for teach<strong>in</strong>gjobs even greater.If we add that because of the birth rate the total number of University applicants hassensibly decreased, we can conclude that it altogether it will be very difficult to changethe situation and that the recruitment of candidates for <strong>Geography</strong> degrees requiresa additional efforts. University <strong>Geography</strong> departments have implemented somepolicies based on the dissem<strong>in</strong>ation of <strong>in</strong>formation to Secondary schools. Universityteachers personally visit the schools, <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g the students to the ever widen<strong>in</strong>grange of possibilities for geographers to work <strong>in</strong> different and excit<strong>in</strong>g jobs.The results of this survey re<strong>in</strong>forces the idea that there is a lack of skills andcompetences <strong>in</strong> the teach<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>Geography</strong> and confirms that secondary teachers donot seem to be <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>-service activities to update their competences. Howdoes this feet with the pr<strong>in</strong>ciple of “lifelong learn<strong>in</strong>g”? Probably the most importantoutcome of the work should be the need to <strong>in</strong>form Departments of <strong>Geography</strong> ofthe situation of <strong>Geography</strong> <strong>in</strong> Schools and the implications for the recruitment ofstudents, university teach<strong>in</strong>g and research, and to help the departments concerned<strong>in</strong> the reflection of how they should try to encourage geography graduates to workas <strong>Geography</strong> teachers and to get <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>-service activities needed byexist<strong>in</strong>g teachers and thus <strong>in</strong> the encouragement of these teachers to improve thequality, relevance and contemporary nature of their teach<strong>in</strong>g.References1. STOLTMAN J., SANDERS R. 2004. Compar<strong>in</strong>g Geographical <strong>Education</strong> <strong>in</strong> Europe andthe United States:Content and Concepts. Unedited paper. IGU Conference. Glasgow.2. VILLANUEVA M. 2000. European <strong>in</strong>tegration, social change and new challenges <strong>in</strong>the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g of teachers <strong>in</strong> Spa<strong>in</strong>: more questions than answers, <strong>in</strong> SULTANA, R.(ed)Teacher education <strong>in</strong> Euro-mediterranean region. Peter Lang.New York.227

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