david Örbin- lund-human geography

8/20/2019 David Örbin- Lund-Human Geography

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ABILITIES IN GEOGRAPHY IN

COMPULSORY SCHOOL IN SWEDEN

– AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE

PERSPECTIVE

David Örbring

Doctoral student in Educational SciencesDepartment of Educational SciencesLund [email protected]

Mobil: 0736510394


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Disposition

!

My research

!

Geography in Swedish schools

! Abilities in geography

! Thinking geographically and/or spatial thinking

! Teachers’ experience


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My research - Purpose

!

My research aims to seek insight into the intentions and

the background that is the basis for the concept ofabilities in geography in lgr11 in Sweden,

! and in how geography teachers describe andunderstand the concept.

!

A further purpose is to put the above insight in relation tonational and international research in geographical

education and educational science.


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Research questions

! What is an ability in geographical education? How has the conceptbeen defined, evolved and how it is used in a Swedish context?

! How do a geography teacher interpret the concept of abilities ingeography in their teaching?

! How do a geography teacher describe their teaching about abilities ingeography in relation to the future?

!

What knowledge and content is in focus when it comes to developingthe geographical abilities?

! What long-term and short-term results shall pupils achieve when itcomes to teaching about the abilities in geography?


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Method

My research is consisting of various qualitative methods:

!

Video research – stimulated recall

! Seven teachers

! Semi-structured interviews

! Seven teachers

! Three key-persons involved in the process of making the curriculum.

! Study on documents and literature

! Analytic tool: phenomenography


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!

Historical events

! Subject disappeared from upper secondary school for 30

years

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School geography and the academic subject

!

Traditions of geography

! Lost connection with the academic subject

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Geography in school today

! Describe, analyse and dealing with consequences

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Integrative geography


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!

Fall 2011 - new curriculum in Sweden

Five central parts:

! Planning,

! Implementation,

! Assessment,

! Follow-up and

! Documentation


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Curriculum

1)

Fundamental values and tasks

2)

Overall goals and guidelines

3)

Syllabus and knowledge requirements


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Syllabus and knowledgerequirements

! Purpose

! Abilities are here

! Influence but nothing that can be totally achieved

! Core content

! What to teach

! Not how much

!

You can add freely

! Knowledge requirements

! Abilities and central content

! Assessment and marks


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Swedish version of geographicalabilities in curriculum (Lgr11)

Teaching in geography should essentially give pupils the opportunitiesto develop their ability to:

! analyse how natural processes and human activities form andchange living environments in different parts of the world,

! explore and analyse the interaction between people, society andnature in different parts of the world,

!

make geographical analyses of the surrounding world, andevaluate the results by using maps and other geographicalsources, theories, methods and techniques, and

! assess solutions to different environmental and development issuesbased on considerations concerning ethics and sustainabledevelopment.


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Ability – what lies behind?

!

View of knowledge from 1994

!

Four F (in Swedish) – Facts, understanding, skills andfamilarity

! From process to results oriented

! Framework for the whole school

!

Influences: Competence, taxonomies


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Geograhical thinking

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Integrated geography

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Focus on interactions between human, society andnature

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Geographical methods

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Values and ethical considerations


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Thinking geographically (Jackson)

!

Where is space and place?

The words which are used is: parts of the world, surroundingworld and enviroments

!

Where is scale and connection?

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Where is proximity and distance?

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Where is relational thinking?


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Spatial thinking

A part of geographical thinking:

“…geographical learning requires a geographical lens, anapproach to inquiry that is grounded spatialthinking” (Sinton, Bednarz, Gersmehl and others 2013)

For example:

!

Identify, describe and analyse interaction

!

Using maps and geographical methods and techniques

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Analyse how environments form and change


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Conclusion

The abilities include thinking geographically and spatial

thinking but in an implicit way

Can you make it more explicit?

Do you need to make it more explicit?


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Teachers’ experience

The teachers have talked about abilities in different ways.

!

Some teaches talk, for example, in more general terms andsome in more specific topics of geography.

! Some teachers will reason on what may be termed asgeographical thinking.

!

Many of the interviewed has difficulties to describe whatseparates abilities in different subjects.

! Though, many interesting suggestions - For example, thatgeography is the ability to know a place you never beento, more problem solving, or that the methods makes thesubject.


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