International Approaches to Geography Instruction

Patrick Womac

Clemson University

What is Geographic Literacy?• What it isn’t…

– Encyclopedic knowledge– Map-reading skills

• What it is…– Ability to use information about people and places to solve

problems and plan• What it requires…

– Understanding– Knowledge– Skills

A Goal of Education?

• To produce a well-informed, critical-thinking citizenry, capable of making evidence-based decisions. Democracy requires an informed electorate.

Overall Results

40 38 3834

3128 27

23 21

0

14

28

42

56

Sweden Germany Italy France Japan GreatBritain

Canada U.S. Mexico

Average # of correct answers out of a possible 56 correct

Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds

17%

83%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Afghanistan

Incorrect/don't know

Correct

Percentage of young U.S. adults correctly identifying Afghanistan on a world map

Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds

World Hotspots

Newsweek gave the US citizenship test for immigrants to people born in the US and found that only 38% could pass.

“I suggest a new regulation on war — If a majority of your country cannot find the enemy country on the map, they aren’t interested enough to justify making war against it.”

Juan Cole - http://www.juancole.com/2012/01/gods-way-of-teaching-americans-geography.html

• If you don’t know where it is, you’re not allowed to have an opinion about it. – especially about bombing it.

Or

• If you don’t know three things about a person/place/idea, then you’re not allowed to have an opinion about it.

A Theory In Progress…

Impetus & Framework

• 2006 National Geography Roper Survey

• Effects of increased geography instruction

• Personal Experience

Factors Influencing Performance

Factors that seem to influence performance:

– Level of education– Young U.S. adults who reported taking a

geography course in school performed better on the quiz.

– International travel and language skills– News-seeking behavior