Geographical Information Systems (GIS) represent one of the major contributions to spatial analysis and planning of the new technologies. While teachers and others have viewed its potential contribution to geographical education as considerable, it has not been known with any certainty whether they present a valuable educational tool that aids geographical education. The value of GIS to geographical education is viewed as depending on a geographical education being, in itself, valuable. Within this context, synergetic focus groups are employed to explore the conceptions of GIS held by 109 secondary school students studying Senior Geography in metropolitan and regional Queensland, Australia. A phenomenographic approach is adopted to identify the six qualitatively different ways, or conceptions, in which the participating students experience GIS as: 1. Maps and a source of maps in geography. 2. Mapping in geography: a way to use and create maps. 3. A professional mapping tool: exceeding the needs of senior geography. 4. Frustrating geography: irksome and presenting many challenges to the student-user. 5. Relevant geography: within and beyond the school experience. 6. A better geography: offering a superior curriculum, and broader geographical education, when contrasted to a senior geography that omits its use. The structural and referential elements of each of these conceptions are elucidated within corresponding Categories of Description. The qualitatively different ways in which the conceptions may be experienced are illustrated through an Outcome Space, comprising a metaphoric island landscape. This structural framework reveals that for the Senior Geography students who participated in this investigation, the extent to which GIS may augment the curriculum is influenced by the nature of students' individual understandings of how GIS manages spatial data. This research project is a response to repeated calls in the literature for teachers of geography themselves to become researchers and for a better understanding of GIS within geography education. It reviews the salient literature with respect to geography and geography education generally, and GIS within geographical education specifically. The investigation has confirmed that qualitatively different conceptions of GIS exist amongst students and that these are not consistently aligned with assumptions about its use and benefits as presented by current literature. The findings of the study contribute to knowledge of the potential educational outcomes associated with the use of GIS in geography education and decisions related to current and potential geography curricula. It provides guidance for future curriculum development involving GIS and argues for additional research to inform educators and the spatial sciences industry about the actual and perceived role of GIS within geography education.

O presente trabalho objetiva compreender as problemáticas e desafios que os movimentos de cursos Pré vestibulares populares trazem ao currículo e ao ensino de Geografia. Desafios que estão ligados a tensão existente nesses cursos entre o preparo para o vestibular e a tarefa enquanto movimento social, que visa acesso à educação pelas classes populares e também sua conquista da autonomia, assim se pesquisou e se refletiu sobre o surgimento e expansão desse movimento no Brasil, sobretudo, no Rio de Janeiro. Para cumprir o objetivo, a pesquisa conta com uma análise dos movimentos sociais no contexto de projetos de educação popular, pois é dessa relação que emergiu o movimento dos Pré-vestibulares populares. Foi necessário ainda, discutir, a partir de toda uma base bibliográfica sobre o ensino de geografia e as contradições e dificuldades inerentes a ele, como os cursos populares atuam na construção de um currículo de geografia? A pesquisa foi desenvolvida a partir da investigação em uma análise comparativa das mediações políticas que ocorreram e ocorrem dentro de dois cursos, o Pré-PJ em Duque de Caxias e o Curso Millennium em Niterói. Como essas mediações refletem nos currículos desses cursos? E por fim como essas mediações afetam os professores e as professoras? Como eles se colocam em sua prática? / This study aims to understand the issues and challenges which the movements of courses Pré-vestibular popular bring the curriculum and teaching of geography. Challenges connected to tension between these schools preparation for college entrance and the task as Social Movement, which seeks access to education by the popular classes and also his conquest of autonomy, thus researched and reflected on the emergence and expansion of this movement in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro. To meet the goal, the research relies on an analysis of social movements in the context of popular education projects, it is this relationship that emerged from the movement of the Pre-vestibular popular. It was also necessary to discuss, from an entire bibliographic database on teaching geography and contradictions and difficulties inherent in it, how the popular courses act in building a geography curriculum? The research was developed from research on a comparative analysis of political mediations that occurred and occur in two courses, the Pre-PJ in Duque de Caxias and the Curso Millennium in Niteroi. How these mediations reflect the curricula of these courses? And finally how these mediations affect teachers and the teachers? As they arise in your practice?

Education has a key role in the formation of the human role, aimed at preparing participants and being committed to the transformation of society. It is even more true for the educator guide students to understanding, appreciation and positive action on the space - environmental context in which they live, identifying their problems and engaging in search of effective and sustainable solutions for the same, which is of specificity with regard to education in rural areas. In this context, environmental education needs to ally itself to the various areas of human knowledge and recognition of empirical knowledge in order to promote understanding, not disfigure the peasant culture. Based on these considerations , the proposed study has the objective : Understanding the perceptions of students of 4th and 5th years of E. M. San Francisco in relation to the environment in which they live and the interrelationship with the knowledge built in this school , and specific objectives : - To characterize the specifics of working with environmental education in school ; - Investigate the perceptions of students about the environment in which live ; - Develop and evaluate an experiment in environmental education that strives to articulate the reality of Geography settlement . The prime methodology was participatory research, obtaining necessary information by conducting activities with the students, which were analyzed with the theoretical framework, linking theory and practice. Completing the importance of educators know the reality where the student is inserted , in your community , working with the social context , their relationships and interactions in society , making the most significant education. / A educação possui um papel fundamental para a formação do ser humano, visando à preparação de seres participantes e comprometidos com a transformação da sociedade. Faz-se ainda mais premente para o educador orientar os alunos para a compreensão, valorização e atuação positiva sobre o contexto espaço-ambiental em que vivem, identificando suas problemáticas e engajando-se na busca de soluções efetivas e sustentáveis para as mesmas, o que se reveste de especificidade no tocante à educação em meio rural. Neste contexto, a educação ambiental precisa aliar-se às diversas áreas do conhecimento humano e ao reconhecimento dos saberes empíricos, a fim de promover a compreensão, sem descaracterizar a cultura campesina. Com base nessas considerações, a presente proposta de estudo tem por objetivo geral: Compreender a percepção dos educandos do 4º e 5º anos da E. M. São Francisco em relação ao meio em que estão inseridos e a inter-relação com os conhecimentos construídos na referida escola; e como objetivos específicos: - Caracterizar as especificidades do trabalho com educação ambiental na escola; - Investigar as percepções dos educandos sobre o meio em que vivem; - Desenvolver e avaliar uma experiência em Educação Ambiental que busca articular a Geografia à realidade do assentamento. A metodologia privilegiada foi a pesquisa participante, obtendo informações necessárias através da realização de atividades com os alunos, que foram analisadas com o referencial teórico, relacionando a teoria e a prática. Concluindo a importância de o educador conhecer a realidade onde o aluno está inserido, na sua comunidade, trabalhar com o contexto social, suas relações e interações na sociedade, tornando o ensino mais significativo.

Geografi som skolämne är nyanserat och innehållsrikt där specifika metoder och verktyg är väsentliga för inlärning. I och med ett utvecklande digitaliserat samhälle resulterar det till behovet av att lära ut datoriserande verktyg i geografi, däribland Geografiska informationssystem (GIS). Däremot förekommer det barriärer med hur geografilärare i årskurs 7-9 ska implementera kartverktyget, vilket leder till att syftet med undersökningen är att studera hur lärares relation till GIS ser ut. Metoderna som användes var genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer samt en enkätundersökning. Urvalet var baserat på ett kriteriebaserat urval där geografilärare i årskurs 7-9 var respondenterna. Geografilärarnas implementering av GIS var varierande, men samtidigt enhetlig där samtliga respondenter använde webbaserade GIS-tjänster, exempelvis Google Earth, och därmed ingen som genomför undervisning med GIS-mjukvaror. Därav upplevde respondenterna en explicit barriär med GIS-mjukvaror där de orsakande faktorerna var bland annat tid, bristfälliga kunskaper och att det var en ekonomisk fråga. Vid implementeringen av GIS indikerades även en slags omedveten barriär som innefattar att lärare har en ensidig definition och bild av GIS, vilket oftast hänvisas till GIS-mjukvaror. Kontentan av undersökningen är att geografilärares implementering, upplevelse och tolkning baseras på tidigare erfarenheter och utifrån Skolverkets styrdokument, vilket praktiseras genom enkla former av GIS, däribland webbaserade GIS-applikationer.

The map is not only a tool for depicting one's surroundings, but also a tool that has the important property of conveying knowledge and information in a visual way. In recent times, teachers have noticed a certain concern about students' reduced mapskills and weakened mental maps. With the help of spatial theories, it is made visible how spatiality is expressed in educational history through the usage of maps. This includes how maps contribute to a knowledge-conveying dimension and clarification in teaching. The aim of this thesis is to deepen the knowledge of how maps are utilised in the history subject to promote student learning. The role of maps in conveying historical knowledge within a spatial dimension will be analysed in order to establish support in the students' education and continued learning.   The three theories of space that form the basis of the essay's analysis are; the absolute space, the relative space and the relational space. Methodologically, the interviews were analysed based on the three spatial perspectives to visualize how the usage of maps spatialise history. This also demonstrates the pedagogical value of maps in teaching. This thesis is a case study and intends to represent five teachers' perspectives and approach of including maps as a tool in history education for upper secondary school, which takes place through a qualitative interview study.   The results show that a map's area of ​​usage and both mediating as well as communicative purpose depends on the educational circumstances and the choices the teacher makes. In relation to the spatial perspectives and the teachers' interviews, it is possible to distinguish different areas of usage for maps when it comes to spatializing historical knowledge and information.

In 1987 the Brundtland rapport was released which defines sustainable development as a development that satisfies todays needs without jeopardizing future generations. Sustainable development is very much a current topic, discussed in international settings and within countries. It is also very much a current issue in education. The aim of this study is to explore how sustainable development is portrayed in Swedish geography education in secondary and upper secondary school. It also takes interest in spatial perspectives of how sustainable development is described by applying keyword as scale, place and room. Sustainable development is examined through a qualitative method that interpret and analyses sustainable development with the help of two theoretical premisses, one categorizing sustainable development into different steps and one applying a spatial perspective. The studied material consists of curriculums and textbooks for both secondary and upper secondary school from 1970 to 2011. The analysis shows sustainable development takes up more room in curriculums and textbooks the closer to present time it is published. The spatial perspective is above all global and ecological factors take up most of the descriptions and discussions.

Students who identify as being from an ethnic minority are under-represented within school geography in England at Key Stage 4 (ages 14 – 16) and Key Stage 5 (ages 16 – 18). At these stages geography is an optional subject and how students view geographical knowledge may influence their GCSE and A level subject choices. This study uses an intersectional theoretical lens to explore representations of geographical knowledge by students of different ethnicities, the stories that relate to these representations and how the students accounted for the GCSE and A level subject choices that they made. The first part of the study reveals a lack of empirical and contemporary research into ethnic minority students’ views of geographical knowledge and subject choices. This is followed by a two-strand exploratory case study at one girls’ grammar school in England. The practitioner-researcher strand was two phase; in the first phase, 314 sixth form students (aged 16 – 18) completed a questionnaire to gauge initial views of geographical knowledge. During the second phase, eight of these students represented their views of geographical knowledge through collages, critical incident charts and semi-structured interviews that explored their stories in depth. In parallel, a group of Year 10 (aged 14 – 15) students as researchers used questionnaires to investigate the influence of parents and other factors contributing to students’ subject choices at GCSE level. In the study, geographical knowledge was represented in different ways given different methods. It was found to be diverse and individual, although it was possible for specific themes to be identified. The representations reflected the characteristics and concepts from students’ recent formal experiences of geography. Informal experiences also featured but these were not always explicit or straightforwardly definable. Unless students could see the intrinsic usefulness of their view of geographical knowledge then they were unlikely to choose the subject past GCSE level. This study expands theoretical conceptualisations of how students represent geographical knowledge and the factors affecting subject choice, engages students as researchers in a methodologically innovative way and provides a rich and detailed account of post-14 subject choice by ethnic minority students which otherwise does not exist in an English context.

Denna studie undersöker hur lärare arbetar med kartor i skolan och hur elever uppfattar användandet av kartor, både i skolan och i vardagslivet. Hur lärare uppfattar förändringen i mötet med kartan genom bytet från Lpo 94 och Lgr 11 kommer också att belysas. För att få svar på dessa frågor har åtta stycken intervjuer av lärare på högstadiet samt fyra fokusgrupper innehållande fyra elever styck genomförts. I intervjuerna uppger lärarna att det idag finns en bristfällig helhetssyn gällande kartan hos eleverna, fokus ligger ofta på ett litet område. Lärarna anser att denna utveckling inom ungdomars kartuppfattning påverkas av dagens teknik, som till exempel GPS där fokus ligger på start- och slutpunkten. Både papperskartor och digitala kartor är nödvändiga för att skapa en strukturerad världsbild där fokus ligger både på det lilla och på det stora menar lärarna. Fem av de intervjuade lärarna anser att de behöver mer kompetens gällande IT för att kunna använda sig mer av digitala kartor. I fokusgrupperna ansåg först de flesta eleverna att de inte mötte kartan överhuvudtaget i vardagslivet, men efter diskussion framgick det att de möter någon form av karta varje dag, som till exempel i dator/Tv-spel, checkar in på ett ställe med Facebook eller söker reda på en adress med hjälp av Google Maps. Bland de 16 elever som var med i fokusgrupperna ansåg 12 stycken att både papperskartan och den digitala kartan behövdes i undervisningen. De ansåg att den digitala kartan, då framförallt Google Earth, var ett roligare verktyg och gjorde lektionstillfällena mer intressanta, men de menade på att en papperskarta ger en bättre helhetsbild av området man skulle undersöka. / This study examines how teachers use the map as an educational aid in school and how students perceive the use of maps, both in school and their every-day life. How do the teachers perceive that the use of maps have changed with the update of the curriculum, from Lpo 94 to Lgr 11 is also going to be elucidated. To answer these questions, eight interviews with junior high school teachers and four focus groups consisting of four students each were done. During the interviews, the teachers stated that students today have a flawed/inadequate/deficient comprehensive view of the map, where focus often lies on a small area. The teachers regard this development of students’ perception of the map as a product of today’s technology, for example GPS where focus lies on finding the starting and ending points. Both paper and digital maps are essential when creating a structured view of the world where focus is both on the small and the big, according to the teachers. Five of the interviewed teachers stated that they need more knowledge about the technology to be able to use digital maps more. In the focus groups, most of the students primarily stated that they did not meet the map at all in their every-day life, but after discussion it was made clear that they meet some kind of map every day, for example in computer/video games, checking in somewhere on Facebook or finding an address with the help of Google Maps. Among the 16 students that participated in the focus groups, 12 stated that both the paper map and the digital map were needed in the education. They think that the digital map, especially Google Earth, is a funnier tool and make the lessons more interesting, but they stated that a paper map provides a better comprehensive picture of the designated area.

The main goal of this diploma thesis is further analysis of cross-curricural subject ?Education towards Thinking in European and Global Context? at the second stage at the elementary school from the perspective of geography. The first part of the thesis is dealing with position and importance of this cross-curricular subject in Framework Education Programme for Elementary Education, especially with emphasis on geography education; is also summarizing existing experiences of its education first at pilot elementary schools and also according to results of a survey at elementary schools in place of my residence. I suggest my own attitude to educating cross-curricular subject ?Education towards Thinking in European and Global Context? from the perspective of geography teacher with regard to new trends in education in the second part of my diploma thesis. Teaching material is designed in a form of a workbook and there is also available a methodological guide interfaced with this workbook for teachers.

This compilation licentiate thesis focuses on geography teaching in a digital teaching and learning environment in the Swedish secondary school. Departing from a subject-didactic perspective, the aim was to explore the relation between teachers’ knowledge base, choices and usage of digital tools and geography teaching. The preconditions to develop students geographical thinking has been of specific interest. The thesis consists of two joint studies: a regional survey (n=47) and a case study based on workshops. The results from the first study formed a basis for the design of the second study. The study draws on theories on teachers’ knowledge base, pedagogical content knowledge and TPACK.  The first study focused on teachers’ view of what secondary geography education implies in a digital teaching and learning environment. The second study explored secondary social science teachers’ curriculum thinking when constructing lesson plans containing geographical analyses with subject-specific digital tools (SSDT). The results reveal that handling geographical analysis in geography education stand out as a complex content that challenges teachers’ professional management competence. The usage of digital tools and SSDTs, such as GIS, varies. Subject specific games are commonly used in geography teaching. However, SSDTs that provide great amount of geographical data, for instance GIS, are not as commonly used. Moreover, results from the second study indicate that most participating teachers engaged in geographical thinking when planning their lessons, but there is an imbedded difficulty regarding transforming such thinking into student instructions. Also, integrating the SSDTs in the lesson plans proved to be challenging for some of the teachers. This implies developing each knowledge aspect is crucial alongside developing an integration of the knowledge aspects. / Den här studien utgår från ett ämnesdidaktiskt perspektiv och undersöker relationen mellan högstadielärares kunskapsbas, val och användning av digitala verktyg och geografiundervisning. Två delstudier ligger till grund för studiens resultat. Den första delstudien består av en regional enkätstudie med SO-lärare i årskurserna 7-9, vilken undersöker lärarnas val och användning av digitala verktyg i geografiundervisningen. Resultaten från den första delstudien gav underlag och uppslag för hur nästa delstudie skulle designas. Den andra delstudien är utformad som en fallstudie, och baseras på workshops med en grupp högstadielärare. Den fokuserar på lärares planering av undervisningen där elever får göra geografiska analyser med hjälp av ämnesspecifika digitala verktyg (ÄSDV) i syfte att utveckla det geografiska tänkandet. Studien vilar på teorier om lärares kunskapsbas, TPACK och ett geografididaktiskt forskningstema, geografiskt tänkande. Resultaten visar att geografiska analyser är ett komplext ämnesinnehåll och därmed även ett utmanande inslag i geografiundervisningen. Överlag används digitala verktyg i undervisningen men ÄSDV som innehåller stor mängd geografiska data (t. ex. geografiska informationssystem), används i markant lägre utsträckning. Studien visar även att integrationen mellan olika aspekter i lärarens kunskapsbas är central för att genomföra en undervisning som utvecklar geografiskt tänkande med hjälp av digitala verktyg.