Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
9.5.2
Four Spatial Scales for Fostering Children's Identity
The forms in which social issues manifest themselves vary with spatial scale. The
author propose that four spatial scales be included in a curriculum: (1) local area;
(2) Japan (the nation); (3) international (including cultural regions, economic
regions, and others); and (4) global. The most appropriate scale best represents
the issues; however, there is no guideline for its selection. Flexible establishment of
an appropriate study space for the understanding and solution of social issues is
referred to hereafter as the “multiple focus method” (Takeuchi and
no
2002
).
A geography curriculum with the multiple focus method contributes to supporting
children's identity in the formation of multilayered regions, a goal of social participa-
tion learning in the local area. Advances in thinking about social participation learning
are based on events in the immediate local area, in which students search for possible
solutions. In this context, students think comparatively about similar problems in other
areas of Japan and, by recasting these within the nation, they acquire abilities and skills
while shifting scales. Depending on the community topic selected, consideration from
an international or global perspective may be useful. Students will deepen their abilities
and skills as they form understanding of regions across spatial scales.
7
Figure
9.1
presents a geography curriculum that incorporates social participation within
the context of the National Curriculum Standards. The central core focuses on community
Ō
Fig. 9.1
Composition of a proposed Geography curriculum that incorporates social participation
7
Research conducted with the same awareness goals presented in this paper is found in Hihara's
theory of geography learning at multiple scales (Hihara
2005
).
