Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.7
Lecture content of “Lesson structure in Social Studies (geography and history) with
fi eld research”
Schedule
Outline
1. Overview
Lecture on the defi nition, usage, signifi cance, and necessity
of fi eld research.
2. Reading topographical maps
of the university area
Identify areas around the university that are considered
geographically characteristic by reading a topographical map
(the class is divided into groups for discussion).
3. Creation of a route map
Create a route to follow by incorporating walking spots that
are considered to be geographically representative.
4. Field observation (about 2 h)
Follow the route map on foot (the lecturer leads the trainees
and explains the geographic events as needed).
5. Summary after observation
Return to the classroom. Compare observations with the
literature and an old version of the map, give appropriate
explanations, and respond to any questions.
6. Visit to the Geographical
Survey Institute
Visit the Geographical Survey Institute, which has a vast
stock of maps, attend a lecture on the creation of maps, and
tour the facilities.
The fi eldwork professional development program accepted 40 trainees. Elementary,
junior high, and senior high school teachers each accounted for approximately one-
third of participants attending this lecture. Table
1.7
shows the content of the lesson
After completing this workshop, a few of the trainees who normally incorporated
fi eld research into their lessons reported increased confi dence, while those who
rarely conducted fi eld research or did not know how to use it in their lessons real-
ized the importance of actually visiting a site. They also learned methods necessary
to produce teaching materials based on the area surrounding their schools. Teaching
fi eld research methods as part of the in-service teacher training for license renewal
is extremely effective for the dissemination of geography as a subject. However,
decisions about the content of such training programs are left to each university.
Although some universities provide in-service training workshops to promote the
understanding of geography, these are in the minority.
As seen above, although there are in-service training programs that provide high-
level skills and advanced knowledge to geography teachers, the recent trend in
geography education involves measures to raise the teaching skill of geography
teachers, especially in elementary and junior high schools.
1.3
Problems and Future Directions in Geography Education
1.3.1
Current Problems in Geography Education
The Japanese educational system emphasized “learning how to learn” during the
1980s and 1990s. However, in the 2000s, education content shifted to a thorough
acquisition of “basic and fundamental” knowledge. This trend was also visible in
