Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
4.4
Issues for the Future
Three issues are highlighted from the examination of the current status of senior
high school geography education.
The fi rst is the response to learning that explores various geographic problems,
which are emphasized in both the new Geography A and Geography B. Although it
is diffi cult to maintain that learning incorporates local regional surveys or that
exploratory activities have been adequately carried out through the present (National
Education Policy Research Institute
2007
), many teachers have been confused over
how to embody and implement the new learning content. Several urgent needs
remain: (1) To examine outcomes and problems in cases where the new learning
content has already been tackled; (2) to share examples of practice through publica-
tions and the Internet; and (3) to develop and provide relevant teaching materials
created through collaboration between researchers and educators in the schools.
The second issue is the development of teaching materials that continue to dem-
onstrate to students the usefulness of geography. Students have reported the usefulness
of geography subjects in comparison with other subjects within the Geography and
History categories (National Education Policy Research Institute
2007
). Students
become aware of geography's value by learning about relevant topics such as disaster
prevention; hence, these have been added to the content in the 2009 National
Curriculum Standards. Another tactic has been to foster exploratory learning, bring-
ing together disaster prevention researchers as an example, to collaborate with
teachers in developing specifi c teaching materials in conformity with the content.
These resources are available to the larger education community and create a strong
argument for the utility of geography, in the hopes of increasing student enrollment.
Foreseeable obstacles include a continuing decline in the number of teachers special-
izing in geography, coupled with fi nding teachers who can teach geography subjects.
The number of qualifi ed teachers with geography skills (e.g., map use, the natural
environment, and conducting surveys) needs to increase in order to halt the decline
in geography classes being offered. One challenge is that good training opportunities
are not provided for teachers of Geography and History, so they tend to shy away
from teaching geography subjects. Thus, geography teachers are a critical element of
the solution to increase geography enrollment numbers in the future.
References
Asakawa T (2006) Chirikei kamoku no rishu doko (Enrollment trends in geography subjects).
Chiri 51(8):56-59
MEXT (2009) Koto gakko gakushu shido yoryo, Heisei 21 nen 3 gatsu (School curriculum guide-
lines for senior high schools, March 2009). Higshiyama shobo, Kyoto
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (1951) Chugako kotogakko gakushusdo yoryo
shakaika hen III (c) Jinbun chiri (shian) (The 1951 revised edition of the national curriculum
for junior and senior high schools, social studies section, 'human geography' draft). Ministry
of Education, Science and Culture, Tokyo
