Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
(Synthetic Research Institute of Elementary Education
2008
), similar results were
seen among elementary school students. Many regarded this as a serious problem,
and their concerns were refl ected in the 2008 Central Council for Education Report
(Central Council for Education
2008
). This report indicates the basic role that
regional geography education is expected to play. It supports the view that students
should acquire basic geographic knowledge about Japan and the world, both of
which are necessary in today's society. Such basic geographic knowledge is certainly
needed in daily life, but the meaning of geography in education goes beyond this.
According to Gould and White (
1974
), humans create a kind of mental map and then
use it as a basis for their decision-making processes. Thus, to develop in young
people the capability to make decisions as members of a democratic society, it is
essential to help students create mental maps that refl ect an accurate understanding
of regions and the world. This is the true role of regional geography education.
If instruction examines the local area, then students should be able to acquire
geographic knowledge through direct experiences in their surrounding and it should
be possible for them to develop regional understanding based on this underpinning
knowledge. However, an understanding of Japan, other regions, and the world can
only be built upon indirect information. Today, with the development of mass media
and the Internet, it is very easy to access information about Japan and other places
to help students form the basis of this understanding. However, information received
through these channels is biased or incomplete. It is therefore essential that regional
geography education in schools provide students with balanced information on the
country and the rest of the world to helps them form an accurate understanding.
The understanding of regional geography education refl ected above has also been
advocated by Saito (
2003
), who asserts that regional geography education in schools
has an important role in expanding student interest from the local “world” with which
they are familiar, to the entire globe, which they cannot experience directly. Regional
geography education also has a role in driving forward a change in perspective, from
the animistic worldview of a young child to one governed by science.
In contrast, a position that places more importance on the formation of views and
opinions than on acquiring knowledge has been around for some time. Yajima (
1977
)
states that the aims of regional geography education are for students to correctly
identify various geographic phenomena that develop on the earth's surface, and then
to consider interactions between those phenomena and connections between humans
and the environment. These experiences are to foster students' views and ways of
thinking based on a regional perspective, and to cultivate a broad view of Japan and
the rest of the world. In short, greater weight is placed on methods of forming views
and ways of thinking, rather than on factual knowledge alone.
6.4
Problems and Solutions of Knowledge-Focused Regional
Geography Education
Regional geography education in Japanese schools, especially elementary and
junior high schools, has been carried out with the goal of providing information
about Japan and other world regions, thereby fostering an understanding of the
