Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
detailed study of a specifi c region is only the starting point to perceive the world in
general. If this study method is introduced in regional geography education, schools
would need to select regions of interest to students, then support their learning by
simulating the experience of conducting original research in those regions.
Understanding the world thus becomes a subject of lifelong learning. Because this
method establishes students' interest as a starting point and leads to an individual
understanding of the world developed through research and experience, it is well
aligned with the constructivist approach to learning. This approach is also consistent
with the recent trend in education of “learning how to learn”. However, if this method
is adopted, it will be essential to formulate an approach to regional geography educa-
tion that is achievable through lifelong learning. Currently, the importance of such
learning is not substantiated in detail within educational policy, although it is
mentioned.
Methods-focused regional geography education revolves around activities wherein
students conduct research and analysis to uncover the distinctiveness of a region.
Teaching in line with these activities is more diffi cult than providing explanation
about a region's distinctiveness. Every student has different interests in various
regions. Therefore, teaching to students has limitations and detailed, attentive guid-
ance is needed. Although digitization has provided students with tremendous access
to materials via the Internet, there is a paucity of materials for student research and
study. Thus, in methods-focused regional geography education, it is extremely impor-
tant for the learning environment to be rich in such materials.
At a glance, methods-focused regional geography education is not truly effective at
every stage of schooling. According to Shinohara (
1984
), there are four steps to culti-
vating an understanding of the world: (1) interest; (2) quiz-based knowledge; (3)
scientifi c understanding and knowledge; and (4) subjective understanding founded on
objective and scientifi c understanding (including understanding of oneself). Students
at elementary and junor high school levels have little experience or knowledge of
Japan and the world, so it is important that learning provokes their interest. There is
also a simultaneous need to encourage practice and mastery of map reading at elemen-
tary and junior high school levels. Although knowledge-focused regional geography
education is common in lower grades, it is absolutely essential to adopt methods-
focused regional geography education techniques, such as surveys, analysis, and dis-
cussion, at the senior high school level.
Incidentally, Yamaguchi (
1994
) pointed out that although the recollection of
place names, such as those of major countries, develops from elementary school
until junior high school, knowledge of these locations are more developed in senior
high school. The reasoning is that the knowledge of locations involves semantic and
logical processing rather than mechanical rote learning, and therefore requires a
higher stage of cognitive development. Some argue that from the perspective of
establishing knowledge, regional geography instruction should use different methods
in senior high schools from those in elementary and junior high schools.
In senior high school, both systematic and regional geography have an important
role. From 1970 until the present, senior high school instruction about regional
geography processes is more important than simply the knowledge of geography.
