A scoping review of Geography Education Research in South Africa, 2014-2025

In a world of rapid socioecological change and intensifying geopolitical and environmental crises, Geography Education has an important role in addressing global challenges by developing learners who have knowledge of places and natural forces at work, and of the interactions between the natural and social worlds. This study provides insights for understanding how Geography Education research in schooling and teacher education in South Africa is contributing to the field of Geography Education in general, and how it is (or is not) responding to calls from within and outside the field of enquiry for teaching and learning that address global concerns. Drawing on the six-stage research methodology framework used by Arksey & O’Malley (2005), this paper presents a scoping literature review of Geography Education research in South Africa from January 2014 to September 2025 based on a dataset of 102 published peer-reviewed journal articles. The overview is used to identify thematic and methodological trends, and research gaps. Results indicate that Geography Education research in South Africa is actively contributing to the field through small-scale, empirical studies that are mostly practice-oriented and focused on problems associated with curriculum, teacher and learner perceptions, and knowledge and teaching practices. Less attention is paid to learning, assessment, theory building and engaging with global education calls for transformative education that advance the field theoretically and pedagogically

The effects of microteaching on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching mapwork

This study examined preservice geography teachers\u27 self-efficacy in teaching mapwork. This is a foundational yet conceptually demanding component of the geography curriculum. Guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, the study examined the extent to which microteaching influenced preservice teachers\u27 confidence and perceived teaching competence. A mixed-methods design was employed in elucidating the perspectives of preservice teachers enrolled in a Bachelor of Education Geography course. Quantitative data were collected using pre- and post-course surveys, while qualitative data were obtained from preservice teachers’ reflective accounts after the microteaching sessions. The results demonstrate that the participants\u27 self-efficacy increased following the microteaching. However, some participants reported difficulties with complex concepts such as magnetic declination, bearing, cross-sections, intervisibility, and interpretation. The study concludes that while microteaching contributes positively to the preservice teachers’ self-efficacy, it should be complemented by targeted support. This is to address the persistent challenges in mapwork teachin

Interactive exhibits for career awareness: A case study involving secondary school Geography learners in Limpopo, South Africa

Interactive science centres present a unique opportunity to assist learners in their career choices. However, the types of information delivered, and the manner of knowledge transfer are also important. This study investigated and reports a mixed-methods approach to identify the role of interactive exhibits in advancing career awareness. The Science Education Centre of the University of Limpopo conducted a pilot survey with 153 grades 8 to 11 learners interested in potential careers in Geography and Geology to investigate the impact of various Geography/Geology-related exhibits and different presentation methods on their career knowledge and aspirations. The exhibits included a GPS demonstrator, a remote sensing satellite model, and puzzle maps. Learners’ attitudes were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. Results indicate that learners exposed to interactive exhibits demonstrated a significant increase in both their knowledge of science careers and the specificity of their career descriptions. Once printed materials and verbal briefings were supplied (experimental group), they had a fair idea of the potential careers associated with the exhibits. This suggests that interactive science centres, such as the one at the University of Limpopo, can effectively support learners in exploring and choosing science careers. These results have implications for educators and policymakers seeking to enhance STEM career readiness and engagement in under-represented communities

Assessment of Geography Grade 10 learners’ environmental attitudes and values in selected secondary schools in Lesotho through the lens of the New Ecological Paradigm

It is generally acknowledged that education, through school subjects such as Geography, plays a pivotal role in fostering positive environmental attitudes and values necessary for addressing global imperatives of environmental sustainability. However, while the Geography curriculum in Lesotho, and elsewhere, has been oriented towards education for sustainable development (ESD), there is a paucity of research on learners’ environmental attitudes and values. This study assessed Grade 10 learners’ environmental attitudes and values at four secondary schools in Leribe district, Lesotho. Fifteen statements, derived from the revised New Environmental Paradigm scale, were given, to which the learners were able to agree or disagree, using a five-point Likert scale. Results indicate that the learners generally possess pro-environmental biospheric and altruistic attitudes and values, with little indication of egoistic values. The results can shed light on the possible contribution of ESD-related curriculum reforms in fostering more pro-environmental attitudes and values as antecedents of environmental sustainability

Implementing story maps as a teaching tool at a CODeL institution

New technological competencies are required in a changing world to address complex global challenges. This research aims to evaluate the integration of story maps as a teaching tool in an online classroom for a fourth-year university Geography module. Data were collected through analysis of assignment answers for this module submitted in the 2024 academic year. Throughout the semester and during assignment marking, the challenges students faced in this module were recorded. This information was noted from student assignments, as well as from discussions in the weekly online lectures, individual student inquiries, email correspondence, and on the discussion forum on the module e-learning website. Thematic analysis of the data, drawing on research notes and the students’ reflections in the prescribed assignment, was conducted. Results of this study suggest that story maps should not be used as an alternative to a single written assignment but rather be incorporated as a teaching tool into the module content throughout the learning period. Visual communication through story maps can support academic learning outcomes and contribute to the development of students’ spatial thinking skills.

Geography teachers’ preparedness for ESD integration: Insights from Gauteng, South Africa

  This study examined the preparedness of grade 10 to 12 Geography teachers at selected schools in Gauteng, South Africa, to integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into the Geography curriculum. Data were collected by questionnaires with 120 Further Education and Training Geography teachers in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Results show that only 38% of respondents had ESD training, influencing their content knowledge and integration of ESD into the curriculum. However, respondents with a high level of knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESD concepts like climate change, renewable energy and the just energy transition were more likely to integrate ESD (r=0.444, p=0.001). University courses were identified as common sources of content knowledge for in-service teachers. Barriers to ESD integration include limited resources, time constraints, large class sizes, the abstract nature of the SDGs, and competing curriculum demands. Further Education and Training research projects were identified as a valuable entry-point for ESD. The study recommends ESD-training, expert guest teachers, embedding ESD within annual teaching plans, and adequate resources

Teachers’ perspective on their readiness for experiences of overcrowded classrooms: Reflections from Kenya and South Africa

Governments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have increasingly pushed for Education for All (EFA), however, with little effort to expand the necessary resources, which raises concerns over teachers’ abilities to handle overcrowded classrooms. Through the perspectives of Africentric and reslience approaches, this paper explores teachers’ perspectives on their training, readiness, and experiences of overcrowded learning environments. It is important to understand their experiences holistically and how teaching processes and learning outcomes are affected. Through a qualitative approach, this study sought teachers’ views on their training and how prepared they were for their experiences in overcrowded learning spaces. A purposive sample of 11 foundation phase teachers (four from South Africa and seven from Kenya) were invited to participate in the current study. Thematic analysis was utilised to process the qualitative data collected through focus group discussions, obserations, conversational and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that teachers perceived lack of acknowledgment to their ‘plight’ in handling many learners, contrary to official teacher-child ratio. Concerns on teacher training lacking in actual experiences of large classrooms that have diverse learners while using minimal infrastructural provisions emerged. However, teachers’ perceptions that difficult circumstances were opportunities for better learning outcomes was indicative of their readiness, being creative in teaching and resilient, while those who perceived large class sizes as overwhelming and having lower learning outcomes were also resilient in their functions as teachers. This study makes suggestions for a holistic approach to addressing concerns of teachers in crowded classrooms which includes teacher training, upskilling, infrastructural development, updating policies in teacher recruitment and peer teaching, resource generation, and use of modern instructional approaches to teaching among others

‘Greening History Teaching’:: Justifying the Inclusion of Socio-Environmental History in the South African Further Education and Training History Curriculum

This position paper argues for including socio-environmental history in the South African Further Education and Training (FET) history curriculum. It is premised on the fact that planet Earth is in the age of the Anthropocene, within which humans have had a dominant effect on the planet and have contributed fundamentally to climate change, which is noticeable through extreme weather events, such as erratic rainfall, floods, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires. These have led to extreme hazards, including destruction of infrastructures, large-scale migrations and loss of lives. Climate change aside, humanity is also facing problems of air and water pollution, deforestation, desertification, famine and diseases; in fact, we still have traumatic memories of the COVID-19 pandemic, which destroyed livelihoods and to date, has left more than seven million people dead worldwide. This paper is based on a desktop qualitative research method and draws from secondary and primary literature on socio-environmental history. Furthermore, it analyses the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), focussing on the FET history curriculum. The study builds on the intersectionality and all-inclusive ecologies of knowledge approach to demonstrate that socio-environmental history intersects with other history topics already part of South Africa’s CAPS FET history curriculum. The paper argues that, through the infusion of socio-environmental history content into this curriculum, history teaching will contribute more meaningfully toward learners’ understanding of the socio-environmental challenges confronting humanity in South Africa and beyond. This will provoke learners to raise questions regarding the nexus between people and nature, and interrogate how this shapes the local, regional and global environments and the results thereof, in the process, inculcating positive attitudes and values about stewardship of planet Earth.

Shedding Light on Loadshedding with Natural Language Processing: A social media case study on public perspectives of the South African electricity crisis in 2022

In times of collective discomfort and dissatisfaction, people often find solace in shared adversity on social media platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter). These platforms offer a unique window into the public’s emotions andviewpoints concerning common challenges. I n2022, South Africa experienced an electricity crisis, during which the country was subjectedto rolling blackouts, commonly known as load-shedding, by Eskom, the country’s primary electricity provider, to prevent a national electricity grid shutdown. This study conducted adata-driven exploration of the public discourse surrounding Eskom and loadshedding on X using natural language processing and data science techniques. The dataset utilised for thisstudy comprised tweets containing keywords related to Eskom and loadshedding. The studydelved into the topics of discussion by applying topic modelling techniques to uncover latent themes within the discourse. The topics were analysed through a multifaceted lens to unpack and highlight patterns within the sentiments, emotions and biases that underpin conversations related to loadshedding and Eskom. A notable inclusion in the analysis was the incorporation of sarcasm classifications,which enhanced the interpretation of the emotion and sentiment within the topics discussed.The findings uncovered from the analysis were contrasted with loadshedding-related events in 2022 to understand the public discourse as the electricity crisis escalated. The methodologyof this study provides a framework for utilising natural language processing techniques touncover and examine the perspectives of a collective within discourse related to events of shared interest

Introducing the Historical African Languages Database: A Translingual Resource of Crosslinked Dictionaries

The earliest written documentation of most African languages comes in the form of dictionaries and field notes prepared by European missionaries and linguists, with the assistance of African informants, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These resources have been difficult to access and compare, existing only in either print or unprocessed scans. We present a fully searchable and interconnected online database that makes such resources more easily accessible for study. It currently contains seven bilingual dictionaries, with many more sources to be added as they are processed. We explain the database’s design, in which processed entries are separated and their fields tagged according to a consistent structure, maximizing query options and facilitating translingual connections. We describe the functionality of the website through which users can access the data in a variety of ways. We discuss the database’s construction process, including particular challenges related to these historical data sources, and outline the development of a scalable procedure for its future expansion. We also present three case studies illustrating potential uses of the database by historians, linguists, and educators. Finally, we identify a roadmap for the resource’s continued improvement through additional features