World-mindedness of young people during the rise in migration in Europe : A case study of Czechia, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands

During the 2015 sudden rise in migration movements in Europe, approximately 2.4 million refugees arrived in Europe and 1.2 million asylum applications were received in the European Union countries. We were interested in finding out whether these rapid changes and the polarised attitudes represented in the media affected young people's attitudes towards people with different cultural backgrounds. This study, therefore, examined young people's global understanding in four European countries: Czechia, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. The aim was to identify the level of world-mindedness of young people and compare the results with an earlier study (conducted in 2010) with the same research design. The research was targeted at a group of upper-secondary students in these countries. In total, 962 students participated in the study in 2017. Although the context in the observed countries varied, the findings revealed a stable state, or rather a slightly positive change of world-mindedness, to 2010 in all the countries. The results stress the need to remain sensitive to students' opinions and attitudes towards other people and cultures in geography lessons in general and especially when teaching and learning about current societal issues, inequality, exclusion and solidarity.Peer reviewe

The knowledge curve: combining types of knowledges leads to powerful thinking

Michael Young has written extensively about “powerful knowledge” as the type of knowledge that should be central in education: knowledge that is–among many other things–reliable and potentially testable, that helps us understand the natural and social world, and offers us a language to engage meaningfully in moral and political debates. As a contribution to the powerful knowledge debate, the authors introduce a so-called knowledge curve, depicting types of knowledge along the axes of level of abstraction and degree of explanatory power. They argue that combining elements of knowledge that are situated on different positions on this curve is what makes the use of knowledge and the thinking process powerful. The implications for school geography are illustrated with the example of global south to north migration

Enhancing Teachers’ Expertise Through Curriculum Leadership—Lessons from the GeoCapabilities 3 Project

GeoCapabilities is a distinctive approach to teacher professional development which foregrounds the educational potential of geographical knowledge. This paper examines the effect of GeoCapabilities on geography teachers’ expertise. First, the paper explores a problem of teacher training which privileges technique for classroom effectiveness over geographical thinking. We then introduce the GeoCapabilities 3 project, presenting and discussing findings through teachers’ reflections. We argue that GeoCapabilities 3 offers a model of teacher development, which supports teachers as leaders of curriculum change in an ‘activist profession’. This is needed if geography education is to equip young people with knowledge capabilities for their future

L’educazione geografica in Europa : Un dialogo sulla formazione universitaria dei docenti

Non peer reviewe

‘Ik heb nieuwe inzichten opgedaan’: De betekenis van kenniskringen voor de professionele ontwikkeling van lerarenopleiders

Als lectoren van de Fontys Lerarenopleiding Tilburg zijn we benieuwd wat deelname aan een kenniskring betekent voor de professionalisering van opleiders; wat leren zij ervan (kennis, gedrag, houding) en waarvan leren zij? Het gaat om de professionele ontwikkeling van individuele lerarenopleiders gericht op het verdiepen van de rol die zij hebben als onderzoeker. De ontwikkeling van deze rol vindt plaats door deelname aan een kenniskring waarin een lector als ervaren onderzoeker een impuls geeft. Nog weinig onderzoek is gedaan naar wat de specifieke leeropbrengsten van deelname aan kenniskringen zijn en welke leeractiviteiten stimulerend zijn voor het bereiken van die leeropbrengsten. Het is een verkennend onderzoek waarin 23 kenniskringleden uit vier kenniskringen participeren. Van de vier kenniskringen zijn er twee minder dan een jaar geleden gestart en twee bestaan al langer. Uit de analyse van de data blijkt dat kenniskringleden nieuwe kennis opdoen, zowel over het thema van het lectoraat als over het doen van onderzoek. Verder geven kenniskringleden aan dat zij anders handelen (gedrag) en dat hun houding ten opzichte van onderzoek is veranderd. Ervaren kenniskringleden benoemen in vergelijking met beginnende kenniskringleden meer gedragsopbrengsten, bijvoorbeeld dat ze studenten anders zijn gaan begeleiden, ervaren kenniskringleden geven ook aan dat zij veel leren van het doen van onderzoek. Met name de interactie tussen de kenniskringleden is stimulerend voor het leren. Ons onderzoek laat zien dat deelname aan een kenniskring leidt tot een scala aan opbrengsten, die zowel de lerarenopleider als de opleiding ten goede komen

GeoCapabilities and curriculum leadership : Balancing the priorities of aims-based and knowledge-led curriculum thinking in schools

The small-scale research presented in this paper was conducted as part of the GeoCapabilities project. Though originating in the Anglophone world, the project attempts to address the purposes and values of geography education internationally. Using the idea of “powerful disciplinary knowledge” the project asks what geography has to offer that helps young people develop the human capabilities they need in order to live a life that they consider valuable. In this paper, we explore the challenges and opportunities presented by GeoCapabilities in several European national contexts. We asked selected teachers and teacher educators in four different countries (Finland, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden) what role they thought geography plays in enhancing students’ “human potential.” Despite marked differences relating to the legal and structural background in each country we found major similarities in teachers’ and teacher educators’ curriculum thinking in relation to geography’s contribution to the future well-being of their studentsPeer reviewe

Enhancing Teachers’ Expertise Through Curriculum Leadership: Lessons from the GeoCapabilities 3 Project

GeoCapabilities is a distinctive approach to teacher professional development which foregrounds the educational potential of geographical knowledge. This paper examines the effect of GeoCapabilities on geography teachers’ expertise. First, the paper explores a problem of teacher training which privileges technique for classroom effectiveness over geographical thinking. We then introduce the GeoCapabilities 3 project, presenting and discussing findings through teachers’ reflections. We argue that GeoCapabilities 3 offers a model of teacher development, which supports teachers as leaders of curriculum change in an ‘activist profession’. This is needed if geography education is to equip young people with knowledge capabilities for their future

Global education in the Dutch Context

The Netherlands have a reasonably good reputation for global education in schools. However, the hardening socio-political climate and the deregulation of education policies give reason for concern. In this paper the authors try to open the black box on what is actually happening in schools in terms of global education, on the basis of case study research in two Dutch cities in 2003 and 2004 and explain current initiatives taken to support teachers in giving and priority to global issues and raising awareness about international issues. (DIPF/Orig.)Die Niederlande haben im Hinblick auf Globales Lernen in Schulen einen guten Ruf. Die Veränderungen des sozialpolitische Klimas und die Deregulierung der Bildungspolitik gegen jedoch Anlass zur Sorge. Bezug nehmend auf eine empirische Fallstudie in zwei Städten in den Niederlanden im Jahr 2003 und 2004 wird dargestellt, wie Globales Lernen in Schulen momentan umgesetzt wird. Zudem werden derzeitige Initiativen vorgestellt, durch die Lehrkräfte darin unterstützt werden, globalen Fragestellungen Vorrang zu geben und Bewusstsein für internationale Themen zu wecken. (DIPF/Orig.

A futures perspective in Dutch geography education

Geography education offers many possibilities for futures education. In The Netherlands, a future perspective is obvious in the vision behind the curriculum for secondary education, but this perspective becomes thinner and less open when elaborated in the syllabus, textbooks and examinations. From an intended ideal curriculum with challenging future relevant issues and a call for scenario thinking, it changes into a presentation of a fixed and often negative future in the perceived implemented curriculum. In a focus group meeting with stakeholders of the geography educators' community, there is recognition of the importance of a futures perspective. But there is also uncertainty and unfamiliarity, when it comes to implementing a futures perspective in geography education. Moreover, the institutional constraints, with an output testing regime, prevent the geography educators from making substantial room in their implemented curriculum for futures education. To enable geography teachers to implement or improve a futures perspective in their education, more clarity about the function and form is necessary. By researching and supporting good teaching practice, the expertise needed can be built, extended and used to empower a lobby advocating a more supportive national policy