Statistical and scientometric analysis of international research in geographical and environmental education

Certain statistic and scientometric features of articles published in the journal “International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education” are examined in this paper, for the period 1992-2009, by applying nonparametric statistics and Shannon’s entropy (diversity) formula. The main findings of this analysis are: a) after 2004 the research priorities of researchers in geographical and environmental education seem to have changed, b) “teacher education” has been the most recurrent theme throughout these 18 years, followed by “values & attitudes” and “inquiry & problem solving” c) the themes “GIS” and “Sustainability” were the most “stable” throughout the 18 years, meaning that they maintained their ranks as publication priorities more than other themes, d) citations of IRGEE increase annually, e) the average thematic diversity of articles published during the period 1992-2009 is 82.7% of the maximum thematic diversity (very high), meaning that the Journal has the capacity to attract a wide readership for the 10 themes it has successfully covered throughout the 18 years of its publication

GEO-MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF SPATIAL-ECOLOGICAL COMPLEX SYSTEMS: AN EVALUATION

Assessing the complexity of landscapes is one of the top research priorities for Physical Geography and Ecology. This paper aims at a methodological evaluation of the discrete and analytical mathematical models hitherto available for quantitative assessments of spatial ecological complex systems. These models are derived from cellular automata and nonlinear dynamics. They describe complex features and processes in landscapes, such as spatial ecological nonlinear interactions, unpredictability and chaos, self-organization and pattern formation. Beginning with a distinction between two basic types of spatial ecological complexity (structural, functional), and after reviewing the quantitative methods so far available to assess it, the areas where the major challenges (and hence, difficulties) for future research arise are identified. These are: a) to develop measures of structural spatial-ecological complexity, b) to find Lyapunov functions for dynamical systems describing spatial interactions on the landscape (and related attractors), and c) to combine discrete time and continuous spatial data and models

Spatial complexity: theory, mathematical methods and applications

This book delivers stimulating input for a broad range of researchers, from geographers and ecologists to psychologists interested in spatial perception and physicists researching in complex systems. How can one decide whether one surface or spatial object is more complex than another? What does it require to measure the spatial complexity of small maps, and why does this matter for nature, science and technology? Drawing from algorithmics, geometry, topology, probability and informatics, and with examples from everyday life, the reader is invited to cross the borders into the bewildering realm of spatial complexity, as it emerges from the study of geographic maps, landscapes, surfaces, knots, 3D and 4D objects. The mathematical and cartographic experiments described in this book lead to hypotheses and enigmas with ramifications in aesthetics and epistemology.

Content analysis of international research in geographical and environmental education: 18 years of academic publishing

This paper examines the history of the IRGEE Journal in terms of its sustainable future. The development of geographical and environmental education is evaluated, as reflected from the articles published in the Journal “International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education” (IRGEE). A content analysis of all papers and forum sections which have appeared in the journal since Volume 1 Number 1 was published in 1992 has been conducted, examining the content of as many as 526 articles. The method was a content analysis, and revealed themes which have experienced an increasing or declining interest over the 18 years of publication of IRGEE (1992-2009), while other themes have remained current during this period. The main findings of this analysis are: a) the total number of articles has increased more than threefold, b) articles related to geographical education (sensu stricto) outweighed those related to environmental education, c) the themes “syllabi, textbooks, curricula” and “values, attitudes” attract the attention of researchers with increasing strength and d) emerging subjects, such as GIS and sustainability have appeared dynamically in the last years