Action as a missing link between theory and practice

of geography education

Clemens WIESER clemens.wieser@univie.ac.at

Austrian Academy of Sciences Fellow (DOC)

Applied geography in theory and practice Zagreb, 06.11.2010

Targeting action as a missing link 1.  Gaps between

concepts and practice of teaching

2.  Understanding the practice of geography teaching

Agitap - 2

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Teaching in concept: German Didaktik tradition

Source: Own translation of Klafki 1996, 272. Cf. Westbury, Hopman and Riquarts 2000.

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Teaching in practice: Reality of everyday school life

T (Teacher): Before we start with problems of urbanisation, we should take a look at how urbanisation takes place in less developed countries. The aim is to sum up urbanisation in Latin America in a big picture, with all the important points in it. So… umm… okay.

(T: hands out papers to the class. Loud murmuring and laughing.)

T: If you go on like you did during the last lesson, I will throw you out of this room!

SmF (Student, male): You will have to throw out the whole class in that case.

T: Start to read already! SmK: We have to sum up the consequences… umm…

SmO: What’s today’s date? S (altogether): The T-e-n-t-h!

SmQ: What does that mean, peripheral?

T: In that case, it’s located at the fringe of a city, like, beside. Or it’s hardly of interest.

(Murmuring.)

SwD: I can’t concentrate, Miss T. Just read it, SmF.

T: I will really throw you out! Now start reading the text!

Source: G

ruschka 2005, 250-251 (translated)

Gap analysis

Agitap - 5 Source: Own translation of Klafki 1996, 272. Cf. Westbury, Hopman and Riquarts 2000.

Classroom interaction

A gap beyond German Didaktik •  “Teaching methods are critizised as poorly fitted

to the dynamics of human cognition; curricula are described as out of step with the current times (…); school structures are said to have failed to adapt to the increased diversities (…).” (Jörg, Davis & Nickmans 2007, 145)

•  “We totally fail to acknowledge for what learning

really involves in all it dynamic complexity” (Shotter 2005)

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Bridging the gap Problems of theories of teaching

–  Prescriptive: Specify educational goals, but do not regard classroom interaction.

–  Normative: Explain learning, but fail to enable the practitioner to reflect about classroom interaction.

–  Simplistic: Employ linear causation models.

Requirements for theories of teaching –  Reconstructive: Making sense of dynamic processes such as

personal understanding and interaction. –  Complex: “Understanding the uncertainty of reality, knowing that

the real holds invisible potential” (Morin 2001, 70). –  Practical: Relating to how educational goals and learning can

unfold in classroom interaction.

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Reconstructing teaching and learning: Actors and entities

Source: Gruschka 2002, 121 (translated and modified) Agitap - 8

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Teaching and Learning never take place as a thing-in-itself. Both actions always relate to specific subjects. (cf. Terhart 2002, 83)

Reconstructing teaching and learning: Specific to geography

Source: Gruschka 2002, 121 (translated and modified)

How a teacher made the financial crisis into a subject of her geography course

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“What is important to me with regards to content, umm - in topics such as crisis, especially with up to date topics – making students attentive, bringing them to a certain awareness... Umm, how they deal with media. What is said in media. And also giving them the background information with it. (…) I mean, not just reading ‘Heute’ or > [laughs] for all I care < reading some other newspaper. And then say, wha-at umm... How does that help me out? Alright?! Or just looking at headlines. Instead... Giving them background information with it, and bringing them to... to... en-cour-ag-ing them, yeah, to question that information, and not gloss over it, and go about and say: ‚Yeah, that stuff in the newspaper there, that‘s the truth.‘ That‘s just... For me, especially with up to date topics... insanely important.“

Source: Preliminary study (I-Lw 100521-a, 20; translated)

How geography enters the realm of teaching and learning in school

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T (Teacher): Before we start with problems of urbanisation, we should take a look at how urbanisation takes place in less developed countries. The aim is to sum up urbanisation in Latin America in a big picture, with all the important points in it. So… umm… okay.

(T hands out papers to the class. Loud murmuring and laughing.)

T: If you go on like you did during the last lesson, I will throw you out of this room!

SmF (Student, male): You will have to throw out the whole class in that case.

T: Start to read already! SmK: We have to sum up the consequences… umm…

SmO: What’s today’s date? S (altogether): The T-e-n-t-h!

SmQ: What does that mean, peripheral?

T: In that case, it’s located at the fringe of a city, like, beside. Or it’s hardly of interest.

(Murmuring.)

SfD: I can’t concentrate, Miss T. Just read it, SmF.

T: I will really throw you out! Now start reading the text!

Source: G

ruschka 2005, 250-251 (translated)

From Case studies to theory

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Understanding the case... -  How students learn about geography in consequence

of being exposed to geography teaching -  How teaching corresponds with the students‘ process

of learning -  How educational goals are worked out in the practice

of teaching ...developing a Grounded Theory of Teaching

Geography (cf. Corbin/Strauss 2008)

References •  Corbin, J. & Strauss, A. (2008): Basics of Qualitative Research. Techniques and Procedures for

Developing Grounded Theory. – Thousand Oaks. •  Gruschka, A. (2002): Didaktik. Das Kreuz mit der Vermittlung. Elf Einsprüche gegen den

didaktischen Betrieb. – Wetzlar. •  Gruschka, A. (2005): Auf dem Weg zu einer Theorie des Unterrichtens. Die widersprüchliche

Einheit von Erziehung, Didaktik und Bildung in der allgemeinbildenden Schule (=Frankfurter Beiträge zur Erziehungswissenschaft, Reihe Forschungsberichte, vol. 5). – Frankfurt am Main.

•  Jörg, T., Davis, B. & Nickmans, G. (2007): Towards a new, complexity science of learning and education. – In: Educational Research Review 2 (2007), 145-156.

•  Klafki, W. (1996): Neue Studien zur Bildungstheorie und Didaktik. Zeitgemäße Allgemeinbildung und kritisch-konstruktive Didaktik. – Weinheim.

•  Morin, E. (2001): Seven complex lessons in education for the future. Paris: UNESCO Publishing. •  Shotter, J. (2005): Bringing corporeal life back in chiasmic relations and poetic understanding. –

In: Doll, W., Fleener, M., Trueit, D. & Julien, J. (Eds.): Chaos, complexity, curriculum, and culture. A conversation. – New York. 101-116.

•  Terhart, E. (2002): Fremde Schwestern. Zum Verhältnis von Allgemeiner Didaktik und empirischer Lehr-Lern-Forschung. – In: Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie 16 (2) 2002, 77–86.

•  Westbury, I., Hopmann, S. & Riquarts, K. (Eds., 2000): Teaching as a reflective practice. The German Didaktik Tradition. – Mahwah.

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