There is concern in the United Kingdom that teaching and learning in the subject of geography is mediocre and boring. The story on Politics.Co.UK indicates that the survey results that reflect this conclusion are outdated, because reforms last year to incorporate environmental change and sustainable development have made the subject much more relevant to young people’s lives.
Fieldwork is seen as a very important component to make the subject more engaging, but very little is done due to time constraints and safety concerns. There’s a mention of maps, globes and atlases as essential tools, but no comments on computer-based mapping tools.
I’m encouraged by the debate and defense of geography as a means to broaden children’s sense of global citizenship. It is discouraging that there’s no apparent integration of computer-based mapping tools in the curriculum.
