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Geographic skills in Czech curricula: Analysis of teachers' opinions

Publication at Faculty of Science |
2014

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research that focuses on the ideas and views of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school teachers concerning the required performance of pupils of different ages (at the end of the 5th and 9th grades and the graduation year of upper secondary school) in geography classes. Survey respondents commented on the researchers' proposal of geography standards based on Geography for Life (Bednarz et al., 1994); individual requirements were adapted to the conditions and needs of the Czech education system.

Geographic skills are categorized into five areas, from asking to answering questions. The proposed structure of skills is an alternative option to the requirements laid down by the existing Czech curricular documents.

The importance of each item of the proposed standards was assessed using a four-point scale. By inquiring about their "usefulness," we established the importance individual respondents attach to them.

The research aimed at verifying whether there is significant variability in the measured opinions within the professional groups and between them, and which of the offered items are relatively most and least acceptable for the respondents.