An Evaluation of University World Geography Textbook Questions for Components of Spatial Thinking

ABSTRACT

Geography textbooks contain chapter or review questions that may engage students in spatial thinking. This research used Jo and Bednarz’s (2009) Taxonomy of Spatial Thinking to evaluate the percentage of spatial thinking questions in four university-level world geography course textbooks. The results from this study were then compared to the findings in Jo and Bednarz’s (2009) analysis of high school geography textbooks. Thirty-five percent of university level textbook questions are related to spatial thinking compared to twenty-four percent in high school geography textbooks. The results provide information useful to stakeholders, such as teachers, administrators, and textbook writers and may help these stakeholders to consciously incorporate the three components of spatial thinking as defined by the National Research Council (2006). A simplified taxonomy for identifying spatial-thinking concepts in textbook review questions is also suggested.     

Spatial Thinking Concepts in Early Grade-Level Geography Standards

ABSTRACT

Research in the cognition and learning sciences has demonstrated that the human brain contains basic structures whose functions are to perform a variety of specific spatial reasoning tasks and that children are capable of learning basic spatial concepts at an early age. There has been a call from within geography to recognize research on spatial cognition in a meaningful way in primary school curriculum. This article utilizes the spatial thinking taxonomy proposed by Gersmehl and Gersmehl (2006) to examine to the extent to which spatial thinking concepts are being practiced in U.S. schools. The National Geography Standards and forty-nine state social studies or geography standards are examined. Using standards as a measure of geography content, it is concluded that while some of spatial thinking concepts appear often in curriculum, others are largely absent. Designing geography standards that address the findings of spatial cognition research may serve as a means of improving geography instruction.     

Geography Education: The Glass Is Half Full and It's Getting Fuller

This article examines the recent progress of geography education as an academic subfield of geography and as an area of activity in K–12 education. Challenges to both endeavors are described. A restructuring of geography education's research program that focuses on spatial thinking and reasoning and merges applied and theoretical research is proposed.     

Using the Definition of Geography to Develop Teaching Strategies

Abstract

Climatic Change, Basingstoke and London: Macmillan Education, 1981. v and 34 pp., figs., tables, maps, refs., and index. $2.50 paper.

Vanishing Roadside America, Warren H. Anderson, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1981. 142 pp. and illus. $14.95 paper.

USSR in Maps, J.C. Dewdney, New York: Holmes &; Meier, 1982. vi and 117 pp., diags., maps, tables, graphs, biblio., and index. $29.50.     

中国人文地理学概论教材评价与建设献议

笔者选取国内流行的几本人文地理学概论教材,对教材的内容、组织结构、表现形式、地图使用等方面进行较详细的评述,指出了存在的不足,在此基础上结合以往的研究及美国人文地理学概论教材的长处,提出新世纪中国此类教材建设的总体构想和若干具体编写建议。     

The Value of Place Geography in a Commercial Geography Course

Abstract

This article summarizes methods used in a secondary school geography class to interest students in geography through examples drawn from local geography. Instead of relying on examples taken from exotic places to illustrate geographic concepts, the local landscape is used in the classroom to teach students about geography. The article is arranged according to the six essential elements of the National Geography Standards, but it does not imply that the methods presented should be used to teach the standards. Rather, the examples presented are used throughout a course in the geography of North and South America to develop an interest among students and, with examples from the local landscape, to increase student understanding of geographic concepts related to issues presented in the course.     

地理空间中的空间关系表达和推理

针对地理空间中的应用,归纳了在空间关系的表达与推理中不同于人工智能领域研究的一些特点:在人工智能领域,更注重建立形式化的推理系统;而在地理信息科学中,则需更关注地理空间的特点以及地物的地理语义。该文基于地理空间和地理现象的本质且顾及地理空间认知,总结了地理空间中空间关系表达和推理的特点,具体包括空间的有限性、地球的球面特征、地物的地理语义、地物形状的复杂性、面状地物、特殊的空间关系、空间关系的层次性与尺度相应原则、不确定性、三维与时态特性九方面;进而介绍了地理空间关系表达的两个应用,即地理信息检索和基于对象的图像分析。该文的探讨可为地理信息科学中的相关研究提供方向性指导。     

Some Suggestions Concerning a Course of Study in Geography

Abstract

Over the next decade or so, the National Assessment for Educational Progress in Geography and the Geographic Education Standards Project promise to give geography a new definition as a school subject. This will challenge the educational community to re-examine how geography is taught and learned across all the grade levels, K-12. If geography is to be perceived as an essential subject in preparing students for citizenship as adults, not only must its image change, but its content and the pedagogy that delivers it must be modified as well. To achieve those ends, new curricular models grounded in cogent and applicable research must develop through partnerships of teachers, teacher educators, learning theorists, and professional geographers.     

论地理空间形象思维：空间意象的发展

本文对于作为地理思维的载体－空间意象的定义及其意义进行了论述,对于不同类型空间意象的思维模式,含义和实质进行了初步探讨。     

人文地理学科学化的总体目标与实现路径

当代人文地理学的发展呈现出多元化的发展态势,但无论如何,科学化应是人文地理学的基调,是中国人文地理学未来发展的基本选择和必由之路.无论是学科属性还是我国经济社会建设需求,人文地理学科学化不仅不是一个被动的目标而应该成为我们的主动追求.其基本目标有2 个:一是构建一个相对完整的区域空间结构理论体系,需要进一步发现新的区域空间结构模式、构建中心地等级体系演化模型,以及从类型学和发生学2 个角度梳理不同空间结构模式之间的内在逻辑关系等;二是构建一套相对成型的空间分析方法.将区域分为均质区域和功能区域,并进一步分解为点状、线状和面状3 大要素,寻找处理这3 大要素各自及相互之间内在空间耦合的表达技术,成为本文展开人文地理学空间分析理论框架的基本思路.其中,可达性分析技术的拓展、计量经济模型与空间分析技术的融合、综合性时空谱系空间分析方法体系的构建、依赖于空间概念拓展的新的空间分析技术的出现等,则是未来人文地理学空间分析的重要领域.为实现上述目标,需要树立科学的思维方式、融合资源环境基础、基于发生学视角的历史过程的长时段分析,以及充分利用现代分析技术等.     

人文地理学"空间"内涵的演进

空间是人文地理学的核心概念之一,随着人文地理学经历三次变革：“区域差异-空间分析-社会理论”,空间的内涵也随之不断演进。从区域学派到空间分析,传统的空间认识使得人文地理学归属于自然科学范畴。1970年代以来人文地理学萌生了新的空间认识,关注到空间的社会性,具有了更多的社会科学的特质。通过勾勒出人文地理学空间内涵演进的轨迹,提出空间内涵应是自然与社会属性相统一的观点。     

Introduction: Progress in Research on the Geography of Crime

The research presented in this article provides an accurate narrative of the historical evolution of the geography of crime, including its major ideological controversies. It further gives credit to geographers whose works have gained considerable respect in other academic communities. Additionally, it aims to convince geographers that they have potentially very valuable contributions to make to the study of crime. The final and most important point that this narrative is trying to make is that geography's intellectual territory has become attractive to other disciplines and fields embracing the geography and spatial analysis of crime.     

信息时代的地理学与人文地理学创新

在分析信息技术与地理学相关研究的基础上,重点讨论了中国人文地理学的发展与创新问题,包括基于大数据应用的方法革新、流动空间分析的框架、人地关系理论体系与应用研究等内容。未来中国人文地理学的发展,一方面要打破传统的学科框架,积极吸纳相关学科理论、方法和技术方面的创新成果,构建信息时代人文地理学理论与方法体系;另一方面,要立足中国国情与特色,紧扣国家战略,增强人文地理解决问题的能力,加强面向问题的综合应用研究。     

地理学事业的发展

为了适应我国社会主义市场经济发展的需要,地理学要转变观念,突破传统学科的约束,面向市场,服务于市场,尽快形成自我发展能力,并按照党的十五大精神的要求,在资产管理、企业化发展、分配制度改革等方面迈出新的步伐     

区域空间结构重组理论初探

区域空间结构重组是经济社会转型时期重要的区域结构调整任务之一。新一轮的空间结构重组需要澄清三大理论问题：一是空间结构的历史特征与未来景观；二是区域发展与空间结构重组的相互关系；三是区域产业结构调整与空间结构重组的相互关系。同时，在经济全球化和新经济快速发展的变局下，需要探索新的空间结构重组理论指导区域空间结构重组的实践。该文根据区域空间结构重组理论，分析新时期长江流域的空间结构重组要点。     

On the Object and Subject of Geography

Danish Journal of Geography 96: 110–117, 1996.

Basic theoretical problems in geography are discussed. The development of the subject is seen primarily as a result of the division of labour among sciences. The subject's contextual dimension is made up of the different forces that influence the discipline, and the theoretical dimension comprises the method of presentation, the object and the metatheory. The subject can not be defined in the proper sense of the word, but its object can: the ecumene or the human habitat. An approach is discussed for the presentation (theoretical development) of geography by the means of dialectical method, using the labour as the basic category.     

20世纪人口地理学研究进展

20世纪之前的人口地理学只是从属于传统地理学的人口地理研究.进入20世纪,人口地理研究尚未从人文地理学中独立出来,内容上延续了拉采尔的人类地理学思想;二战以后,人口地理研究逐步向人口地理学纵深发展,50年代人口地理学逐步成形.20世纪后半叶,人口地理学得到了持续快速发展:出生率与老龄化、迁移与流动、人口与脆弱性等世界性...     

我国20世纪工业地理学的发展

我国工业地理学发轫于２０世纪初,在经历了启蒙和成长两个阶段后,终于成为经济地理学的一个重要分支学科。作为一门实证性学科,我国工业地理学面临国家工业化转型所带来的巨大挑战。为此,实现以政府主导布局的传统理论思维向以市场主导布局理论思维的转变强调空间扩散和空间重组的协调发展和现实布局实践的科学总结将 国工业地理学未来发展的三个最重要和最基本的方向和任务。     

世界遗产在人文地理教学中的应用

世界遗产的内容与人文地理学的研究范畴极为相似.从类型上看,世界文化遗产、双重遗产与文化景观,以及人类非物质文化遗产代表作都包含不同成分的人文要素在内;世界遗产内容的构成与人文地理教科书的结构相似,二者的研究对象互相包容,教学宗旨同一.作为最佳例证,世界遗产应该在历史地理、文化地理、旅游地理及人地关系等人文地理各分支学科...     

日常生活视野中的旅游社区空间再生产研究——基于列斐伏尔与德塞图的理论视角

在空间与旅游地空间的相关研究中,社区居民及其日常生活所扮演的角色未得到充分的重视.而本文试图转向微观层面,关注空间演化中居民与日常生活的力量.研究以世界文化遗产“开平碉楼与村落”核心区马降龙村为例,运用观察法与访谈法,探索由旅游发展所推动的旅游社区空间再生产的现象与特征.基于列斐伏尔的“空间三元论”与德塞图的“日常生活实践”理论,讨论在空间再生产的过程中,居民如何通过日常生活,对抗政府与景区管理主体构想的空间表征,体现具有反抗性的表征空间.研究发现,在日常生活中,反抗性的表征空间表现出嵌入、抵制、进攻性抵制、反噬、再生等形式.现阶段,低度开发水平下居民与政府及景区管理主体的对抗达到一种微妙的平衡状态.长期看来景区组织与居民角色的特性,以及对土地的掌控保障了反抗潜力的延续.而旅游社区的空间秩序最终将在所有旅游利益相关者的协商中形成.旅游发展中居民扮演的角色影响其协商能力,造成不同的行动机制与意义.旅游社区空间活力最终在多主体、多目标的空间生产过程中激发,这一过程始终展现出日常生活的创造力.