Preparing Geographers for Interdisciplinary Research: Graduate Training at the Interface of the Natural and Social Sciences

Recent debates about the state of geography raise valuable questions about how the discipline can and should change in response to shifting institutional realities. Focusing on the breadth and interdisciplinarity of geography, these discussions often overlook the role of pedagogy—particularly graduate training—in adapting the discipline to new institutional landscapes. Drawing on experiences as current and recent geography doctoral students, we identify institutional seedlings of opportunity that can be cultivated toward a spectrum of alternative doctoral training models. These alternatives offer significant opportunities to better prepare early-career geographers for success and to solidify geography's position as a leader in interdisciplinary research.     

Should Geography Educators Adopt Electronic Textbooks?

Significant changes in textbook publishing are at college instructors' door. Textbook representatives are directed to mesmerize potential clients with eye-catching displays and statements about digital literacy of the next generation of college students. Based on a one-year pilot study, in 2014–2015, of an electronic textbook, this commentary shares real experiences with the digital tools, contextualizes the shift in textbook publishing and research on student outcomes, and provides insight in navigating through the Brave New World of digital texts and adaptive learning tools.     

关于地球圈层差异旋转理论研究的综述

地球内部各圈层差异旋转的各种假说中,“内快外慢”说已形成较完整的理论,并被科学测试所验证。在这一理论形成过程中,数学工作者也做出一有益的贡献。研究表明,“内快外慢”差异旋转是地球内部各种运动的源动力。     

大连市初中教育消费者的社会空间结构研究

基于消费者差异的特色均等化是义务教育未来发展的重要指向。运用因子生态分析法对大连市域范围内189所初级中学学生的问卷调查数据进行分析,提取出5个主因子并划分为5类初中教育消费者,得出大连市初中教育消费者在空间上呈现出职业的城乡分化、受教育水平的南北差异等多重分异特征。然后采用聚类分析方法和集中度指数将所研究的初中教育消费者所在学校划分为4类,即高学历高收入家庭子女学校、城市中上收入家庭子女学校、农民及外出务工人员子女学校和工人及办事人员子女学校。最后根据不同类型初中教育消费者所在学校空间上的分布特征,归纳出大连市初中教育消费者社会空间结构的圈层分布特征。     

Combining Geography,Math, and Science to Teach Climate Change and Sea Level Rise

This study examines the effectiveness of integrating geography into existing math and science curriculum to teach climate change and sea level rise. The desired outcome is to improve student performance in all three subjects. A sample of 120 fifth graders from three schools were taught the integrated curriculum over a period of two to three weeks. They were given a pretest and posttest comprised of questions measuring knowledge relevant to the lesson in terms of geography, math, science, and spatial skills. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to determine significant differences in student performance. These t-tests indicate statistically significant improvements in all but one instance across all subjects, at all schools for both boys and girls. No statistically significant results were observed for a control group of an additional twenty-seven fifth graders. These results demonstrate the value of combining geography with math and science to improve student performance in STEM knowledge.     

Closing the “Hole in the Sky”: The Use of Refutation-Oriented Instruction to Correct Students' Climate Change Misconceptions

This article discusses the implementation of a pedagogical tool aimed at the refutation of secondary school (grade ten-equivalent) students' persistent climate change misconceptions. Using a lesson study approach, the materials and intervention techniques used were developed collaboratively with geography teachers. The objective is two-pronged: to closely monitor how children learn through refutation-oriented approach and to document how teachers process the experience. A pretest and post-test comparison showed that there was significant improvement in the students' climate change conceptual understanding following the intervention.     

Exploring Chile: Identities and Their Relation with the Environment through the Film Football Stories

Cinema can be considered a useful tool for understanding different geographic concepts, showing physical and human factors and the interactions between them. Andres Wood's film Football Stories explores the Chilean territory allowing the observation of the differences between the north and south of the country. Geographic components such as landscapes, architectures, the impact of anthropogenic activities, social inequalities, ways of life, and city and countryside differences are analyzed, as well as the importance of location, the spatial environment, and cinematic narration. The study of geography through films could contribute to understanding of our world and to spatial knowledge.     

Using Web Maps to Analyze the Construction of Global Scale Cognitive Maps

Game-based Web sites and applications are changing the ways in which students learn the world map. In this study, a Web map-based digital learning tool was used as a study aid for a university-level geography course in order to examine the way in which global scale cognitive maps are constructed. A network analysis revealed that clicks were negatively correlated with familiarity, but were positively correlated with area. More significantly, well-known countries did not act as central nodes within network-based mental models, but served a more complex mediating role in structuring the space between subregions.     

Developing and Sequencing Community Engagement and Experiential Education: A Case Study of Urban Geography Teaching and Research

Community engagement curricula and course design can provide substantial experiences for both community members and participating students. Using a case study approach, this research focuses on four steps in this process: initial community relationship forming, engaging in community service, transitioning to civic engagement, and developing a community-based research program. Narrative examples from student course evaluations position these community-based experiences as transformative for multiple parties. Institutional structures are presented as helpful entrees to engagement for students, while noting that community relationships provide contextualized, powerful, and meaningful relationships, supporting recommendations for emerging and existing community engagement programs.     

国外教育地理研究回顾与借鉴

教育地理研究作为地理学和教育学的交叉研究出现于20世纪中叶,早期教育地理研究主要是借助地理学的视角和工具解决教育的空间问题,包括教育规划、教育土地利用、学校选择以及与居住地相关的教育机会和结果差异等;1990年代以来的教育地理研究注重从社会空间的角度来解析教育,关注教育与社会、经济、政治和文化等的内在联系,并建立起了以尺度为框架的研究体系。在最初的研究中,教育空间被当作既定的客观空间;1990年代以来,受社会科学空间转向的影响,教育空间被看成是与经济、社会、文化、政治等相互塑造的空间。当前,教育地理研究已经建立起了知识体系和研究框架,研究尺度包括微观(学习者、学习空间、学校与社区等)、中观(区域、国家等)和宏观(国际)的空间尺度研究,教育地理的研究范围得到扩展。国内教育地理研究可以从不同尺度上加强空间的研究以及空间之间的联系讨论,扩展非正式教育这一广阔的领域,加强教育公平的社会空间解释。