The importance of teachers’ beliefs in geography education

The importance of teachers’

beliefs in geography

education

Lorena Rocca, Giovanni Donadelli, Sonia ZiliottoGeography Department “G. Morandini”

EUROGEO Annual meeting, 2-5 June 2011, Athens, Greece

“Geography: Your world – A European Perspective”

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

Short overview on this presentation



The importance of teachers’ beliefs in geography education(L. Rocca, G. Donadelli, S. Ziliotto)

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

Formal, not formal and informalexperiences

Personal expertise+

Ideas about what teaching is

System of personal beliefs

Teacher’s beliefs on geography

The way the teacher teach

geography?




Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

Does the teacher’s beliefson geography

influence the way of teaching it

?




Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

How can we investigate the teachers’ beliefs

?




Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

are subjective ideas about what we think is true, that help us:• to understand world events• to take decision• to act (Arnold, 1986; Albanese, 2003)

better defined as personal and always evolving system of cognitive, affective and behavioral belief (Pajares, 1992)

have a triple nature :• epistemological • ontological• methodological (Guba, 1990; Lincoln, 1995)

BELIEFS




Epistemological belief

Methodological belief

Ontological belief

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




How did we investigate the teachers’ beliefs?

• Reflect on the evolution of geography

• Identify few paradigms who define the evolution of the geographical thinking

• Conceptualize some key concepts about teaching for each paradigm

• With the keys concepts, create a questionnaire and submit it

• Analyze the data collected and translate the answers chosen into geographic paradigm evidences




Epistemologicalbelief

Methodological belief

Ontological belief

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

geographic possibilism

geographic functionalism and

quantitative geography

human geography(the geographies)

(Capel, 1987; Turco, 2000; Farinelli, 1993; Peet, 1998; Livingstone, 1992; Vallega, 1989; Torres, 1996; Dematteis, 2008)




Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

Essential bibliography

research

Deep investigation on

School systemand

National Curriculum Tool

calibration

First submit

Focus group

Tool adaptation

Tool

administrationData collect

SERVQUAL

The questionnaire




from September 2006 to July 2007

517 teachers of

Scuola

dell’infanzia

+

391 teachers of

Scuola Primaria

908 teachers

Younger than 40

years old (79,5%)

Teachers from

longer than 2

years

(100%)

Females

(99,1%)

Veneto

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I have good memory of my teacher

I like it

I have a good memory of the discipline

it's important for my training

it's present in daily activities

it's easy

it's difficult

it's useful

Scuola dell'infanzia Scuola primaria

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




What is your experience on Geography as a student?

Ontological beliefs

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




Epistemological beliefsWhich are in our opinion the aims of geography?

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

to know where a river, a country or a

city isto travel and to

know how to orient with the map

to know different cultures

to know the environment around

you

to improve responsability as a

citizien

to find out problems and think about

solutions

to develop the capacity of make

questions and find …to better understand

actuality

to promote intercultural

education

to know and understand our

roots

to compare past and present

to develop spatial orientment

to promote susteinable

development

to promote environmental

education

to promote active contacts with the

natural, social and …


Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Methodological beliefs

As a teacher, how much do you use these

resources?


strategies?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Atlas and mapsPictures and videosNarrative booksNTIC, CD


Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




Epistemological

belief

Metodological belief

Ontological belief

Phase 1 Phase 2

Phase 1

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 3

Phase 3

Veneto

teacher’s

style

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




June 2009 and June 2010

20 Erzieher

(child-care

workers) of

Kindergarten

+

13 teachers of

Grundschule

33 teachers

40-60 years old

(89%)

Teachers from

longer than 10

years

(90%) 91% female


Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




Ontological beliefs

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

geography is interesting

it's easy

it's important at school

it's a multidisciplinar discipline

children likes it

Kindergarten Grundschule

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

To know how to orient with the map and in the real world

To promote the orientation and the spatial intelligence

To facilitate the direct contact with nature, society and culture

To know, to use and to evaluate sources of information

To promote intercultural education

To decribe and analyze different landscapes

To understand and analyze man-environment relationships

To act in a sustainable way with nature and society

To facilitate the sustainable development

To know the near territory with field study



Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0


0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5




resources?


strategies?

Phase 1 Phase 2

Phase 1

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 3

Phase 3

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




Würzburg

teacher’s

style

Epistemological

belief


Ontological belief

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




between July and November 2009

106 future

teachers

+

58 teachers of

Educaçao Infantil

+

49 teachers of

Ensino

fundamental

213 teachers

30 years old or younger

(61,0%)

Students

(49,8%)

Teachers

(50,2%) Females

(94,8%)

Rio Grande

do Sul

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




0

20

40

60

80

100

I have a good memory of the discipline

I like it

I have good memory of my teacher

it's present in daily activities

it's easy

it's difficult

it's important for my training

it require the capacity to think and make links

Educacao infantil Ensino fundamental


Ontological beliefs

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

to know where rivers, countries and cities are

to travel and to learn how to orient with the map and in the …

to know different cultures

to know the local reality

to find out problems and find out solutions

to develop the capacity of make questions and find answers

to better understand actuality

to promote intercultural education

to know and understand our rootsto develop spatial orientment

to promote susteinable development

to read and interpret territorial processes

to promove active contacts with the natural, social and cultural …

to explore the territory through field activities

to investigate the laws which govern the territory

to read the landscape through the observation of physical and …

to analyze the territory in order to make it better

Escola infantil Ensino fundamental

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions





Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions





0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

didactic bookatlas and mappictures and videoNTIC, CD Journal



resources?


strategies?

Phase 1 Phase 2

Phase 1

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 3

Phase 3

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




Rio Grande

do Sul

teacher’s

style

Epistemological

belief


Ontological belief

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




The vision emerging show a geography localized

and connected to the “environmental” aspects

Some commonalities

representationstacit background

Investigate

the beliefs

Define the

reference

paradigm

sustainable development

intercultural education

civil and social

education

Introduction

Theoretical

Concepts

Methodology

Italian case

German case

Brazilian case

Results

Conclusions




meta-reflection tool for the

Necessity to reflect

Critical issues

Thank you very much for your attention.

EUROGEO Annual meeting, 2-5 June

2011, Athens, Greece


“Be the change you want to see in the world”(Mahatma Gandhi)

Giovanni Donadelli

Email: [email protected]

Education

The importance of teachers’ beliefs in geography education