Small-Group Work and Relational Thinking in Geographical Mysteries

Year 2019, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 402 - 425, 31.08.2019

Jan Karkdijk , Wilfried Admiraal Joop Van Der Schee

https://doi.org/10.33403/rigeo.588661

Abstract

Relational thinking is a necessary skill
for building students’ individual capabilities and a core concept in geography
education. Geographical relational thinking refers to being able to give
interrelated, causal explanations for geographical phenomena such as regional
change. The aim of this study was to gain more insight into differences in
relational thinking between small groups of students working together on an
assignment to explain a regional event which was framed as a geographical
mystery. This insight could help teachers to advance students’ geographical
relational thinking skills. Two geographical mysteries were examined with data
from 69 small groups in Dutch upper secondary education. The two mysteries
resulted in differences in the level of relational thinking, which were partly
explained by small-groups’ on-task behaviour. Many student groups showed a low
level of geographical relational thinking. Findings point to the need to
incorporate exercises into geography lessons which require the use of thinking
and reasoning with interrelated causal relationships.

Keywords

Relational thinking, mystery, small-group work, geography education, secondary education

Supporting Institution

Dutch Organisation of Scientific Research (NWO)

Project Number

023.001.046

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