Examination of Main Trends in Geographical Education Research in Turkey

Abstract

The main purpose of the present study is to examine the main tendencies of the articles published in the field of geography education between the years of 2008 and 2018 in Turkey. Within the scope of this purpose, this study examined the subject fields, research methods, data collection tools, data analysis techniques and sampling methods used in the geography education studies in the journals scanned by the SSCI, ESCI and ULAKBIM social sciences databases in Turkey. The study used the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods. The study evaluated 224 articles determined according to the purposeful sampling method from the related databases by using the Geography Education Article Classification Form (GEACF) and then analyzed the obtained pieces of data by using the content analysis method and finally made some interpretations. According to the findings of the study, in the last ten years in Turkey, the highest number of articles were published in 2010 (n=33) and the lowest number of articles were published in 2017 (n=13). It was also observed that, in the field of geography education, the highest number of articles were published in the Marmara Geography Journal; however, in the journals scanned in SSCI, a total of (n=17) articles were published in the last ten years. Moreover, the studies were also determined to show more interest in the subject areas of teacher training and learning/teaching; questionnaires and scales were generally used as a data collection tool; the frequency/percentage and content analysis methods were preferred in the analysis of data; quantitative and qualitative methods were generally used in studies on geography education; on the contrary, mixed methods were less frequently used. 

Keywords

• Geography Education,Research on Geography Education,Trends,Turkey

Kaynakça

1. Aktaş, E. & Yurt, S. U. (2015). A content analysis for article abstracts in Turkish education area. Turkish Studies, 10 (7), 73-96.
2. Alam, S. (2010). Recent trends in school geography in İndia, Journal of Geography, 109 (6), 243-250.
3. Alper, A. & Gülbahar, Y. (2009). Trends and ıssues in educational technologies: a review of recent research in tojet. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 8 (2), 124-135.
4. Apaydın, S. (2009). Between the years 2000-2008 physics education research in Turkey. I. Turkey International Congress of Educational Research, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University: Antalya, 574-584.
5. Arı, Y. (2010). Why geography needs to be defined and teaching multidimensional? In R. Özey & A. Demirci (Eds.), Methods and Approaches in Teaching Geography. (pp. 1-22). İstanbul: Aktif Yayınevi.
6. Arslan, A.S. & Paliç, G. (2012). Studies in physıcs education ın Turkey for the period 1990- 2011. Bayburt University Journal of Education Faculty, 7 (1), 115-128.
7. Bednarz, S. (2000). Geography education research in the journal of geography 1988-1997. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 9 (2), 128-140.
8. Bowen, G.A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9 (2), 27-40.

9. Butt, G. (2008). Is the future secure for geography education? Geography, 93(3), 158-165.
10. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. & Demirel, F. (2010). Scientific Research Methods. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
11. Canbulat, T., Avcı, G. & Sipahi, S. (2016). The evaluation of the theses in the field of social studies in the U.S.A and Canada. Ahi Evran University Kırşehir Journal of Education Faculty, 17 (2), 351-370.
12. Çalık, M. & Sözbilir, M. (2014). Parameters of content analysis. Education and Science, 39 (174), 33-38.
13. Çifçi, T. (2017). The trends of postgraduate theses (2006-2017) on geography education in Turkey. Journal of History Culture and Art Research, 6 (4), 864-887.
14. Çiltas, A., Guler, G., & Sozbilir, M. (2012). Mathematics education research in Turkey: A content analysis study. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12 (1), 565-580.
15. Doğanay, H. (1989). Geography and geography teaching in high schools. Journal of Geography Research, 1 (1), 7-25.
16. Doğanay, H. (2011). In terms of its meaning, definition, subject and philosophy some opinions on science of geography. Eastern Geographical Review, 16 (25), 1-44.
17. Ergun, M. & Çelik, E. (2011). New trends in science education in Turkey: 2008 example. E- Journal of New World Sciences Academy, 6 (1), 508-514.
18. Esteves, M. (2012). Geography education in Portugal: recent trends in research. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 47, 1692-1695.
19. Geçit, Y. (2010). Primary tendencies in research on geography education. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 10 (2), 923-987.
20. Geçit, Y. & Şeyihoğlu, A. (2011). Examination of the studies, which were made on issues of computeraided geography teaching in Turkey. Marmara Geographical Review, 23, 327- 351.
21. Göktaş, Y., Küçük, S., Aydemir, M., Telli, E., Arpacık, Ö., Yıldırım, G. & Reisoğlu, İ. (2012). Educational technology research trends in Turkey: a content analysis of the 2000-2009 decade, Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12, 443-460.
22. Hanson, S. (2004). Who are “we”? An important question for geography’s future. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 94 (4), 715-722.
23. İncekara, S. (2007). International trends in secondary geographic education: the case of Turkey. Marmara Geographical Review, 16, 109-130.
24. İncekara, S. (2009). The international research in geography education and the examples from Turkey: present situation and future directions. Eastern Geographical Review, 14 (21), 123-136.
25. Kahyaoğlu, M. (2016). A study on environmental education research in Turkey: a content analysis study. Marmara Geographical Review, 3 (4), 50-60.
26. Karadağ, E. (2009). A thematic analysis on doctoral dissertations made ın the area of education sciences. Ahi Evran University Kırşehir Journal of Education Faculty, 10 (3), 75-87.
27. Kaya, M. F. (2013). Tendencies in geography education: a meta-analysis study on graduate theses up to 2012. Marmara Geographical Review, 27, 282-313.
28. Küçükoğlu, A. & Ozan, C. (2013). Content analysıs about master theses and dıssertatıons ın classroom teacher educatıon. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 4 (12), 27- 47.
29. Lache, N. M. (2011). Geography education: outcomes, trends and challenges about geography didactics. Problems of Education in the 21. Century, 27, 75-82.
30. Lacoste, Y. (2004). Geography is for fighting. (A. Ertan, Trans.) Ankara: Doruk Yayınevi. (Original work published 1976).
31. Lidstone, J. & Williams, M. (Eds.) (2006). Researching change and changing research in geographical education. Geographical education in a changing world: past experience, current trends, and future challenges. The Netherlands: Springer.
32. Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
33. Miles, M. B. & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: an expanded source book (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
34. Ozan, C. & Köse, E. (2014). Research trends in curriculum and instruction. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 4 (1), 116-136.
35. Öztürk, M. (2007). Geography: development, content and education. In S. Karabağ & S. Şahin (Eds.), Geography Education in Theory and Practice. (pp. 3-51). Ankara: Gazi Kitapevi.
36. Rohli, R.V. & Binford, P.E. (2016). Recent trends in geography education in Louisiana, Journal of Geography, 115 (5), 224-230.
37. Sönmez, V. & Alacapınar, F.G. (2011). Sampled scientific research methods. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.
38. Sözbilir, M. & Kutu, H. (2008). Development and current status of science education research in Turkey. Essays in Education Special Issue, 1-22.
39. Stoltman, J.P. (2012). Perspective on geographical education in the 21st century. Journal of Research and Didactics in Geography, 0 (1), 17-24.
40. Şahin, E. Y., Kana, F. & Varışoğlu, B. (2013). The research trends of postgraduate dissertations in Turkish education departments. International Journal of Human Sciences, 10 (2), 356- 378.
41. Şahin, M., Yıldız, D.G. & Duman, R. (2011). An evaluation of the theses on social studies education in Turkey. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 2 (2), 96-122.
42. Topsakal, U., Çalık, M. & Çavuş, R. (2012). What trends do Turkish biology education studies indicate? International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 7 (4), 639-649.
43. Varışoğlu, B., Şahin, A. & Göktaş, Y. (2013). Trends in Turkish education studies. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 13 (3), 1767-1781.
44. Wassink, F.K. & Sadi, Ö. (2016). Science education trends in Turkey: a content analysis from 2005 to 2014. Elementary Education Online, 15 (2), 594-614.
45. Yıldırım, A. & Şimşek, H. (2011). Qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Ankara: Seçkin Yayınevi.