Worldview–An Investigation of Japanese and Irish Children’s Geographical Knowledge and Understanding

Yıl 2019, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 3, 493 - 522, 31.12.2019

Shelagh Waddington , Takashi Shimeda

https://doi.org/10.33403/rigeo.629090

Öz

Understanding of other cultures and countries is widely regarded as an important aspect of world citizenship and geography is argued to make a valid contribution to the development of this.  The aim of this study is to explore the understandings of Japanese and Irish students of other areas of the world, both nearby and more distant.  Students at the end of junior secondary school and in their final year in school were asked to locate countries, and to record knowledge of them.  They were also asked to identify the country (apart from their own) in which they would most like and least like to live. As there is currently much focus on the impact of media on understanding, they were also asked to identify the main source of their knowledge. Analysis of the data revealed common understandings, misconceptions and stereotypes, but also significant differences between the various groups.  Evidence was found that study of geography to a higher level did appear to affect the depth of understanding. While this study focused on only two very different nations, the commonality of perceptions suggests that these are likely to be widespread and, therefore, of relevance to all of those concerned with global citizenship.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Geography, Social Studies, citizenship, world understanding, misconceptions, school students, Ireland, Japan, Japan

Teşekkür

The authors would like to thank the schools, teachers and students in Japan and Ireland who so willingly co-operated in the completion of this study. They also wish to thank Dr Motoko Saito who has acted as an advisor and supporter to this project. The Ethics Committees of both participating universities granted approval for the project.

Kaynakça

• Asakawa, K. (2015). Current status and isses in senior high school geography education. In Y,Ida, M. Yuda, T Shimura, S Ike, K Ohinshi and H Oshima (Eds.) Geography Education in Japan, Tokyo: Springer.39-47.
• Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority [ACARA] (n/d). Australian Curriculum F-10 Geography, Sydney, ACARA. Available on line at :http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/geography/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#level10 [accessed 22/5/19]
• Axia, G., Bremner, J.G., Deluca, P. & Andreasen, G. (1998). Children drawing Europe: the effects of nationality, age and teaching. British Journal of Educational Psychology 16, 423-437.
• Barrett, M. & Farroni, T. (1996). English and Italian children’s knowledge of European geography. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 14 (3), 257- 273.
• Barrett, M. & Oppenheimer, L. (2011). Findings, theories and methods in the study of children’s national identifications and national attitudes, European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 8 (1), 5-24.
• Bednarz, S, Acheson, G and Bednarz, A (2016 ) Maps and map learning in Social Studies, Social Education 70(7) 398-404 & 432.
• Booth, A (2019) The importance of locational knowledge, Teaching Geography, 44 [2], p81-83.
• Catling, S. & Willy, T. (2009). Teaching Primary Geography, Exeter, UK: Learning Matters Ltd.
• Council on Foreign Relations (2016). What college-age students know about the world: a survey on global literacy. New York: Council on Foreign Relations and National Geographic.
• Department of Education. (1989). Junior Certificate Geography Syllabus, Dublin: The Stationery Office http://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/3c3aec51-89c3-47ca-964c-4bcfa1f62853/JCSEC10_Geography_syllabus.pdf [accessed 22/5/19]
• Department of Education. (2003.) Leaving Certificate Geography Syllabus, Dublin: The Stationery Office. http://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/9da21be1-3f99-4f50-88ee-ba7ce6638e1a/SCSEC17_Geography_syllabus_eng.pdf [accessed 22/5/19]
• Department of Education and Skills. (2017). Languages Connect: Ireland’s strategy for foreign languages instruction¸ Dublin: Department of Education and Skills. https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Curriculum-and-Syllabus/Foreign-Languages-Strategy/fls_languages_connect_strategy.pdf [accessed 9/7/19]
• Donovan, I. (1993). Geographic literacy and ignorance: the study of Dublin adults and schoolchildren, Geographical Viewpoint 21, 73-79. Fernberger, S. W . (1948). Persistence of Stereotypes Concerning Sex Differences. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 43, 97-101.
• Gillmor, D. (1980). Investigation of world place knowledge, Geographical Viewpoint, 9: 58-70.
• Gillmor, D. (1994). International testing in geography, Geographical Viewpoint, 22: 5-20
• Gould, P. and White R. (1986). Mental Maps. London: Allen and Unwin.
• Inokuchi, H. and Nozaki, Y. (2005). “Different than Us”: Othering, Orientalism, and US middle school students' discourses on Japan, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 25(1), 61-74.
• Klineberg, O. (1951). The scientific study of national stereotypes. International Social Science Bulletin, 3(3), 505-515.
• Le Grange, L. and Beets, P. (2005). Geography Education in South Africa after a decade of democracy. Geography 90(3), pp 267-277.
• Monbukagakusyo [Ministry of Education, Science and Culture] (2008). Cyugakko gakusyu shidou youryo: Syakai(Course of study for junior high school :Social studies). Kyoto: Higashiyama syobou.
• Morgan, J. (2001). Popular culture and geography education, International research in geographical and environmental education, 10 (3), 284-297.
• Ministry of Education. (2014). New Zealand Curriculum, Social Sciences, Wellington: TKI. Available on-line at: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum/Social-sciences/Why-study-the-social-sciences [Accessed 26/6/19]
• Ontario, Ministry of Education (2013). Canadian and World Studies. Toronto: Ontario Government
• Piaget, J. and Weil, A. (1951). The development in children of the idea of the homeland and of relations with other countries, International Social Science Bulletin, 3(3), 561–78.
• Pike, S. (2015). Primary Geography in the Republic of Ireland: Practices, issues and possible futures. Review of International Geographical Research Online, 5 (2), 185-198
• Reynolds, R. & Vinerek, M. (2016). Geographical locational knowledge as an indicator of children’s views of the world: research from Sweden and Australia. International research in geographical and environmental education, 25(1), 68-83.
• Ridgely, D.C. (1912). The teaching of place geography. Journal of Geography 11(1), 13-16.
• Scarfe, N. V. (1950). Geography teaching for international understanding. Paris: UNESCO.
• Shimura, T. (2009). Japanese curriculum reflections, Teaching Geography 34(2), 61-63.
• Taylor, L. (2009). Children constructing Japan: material practices and relational learning, Children's Geographies, 7(2), 173-189.
• Taylor, L. (2015). Research on young people’s understandings of distant places, Geography, 100(2), 110-113.
• Torrens, P.M. (2001). Where in the world? Exploring the factors driving place location knowledge among secondary level students in Dublin, Ireland. Journal of Geography, 100(2): 49-60.
• Waddington, S.B. (2011). Second level geography in Ireland: past, present and future. Geographical Viewpoint 39, 20-30.
• Weigand, P. (1998). Children’s free recall sketch maps of the world on a spherical surface. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 7(1), 67–83.