There have been remarkable changes in the Omani educational system since the implementation of the Basic Education Reform in 1998. The current study was an attempt to offer insights into the state of geography in the current reform. Particularly, the study examined teachers' preferred reasons for teaching geography, teachers' views on important…

Many countries have invested heavily in facilities and teacher training for the infusion of information technology (IT) into various school subjects. The background besetting this innovation and how far learning has improved thereby are important concerns for the education sector. They are examined here with respect to Hong Kong, which is a mixed…

A field-based course at the University of Arizona called Sense of Place (SOP) covers the geology, ecology and cultural history of the Tucson area. SOP was quantitatively assessed for pedagogical effectiveness. Students of the Spring 2008 course were given pre- and post-course word association surveys in order to assess awareness and comprehension…

Geospatial technology has been identified as one of the three most important emerging fields along with nanotechnology and biotechnology. The application of the technology is expected to grow and become more diversified in the coming years. In Saudi Arabia, the utilization of geotechnology is growing but still limited compared to the Western…

Using geographic information system (GIS) in teaching and learning geography is an important direction in the secondary geography curriculum in Hong Kong. In the present study, interviews were conducted individually with 28 geography teachers from different secondary schools in Hong Kong, with a view to finding their views on the inclusion of GIS…

The article presents the state of geographic education in Manila, Philippines by examining the types of approaches in teaching geography in public, private and Montessori schools. As part of the social studies programme in Grade IV elementary education, the types of approaches to teaching geography are examined for their effectiveness and…

Over the last 20 years policy makers have introduced a number of measures intended to improve the quality of education provided by state secondary schools in England. The survey reported here, undertaken at the request of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), offers an insight into geography education in such schools with particular…

Victoria has just emerged from 10 years where Geography has been one of three strands in the key learning area of Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE). The overarching framework emerged from an attempt to develop a national curriculum. Whilst the national curriculum was rejected by Australian state and territories who each hold legislative…

Geography as a subject is surviving quite well in Queensland. It is holding its own in an increasingly crowded curriculum. More importantly, many students of Geography across the state are engaging in interesting and worthwhile Geography courses. They are not only learning some Geography "content", they are learning important life-long skills…

Geography as a discipline has a long and healthy history in South Australia. Due to the passion of individual educators and the activities of the Geography Teachers Association of South Australia (GTASA) since its foundation in 1936, South Australia has experienced ongoing curriculum development and indeed innovation in the geographical studies in…

The slippery downhill slide of geography as a taught subject in Tasmanian schools is a lamentable case of lost opportunity. Curriculum reforms reported in previous Forum papers for IRGEE (Robertson, 2003a, 2003b) highlight the time lag in responses to these changes by geography educators. Perhaps because they have steadfastly held to the belief…

Geography is alive and well in non-government schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) but many believe that its rigour has been compromised through being incorporated into Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) for delivery in government primary and secondary schools. SOSE is one of eight Key Learning Areas (KLAs) that make up the…

The Northern Territory is a semi-autonomous region in the north of Australia. It is one of three Territories and six States that constitute the Commonwealth of Australia. The mainland States and Territories all maintain separate education systems, responsible to the Minister for Education in each State or Territory. In the Northern Territory's…

The Australian Geography Teachers' Association (AGTA) seeks to: (1) foster the teaching and learning of geography in Australian schools and enhance awareness of its applications in society; (2) promote and circulate the results of research into geography education; (3) maintain a professional network through which teachers of geography in…

The story of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in schools in Australia started in 1996 with the limited involvement of schools in the Australasian Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (AURISA) "GIS in schools" competition. AURISA is now known as the Spatial Science Institute (SSI) and is conducting the Spatial Technology in…