ERIC Number: EJ1158053
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2146-0353
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Primary Geography in Australia: Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Understandings of Weather and Climate
Lane, Rod
Review of International Geographical Education Online, v5 n2 p199-217 Sum 2015
Recent curriculum introductions and revisions on a global scale have highlighted the importance of primary teachers' content knowledge in geography and the lack of research in this area (Catling, 2014). This has become a particular focus in Australia with the introduction of the "Australian Curriculum: Geography" in 2013 and the requirement for geography to be taught as a discrete subject in primary schools. The current study focuses on content common to both the Australian Curriculum: Geography and Science. The study reported in this paper adopts a mixed methods approach to explore the adequacy of pre-service primary teachers' accuracy and depth of knowledge about weather and climate. The results suggest that pre-service primary teachers hold a range of alternative conceptions about weather and climate processes and that they lack the depth of knowledge required to adequately prepare students for their studies in secondary science and geography. Implications for classroom practice and for future research are discussed.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Geography, Elementary School Teachers, Preservice Teachers, Weather, Climate, Knowledge Level, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Mixed Methods Research, Misconceptions, Ecology, Questionnaires, Interviews, Elementary School Curriculum
Review of International Geographical Education Online. Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Meselik Campus, Eskisehir City, 26480, Turkey. Tel: +90-222-239-37-50; Tax: +90-222-229-31-24; Web site: http://www.rigeo.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A