Europe One geography ndash; is it possible and is it somethi.ppt

Europe: One geography – is it possible and is it something to strive for? Modernities and Geography Education: A Comparative Study of Romania, Sweden and England “The Hunch” Experiences as a student and a teacher in different European countries Romania – pupil Sweden – university student and teacher Belgium and England – teacher False assumption to start with: that Geography, both as a school subject and how the geographical reality is perceived, was the same for everyone Starting off the process... Once having been exposed to different countries’ school geographies and perception of the geographical reality, the question arose – why is there such a difference? I have chosen to look for the answer in the modernity paths of three of the countries where I had most contact with geography as a school subject: Romania, Sweden and England The actual research was made on the each countrys respective national curricula which have been produced throughout this period of modernisation The actual research Contextual reading of the geography national curricula of the three countries as it has developed over the years Each country has been looked upon from the modernisation path point of view The geography national curricula has then investigated through the different types of modernity ‘glasses’ and in this way established the role geography education playes in the construction of different forms of modernity in each country. But what is modernity? As Ocatavio Paz expressed it, ‘there are as many types of modernity as there are societies.’ On that note I started the modernity journey for the three countries, guided by a series of theories on the topic of modernity and of the connection between modernity and education An additional question is whether these modernities are interconnected in the European context Theories Education is seen by Shipman (1971) as being fluid and vibrating to social changes Dual role of education: generator of new ideas, but also as