Fieldwork in Geography Education

Summary

Geography is a complex school subject concerned with understanding relationships between nature, society and human activity. It is often described as an interdisciplinary subject that brings together perspectives from the natural and social sciences. To develop geographical knowledge, students need opportunities to investigate geographical phenomena, ask geographical questions, and analyse how processes and people interact in different places. Fieldwork is a central component of geography education and is emphasised in Swedish curriculum documents as an important part of the subject. At the same time, fieldwork can be designed in many different ways, requiring teachers to make didactic choices regarding its purpose, content and implementation.

Aim and research questions

The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize research on how fieldwork can be designed as part of geography teaching in primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary schools. The review is intended to provide inspiration and serve as a basis for geography teachers’ didactic choices, thereby contributing to the development of research-informed teaching. The review addresses the following research questions:

1. How can teachers design fieldwork-based teaching to create conditions for students’ learning in geography?
2. What opportunities and challenges are associated with fieldwork in geography education?

The review synthesises findings from 15 studies conducted in different countries.

Findings of the review

The review findings show what the included studies collectively suggest about how the design of fieldwork-based teaching can support students’ learning in geography. The review identifies three themes describing how teachers may design fieldwork-based teaching in a way that creates conditions for student’s learning in geography:

• Reducing unfamiliar elements – Preparing for the field visit.
• Practising geographical methods and tools – During and after the field visit.
• The nature of geographical fieldwork – Student activity and teacher guidance.

The discussion chapter also highlights opportunities and challenges associated with the use of fieldwork in geography education.

Reducing unfamiliar elements – Preparing for the field visit

The studies show that teachers can create conditions for learning by familiarising students with what they will encounter during the field visit. Teachers introduce students to the place they will visit. This may be done, for example, by using maps or photographs of the area, or by conducting the field visit in a place that students already know. Teaching also gives students opportunities to become familiar with the geographical concepts and methods they will use during the fieldwork. For example, students may practise relevant methods, such as pattern recognition, before identifying rocks in the field.

Practising geographical methods and tools – During and after the field visit

The studies show how teachers can create conditions for learning by giving students opportunities to use and practise geographical methods and tools, both during fieldwork and in subsequent classroom activities. This involves making observations based on geographical questions and perspectives, as well as collecting and processing geographical information. For example, students are given opportunities to work with geographic information systems (GIS) and conduct interviews.

The nature of geographical fieldwork – Student activity and teacher guidance

The findings highlight the didactic challenge of balancing student activity with teacher-led instruction in fieldwork. Students are given opportunities to investigate questions and make their own observations, while the teacher provides the structure and guidance required for the work. The studies show how teachers use both open and closed questions to guide students’ investigations, and how tasks can be designed around authentic, open-ended problems related to the places being investigated.

Opportunities and challenges

The findings indicate that fieldwork can support students in developing an understanding of geography as a synthesising subject, in which relationships between nature, society and human activity are central. At the same time, a didactic tension emerges between giving students opportunities to conduct their own investigations and providing the structure and guidance needed to draw their attention to geographically relevant aspects.

The studies also show that fieldwork can give students experience of working with geographical methods and tools, which may contribute to an understanding of how geographical knowledge is produced and used in practice. Finally, the review highlights local fieldwork as a didactic opportunity that can both reduce practical barriers and create conditions for learning.

Using the review

The findings of the review can provide a deeper and more nuanced understanding of how fieldwork can be designed and, in doing so, offer new ways of viewing and discussing fieldwork in geography education. However, the review does not demonstrate causal relationships and does not provide a general picture of teaching and learning in geography. In other words, it is not a manual that can be followed step by step. It is therefore important to consider the findings in relation to one’s own teaching practice and the particular group of students.

Project Group

The project team consists of external researchers (specialists in the field) and staff at the Swedish Institute for Educational Research.

External researchers

From the Swedish Institute for Educational Research