Cramming Facts and Thinking Concepts: Instance of Preparation of Student Geography Teachers in Liberec

Abstract

In general, geographical education is closed into two strands. First, in geographical content (knowledge), there are geographical facts on the one hand and on the other hand there is geographical thinking. Second, in geographical cognition there is rote learning in behavioral strategy on the one hand and on the other hand meaningful learning in constructivist strategy. This study presents interactions into the two strands and it describes theoretical sources that comes from geography, geographical education and cognitive psychology and presents experience of the Liberec students, student geography teachers, and their preparation for their job. Access is laying on key courses, Classroom Management, Czech Geographical Curriculum and Geographical Exercises and Projects. In geographical projects, fieldworks and enquiry are preferred. Geographical (scientific) content is emphasized that is transferred into school geographical education. Methods which are used in the text result from description of development of geographical education in the Czech R. (one hundred years). This evaluation is based on wider frame of geographical curriculum, above all on English curriculum and US geography standards. The key tool of analysis is used in a revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. Results are implemented into the courses in which future geography teachers in Liberec are prepared and practiced.