PdF:DGC006 Research Methods in Geo Edu - Course Information

DGC006 Theory and Research Methods in Geography Education

Extent and Intensity

0/0/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching

Teacher(s)

doc. Mgr. Petr Knecht, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Michaela Spurná, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

doc. Mgr. Petr Knecht, Ph.D.
Department of Geography – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Kateřina Brabcová
Supplier department: Department of Geography – Faculty of Education

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Didactics of Geography (programme PdF, D-SPE4) (2)

Course objectives

The course is an introduction to methodologies and methods of research in geography education . It shows subject-specific approaches to research in geography education and basic thematic areas.
The aim is to enable students to develop deeper knowledge and understanding of research in geography education  : a) research topics and questions b) research methods and techniques c) methodological standards in the field (the size of the research sample, validity and reliability) d) data processing and presentation of results.
After completing the course, students:
• Will describe subject-specific approaches to research in geography education and critically evaluate research themes and approaches widely used in the Czech Republic and abroad.
• Will explain the essence of basic research methods and techniques (quantitative and qualitative), assess their relevance and limitations in relation to research topics relevant for geography education.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students: • Will describe subject-specific approaches to research in geography education and critically evaluate research themes and approaches widely used in the Czech Republic and abroad. • Will explain the essence of basic and advanced research methods and techniques (quantitative and qualitative), assess their relevance and limitations in relation to research topics relevant to geography education.

Syllabus

• Methodologies of education, psychology, sociology and other social sciences and their relationship to   research in geography education.
• 2. Basic concepts. Importance and applications of research in geography education. Selected theories in   geographical and educational research.
• 3. Specificity of research in research in geography education. Research topics and themes. Sources   of research in research in geography education: Journals, online databases. Institutions.
• 4. Research methods and techniques in geography education   (observation, interview, questionnaire, experiment etc.).
• 5. Application of particular designs in geography education research (case studies, action research, ethnographic approaches, hermeneutics, meta-analyses etc.). Critical analysis of research.
• 6. International comparative research in geography education.
• 7. Special methods for collecting, processing and analyzing data in geography education research. Software.
• 8. Standards for research studies (validity, reliability etc.). Ethical aspects of research in geography education.

Literature

recommended literature
• Studie z časopisů: International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education; Journal of Geography; Geography; Zeitschrift für Geographiedidaktik./Journal of Geography Education; Geography in Higher Education
• Debates in geography education. Edited by David Lambert - Mark Jones. 1st pub. New York: Routledge, 2013, xvi, 320. ISBN 9780415687799. info

not specified
• Key methods in geography. Edited by Shaun French - Thomas W. Gillespie - Meghan Cope - N. J. Clifford. Third edition. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2016, xxx, 722. ISBN 9781446298602. info
• Geographiedidaktische Forschungsmethoden. Edited by Alexandra Budke - Miriam Kuckuck. Berlin: Lit, 2015, xi, 470. ISBN 9783643131218. info
• Geography, education and the future. Edited by Graham Butt. 1st pub. New York, N.Y.: Continuum, 2011, xvi, 267. ISBN 9781847064981. info

Teaching methods

lectures, class discussion, group projects, homework, reading

Assessment methods

Oral examination

The student will briefly present his/her dissertation research, comment on the following points and justify his/her comments. For each point (or sub-component) of the outline below, the examiner may ask "Why?" more than once:
1. Research problem, research question and research objectives
2. The contribution of the dissertation to the research problem, relevance
3. The contribution of the dissertation to the field of study (or practice), how the dissertation is innovative
4. Theoretical background of the research - coverage of the research by more general social science theories and relevant directions of geographical thinking (including dominant authors)
5. International research gap that the dissertation fills - evidenced by a literature search
6. The form of the dissertation (cumulative - a collection of articles or a monograph)
7. The content of the individual outputs (e.g. what will be covered in the collection of articles, the structure of the monograph)
8. Research methodology elaborated in the form of "work packages", including justification of the choice of the research population, specific data collection and analysis procedures
9. Data description and data management plan
10. Examples of data analyses documented using data from the actual research (or pre-research)
11. Research timeline (Gantt chart), including milestones (and achieved) and deliverables (esp. articles)
12. Research ethics (approval of the Research Ethics Committee, possibly documentation of informed consent for participants)

Evaluation criteria:
Substantive correctness of answers
Structurality of interpretation
The persuasiveness of the argument
Support for the literature
Reflexive approach

Language of instruction

Czech

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.

Teacher's information

Articles from the following journals: International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education; Journal of Geography; Geography; Zeitschrift für Geographiedidaktik./Journal of Geography Education; Geography in Higher Education

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/spring2025/DGC006