Scientific research and student education aimed at preparing students to practice their profession under the conditions of civilization and technological changes play a special role in geography teaching. It is important to be aware of the impact of key competences which are necessary for every person to function in the modern world and are needed for self-fulfilment, personal development, social integration, flexible adaptation to any changes and which determine the success in adult life. Proper development of such skills contributes to the correct interpretation of natural and socio-economic phenomena and processes. The aim of the article is to present and discuss research work and teaching activities pursued by the Department of Geography Didactics and Ecological Education at the Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, aimed at the use by students of various educational concepts and the resulting key competences necessary for their future work. Students also have the opportunity to develop soft competences, such as communication, courage of expression, self-esteem or responsibility for the group, to which employers have paid special attention in recent years. Therefore, comprehensive preparation of the student requires the implementation of specific educational concepts. The most important ones include bilingual education; CLIL, inquiry based science education (IBSE), project method, fieldwork, geographical educational trails, participation, as well as the use of geoinformation technologies, GIS and ICT.

Obserwowana  w  Polsce  presja  inwestycyjna  przyczynia  się  do  zmian w użytkowaniu gruntów w miastach, co przejawia się zwłaszcza ubywaniem gruntów rolnych. W literaturze istnieją przykłady badań prowadzonych w tym zakresie na terenie dużych miast w Polsce, jednak w przypadku mniejszych miast badań brakuje. Ważnym problemem jest rozpoznanie tych zmian w mniejszych miastach. Celem opracowania jest analiza zmian w użytkowaniu gruntów ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem gruntów rolnych w miastach powiatu poznańskiego w latach 2010 i 2020. W tym okresie największe zmiany zaszły w Luboniu, Swarzędzu i Mosinie. Powierzchnia gruntów rolnych w tych miejscowościach zmniejszyła się odpowiednio o 17,5%, 10,0% i 9,5%.

The presented study considers the impact of public expenditure related to land development on the potential of an urban green infrastructure to provide ecosystem services (ES). The study site (Szachty) is located in Poznań, the fifth largest city in Poland. In the article, we recognised the type of expenditure (permanent infrastructure and ongoing maintenance), the costs and the influence on ES (stimulating, weakening or no relevant). The study shows that the financial policy concerning the study area is focused on creating an infrastructure that enhances cultural ecosystem services (CES). However, the creation of recreational facilities weakens the potential of the area for supplying regulating services concerning maintaining nursery populations and habitats. The results highlight the need for scientific support for policymakers in understanding the synergies and trade-offs between ES, resulting from financial decisions. This is particularly important in the decision-making process in the areas of high natural value, in which full, long-term effects of the decisions may be barely visible and incomprehensible for the society. Showing the impact of financial decisions on the structure and level of ES may provide arguments supporting a more complex and high-quality social dialogue, including balancing the interests of various stakeholders.

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The global challenges of melting ice caps, rising global ocean levels, increased methane release from permafrost, and restrictions on access to water resources are primarily associated with climate change. Geographical education is of particular importance in this regard. At all levels of education, it should therefore provide knowledge about the changes taking place, shape practical skills, and foster the acquisition of appropriate attitudes in caring for the state of individual components of the geographical environment. Thus, the mentioned problems of the modern world require the selection of appropriate educational strategies. The chapter presents three educational strategies: teaching through scientific inquiry (IBSE), anticipatory learning strategy (ALS), and teaching through project-based learning (PBL). A general characterization was made, and then a proposal for their application to geography education classes was prepared. Content contexts were proposed for the respective strategies: IBSE (global warming), ALS (ice sheet changes), and PBL (water resources and retention).