The Limits of GIS Implementation in Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Despite the extensive discussion on the educational potential of GIS and the changes made in the curricula in many countries, the implementation of GIS in classrooms has still been relatively slow. This is because of variables limiting the process of GIS implementation in lessons. Although research into the limits of GIS implementation has been carried out quite extensively, there is a need for knowledge systematisation in the field. Therefore, the presented systematic review of 34 empirical studies addresses this need and pays attention to the methodological approaches used to research the limits, the identified limits of GIS implementation, their categorisation, and any temporal trends in their occurrence. Altogether, the analysed studies identified 68 limits of GIS implementation in education using mainly quantitative methodology (especially the questionnaire), with utmost attention paid to teachers as participants. These limits then formed complex categorisation that distinguishes elementarily between the limits related to humans and resources. The most frequent and variable category of limits was teachers followed by technology, while both kept their positions in all periods. The systematisation of the research enables the formulation of implications for educational and geoinformatics practice and recommendations for future research.

Adaptation of Qgis Tools in High School Geography Education

“…The biggest issue has come to be the insufficient pre-service and in-service teacher training in geoinformatics and its application. A recent systematic study (Bernhäuserová et al, 2022) has concluded that most of the limits were related to teachers and resources. The implementation of GIS in teaching and the adaptation of its tools for the objectives of geographic education in secondary and primary schools can be carried out in several ways.…”

SatelliteSkill5—An Augmented Reality Educational Experience Teaching Remote Sensing through the UN Sustainable Development Goals

“…This platform offers dedicated education-focussed resources. The discipline of 'geo' has also benefited from many early [10,11] and more recent [12][13][14] education and capacity-building initiatives, including those led by established societies such as the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. However, the spatial data literature (and our own experience) highlights that teachers consistently mention the following challenges when teaching: time constraints when learning new software and developing new materials; technical aspects of the software; lack of infrastructure and technical support within schools; and lack of teaching materials and resources [15][16][17][18].…”

Teaching Civil Engineering through Integrated Projects in GIS

“…A geographic information system (GIS) is a tool for creating, managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. Because GIS is such a broad term, it can actually be difficult to define in such a way as to capture the various fields in which it can be applied [1], [2]. It is an ever growing and powerful technology, yet there are still limits to its widespread use in education globally [1].…”

“…Because GIS is such a broad term, it can actually be difficult to define in such a way as to capture the various fields in which it can be applied [1], [2]. It is an ever growing and powerful technology, yet there are still limits to its widespread use in education globally [1]. Additionally, GIS instruction is often approached from a "tool-centric view" where the focus of using GIS is on software commands and "button pushing" [2].…”