The objectives and uses of comparisons in geography textbooks: results of an international comparative analysis

Abstract

Comparison is a cognitive process and a method of acquiring geographical knowledge widely promoted within school systems in Germany, France and England. Comparison is an everyday practice, but it is also one of the methods systematically used by geographers and serves various scientific purposes. However, little is known about the functions, extent and objectives of comparison tasks in geography education. This study presents an analysis of 20 textbooks from three countries: Germany, England and France. In this international comparative study we analysed all cognitive tasks involving comparison using qualitative content analysis and descriptive quantitative methods. We developed a reliable classification system for categorising the objectives of comparison tasks. In our results we demonstrated that a large proportion of comparison tasks in textbooks are simple, lower-order tasks. Also, many complex tasks in the three countries involve inductive processes, although we identified some national differences resulting from differing textbook structures. Our system for classifying the objectives of comparison tasks will help develop meaningful tasks, aiming to enhance students’ autonomous and critical thinking, and improve their proficiency in the competencies and methods required in geography education.

How Geography Textbook Tasks Promote Comparison Competency—An International Analysis

“…In the fourth dimension (achievement of comparison objectives) however, results showed a polarised distribution and a relatively higher ratio of achievement of level 4 among the tasks. These elements confirm findings about the objectives of comparison tasks [36] and the textbooks' focus on lower-order and closed tasks [46,84]. Textbook authors oriented tasks more towards content-related objectives, than methodological or competency-building functions in regard to comparison, which is in line with previous findings [88], [46] (p. 352).…”

“…Comparison can also serve different goals in geography education [36]. Here we propose four general objectives for comparison in geography education: to juxtapose examples in order to build models or rules or to better understand each case study inductively; to apply or test models in a deductive approach; to rank examples and establish typologies; and to acknowledge or identify processes diachronically, [36] (p. 4). As these objectives are not accounted for in the Wellnitz and Mayer model [35] (p. 328), another competency model, better adapted to geography education must be found.…”

“…The third dimension (interrelation of geographical information) explores the specificities of knowledge and content related to comparison processes, such as reflection on variables and concepts, and the capacity to generalise and consider comparison contexts. The fourth dimension (achievement of comparison goals) concerns the content-related goals of comparison [36]. The first level englobes only juxtaposition and ranking, as in the following task: "Compare layered and shield volcanoes according to the following aspects: type of eruption, lava properties, shape and extent" [42] (p. 161, own translation).…”

The textbook task as a genre

“…There are few cognitively challenging tasks (Gracin, 2018), such as problem-solving tasks in real-life contexts (Amaral & Hollebrands, 2017;Hadar & Ruby, 2019;Jiang & Cai, 2014), despite the fact that such tasks are promoted in the curriculum and educational research. The tasks in geography textbooks are sometimes more challenging than the curriculum requires (D. Yang et al, 2015), but mostly not challenging enough (Jo & Bednarz, 2009;Simon et al, 2020). In physical education, the learning activities do not promote student's creativity to the extent that the curriculum demands (You et al, 2019).…”

Understanding of Developing and Setting Tasks in Geography Lessons by German and Dutch Student Teachers

“…Recent empirical research in regard to tasks in geography education mainly concentrates on three aspects. Firstly, the research examines textbook tasks as part of the implemented curriculum concerning cognitive processes [1,16,20,36,37] or specific aspects such as spatial thinking, spatial planning, or future orientation [6,38,39]. Findings show tasks in textbooks that focus on higher order thinking skills, more complex spatial thinking, and on future orientation and planning generally, are scarce in all examined curriculum contexts.…”