Papers by Maria Helena Esteves
The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Geography education is very important in ter... more The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Geography education is very important in terms of geographical skills development such as spatial literacy, the ability to recognize patterns and relations between geographical phenomena and to explore real-world problems. This paper analyses how Portuguese Geography Education (both in basic and higher education) addresses this important matter and also presents some projects that have been developed in order to enhance the use of GIS in the classroom. Being recognized as an important tool in Geography education the fact remains that a minority of Geography teachers refers using it in their classes for reasons related to lack of training or the need to develop a content centred syllabus in a limited schedule. If learning Geography is about understanding our world, GIS has an important role to play that should be present in Geography Education.
PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 2018
This research is related to the importance of introducing a gender approach in educational curric... more This research is related to the importance of introducing a gender approach in educational curricula. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has defined in its 4 th goal the need to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. This means that educational systems should have in mind the need to introduce gender debate in different areas of educations, from teacher training to subject knowledge definition, to change traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Using a qualitative research methodology based in documental analyses it will be presented how some European countries have been developing efforts to include gender equality as a topic or as an interdisciplinary subject in school curricula. The research focus on how these efforts are happening in Portugal and how school curricula are not involved in itand this is an important challenge to be met by policy makers. Some recommendations are issued to foster the goal of gender equality as a tool to improve quality in education and contribute to a more balanced society in terms of gender representation.
The present changes in Portuguese geography curriculum have raised several questions about teache... more The present changes in Portuguese geography curriculum have raised several questions about teachers' practices. In fact, in the Portuguese context, there is little previous research in the area of how teachers adapt to curriculum reforms and reorganization; what they are doing in classrooms; what kind of information is being provided and how teachers cope with on-going change. Considering that research into teacher practice allows effective strategies to be identified, suggests new training courses and contributes to an understanding of the process of teaching and learning, the research proposed in this research note aims to find out what kind of geography teaching is being done In Portuguese schools using an empirical approach involving both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Cybergeo: European Journal of Geography, 2019
The aim of this research is to analyze Geography teachers' views on textbook use in the classroom... more The aim of this research is to analyze Geography teachers' views on textbook use in the classroom. Recent changes in the Portuguese national curriculum have brought additional demands both to teaching and learning. It was important to understand how textbook use in Geography classrooms is viewed in terms of assisting teachers to manage the new challenges introduced by the national curriculum and its relationship with school Geography. The preliminary results of the research show that textbook use is perceived as very important both for students and teachers, but it is still used in a very traditional way. The existence of new guidelines for teaching and learning present in the national curriculum has not changed the way teachers use textbooks in the classroom. Still, they recognize the need to adapt to the national curriculum guidelines. Some recommendations are presented based on the needs identified by the teachers.
In the last two decades Portuguese school geography has embraced the challenge of adapting to a c... more In the last two decades Portuguese school geography has embraced the challenge of adapting to a changing world, evidenced by the Reform of the Educational System (Decree-Law No. 286/89 of 29 August) and the Basic Curriculum Reorganization (Decree-Law No. 6/2001 of 18 January). In the search for an education able to contribute to the formation of active citizens in a democratic society, school Geography, during the 90s, has deepened the study of Europe, as well as the problematic of sustainable development. More recently, and linked to the National Curriculum of Basic Education, Geography presents itself as a discipline dedicated to the development of a better understanding of the world in its cultural, social and environmental dimensions and also having a key role in the shaping of future citizens. This research aimed at understanding how Geography teachers have perceived these curricular changes. Teachers were studied, through their discourse and practices. It was also important to...
El trabajo de campo en la educacion geografica es una actividad importante, porque promueve el de... more El trabajo de campo en la educacion geografica es una actividad importante, porque promueve el desarrollo del conocimiento geografico y de las habilidades que van mas alla del aprendizaje escolar. La forma en que se realiza este contacto con el entorno ha evolucionado desde la visita tradicional de la escuela (excursiones) a modelos en los que la participacion de los estudiantes es mas profunda y representa la contribucion de varias teorias educativas en las practicas educativas de geografia. Este documento pretende debatir sobre una implementacion racional del trabajo de campo como una metodologia de recopilacion de datos utilizada en la investigacion realizada a escala local, incluida en un programa de formacion inicial de maestros de primaria. Como la experiencia tuvo lugar en un entorno urbano, se incluye un marco conceptual sobre el potencial de la ciudad como area de investigacion para fomentar el pensamiento espacial critico y la formacion de ciudadanos geograficamente compet...
Aportaciones De La Geografia En El Aprendizaje a Lo Largo De La Vida Archivo De Ordenador 2011 Isbn 978 84 938551 6 1 Pags 478 487, 2011
New Trends and Issues Proceedings on Humanities and Social Sciences
Globalization has brought new challenges to schools and teachers in Europe. Present models of ini... more Globalization has brought new challenges to schools and teachers in Europe. Present models of initial teacher training need to address new challenges in order to give teachers the skills to deal with complex issues in their scientific areas. This has been a concern to teacher programs and educators and it is reflected in the different models of teacher training existing in European countries. This paper aims at discussing the models of initial teacher training in some European countries, trying to understand similarities and differences not only in the formal contexts but also in terms of contents. We will address several issues trying to reach the fundamental question: What kind of teachers do we want for the 21st century? The main purpose will be to identify how initial teacher training has incorporated a global dimension.
Didáctica Geográfica
Fieldwork in geography education is an important activity in terms of promoting the development o... more Fieldwork in geography education is an important activity in terms of promoting the development of geographical knowledge and skills that go beyond school learning. The way this contact with the real world is done has evolved from the traditional school visit (fieldtrip) to models where students’ involvement is deeper representing the contribution of several educational theories in geography educational practices. This paper presents a rational about fieldwork implementation as a methodology of data collection used in research undertaken at a local scale, included in a program of geography initial teacher training. As the experience took place in an urban area, the paper includes a conceptual framework about the potential of the city as a research area in terms of fostering critical thinking and the formation of geographically competent citizens.
Finisterra, 2012
Este artigo procura analisar o estudo da cidade nos actuais programasde Geografia e nalguns manua... more Este artigo procura analisar o estudo da cidade nos actuais programasde Geografia e nalguns manuais escolares em vigor. Com a reorganização curricular daGeografia verificamos que, agora, a dimensão mais valorizada, é o desenvolvimento decompetências essenciais e menos a memorização de conteúdos. Os novos manuais escolares editados vão responder ao desafio de fazer uma Geografia capaz de contribuir paraa formação de cidadãos geograficamente competentes. O estudo da cidade continua afazer parte importante do novo currículo da Geografia, mas verificam-se poucas altera-ções em relação aos conteúdos que eram abordados antes da reorganização, pelo menosnaquilo que se refere à forma como os manuais escolares abordam este tema.
Este artigo aborda as preocupações ambientais dos estudantes do ensino básico e os efeitos que a ... more Este artigo aborda as preocupações ambientais dos estudantes do ensino básico e os efeitos que a educação ambiental está a produzir no universo escolar português. A educação ambiental tem contribuído para a formação de uma população ecologicamente consciente e a Geografia escolar, através dos temas que trabalha no 3º ciclo do Ensino Básico, tem liderado, indiscutivel-mente, este processo de (in)formação dos jovens. Privilegiando uma meto-dologia de investigação de tipo qualitativo, com este estudo pretendemos não só contribuir para o desenvolvimento da Didáctica da Geografia, mas tam-bém, fornecer algumas pistas de trabalho aos professores sobre como rela-cionar as preocupações ambientais dos jovens com os conteúdos curriculares da disciplina, durante a escolaridade obrigatória. Desde os anos 90 tem-se assistido a um aumento das preocupações relativas à gravidade e à complexidade dos problemas ambientais por parte da opinião pública. O relatório elaborado pelo Programa das Nações Un...
This research aims at knowing how Geography teachers are involved in Citizenship education. Portu... more This research aims at knowing how Geography teachers are involved in Citizenship education. Portuguese school geography presents itself as a particularly important subject in developing students’ awareness about many problems that concern societies worldwide. Thus, it was important to understand Geography teachers’ beliefs on the subject when they consider their importance and contribution to citizenship education. The research involved about 180 teachers of secondary schools, and the data were collected through an open questionnaire. Using content analysis methods it was possible to understand teachers’ views on the subject of citizenship education and how they position geography curriculum in order to develop practices contributing to citizenship education. Finally, some considerations will be presented about the results of this research.
RESUMO Este artigo procura apresentar um conjunto de reflexões sobre o potencial educativo da cid... more RESUMO Este artigo procura apresentar um conjunto de reflexões sobre o potencial educativo da cidade na aprendizagem de competências de cidadania. A análise realiza-se no âmbito da disciplina de Geografia que é leccionada no ensino básico e que, de entre os vários temas abordados, inclui o estudo da cidade. Numa primeira parte apresentam-se alguns contributos de geógrafos portugueses e espanhóis no que se refere ao papel importante que a geografia escolar pode ter numa educação para a cidadania. Seguidamente, procurou-se investigar o potencial da cidade como espaço de educação para a cidadania para então compreender como esta dinâmica formativa pode ser trabalhada, e por fim analisar a forma como o estudo da cidade é visualizado no âmbito da disciplina de Geografia no currículo português. Apesar de um claro reconhecimento da vantagem em trabalhar competências de cidadania ao nível da cidade, as orientações curriculares da Geografia não focam esta dimensão. Este é ainda um desafio po...
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Papers by Maria Helena Esteves