Expert*innen für die Räume dieser Welt?! : Eine empirische Untersuchung zur Professionalität von Erdkundelehrkräften im Umgang mit Raummodulen am Beispiel von Australien und Ozeanien

Abstract

This paper discusses the geography curriculum for grammar schools in Lower Saxony (Germany) in the 12th and 13th grade. The curriculum does not only prescribe thematic modules (‘Fachmodule’) but also alternating regional modules (‘Raummodule’). The latter ones are defined with reference to a concept subdividing the world into ‘cultural continents’ from the 1960s (‘Kulturerdteilkonzept’). Even though geography teachers in Lower Saxony may choose either the thematic modules or the regional modules as the superordinate structure in their geography classes, they seem to organize their classes more often in a regional way – an approach which can, thus, be distinguished from approaches of some other German federal states where only thematic modules are curricularly prescribed and function, thus, as the superordinate structure. The two different approaches are the result of a long historical debate on the teaching of geography in German schools. consider curricularly predetermined geographical regions based on an old, scientifically criticized concept to be legitimate. On the other hand, it can be asked to what extent the teachers’ professionalism is challenged by the requirement to teach (in part exotic) regions alternating every year. In order to answer the questions, 13 geography teachers of eleven different grammar schools in Lower Saxony are surveyed within the scope of a semi-structured interview study focusing on the regional module of Australia and Oceania. It is revealed that the majority of the interviewed teachers is satisfied with the predetermination of geographical regions in the curriculum and considers them to be compatible with current didactical tasks and concepts. Most of the interviewed teachers prefer regionally structured classes and consider the curricular recourse to the Kulturerdteilkonzept not only plausible, but also didactically reasonable since it functions as a tool to structure and portion the learning matter. The surveyed teachers’ professionalism (cf. Baumert / Kunter 2006, 482; cf. Blomeke 2011b, 395; cf. Shulman 1987, 8) concerning the regional module of Australia and Oceania is mainly challenged regarding the teachers’ content knowledge, their pedagogical content knowledge and their perceived self-efficacy; the teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge and their enthusiasm are less challenged. Touristic experience and subject-related teaching experience as well as further education are considered to be important factors to minimize the perceived challenges. The study shows furthermore that a teacher’s professional action competence does not only comprise internal relations between its particular components, but is also situated in a network of external factors such as the availability of teaching material on the specific subject. Finally, several suggestions are presented on how the curricular specifications (respectively their implementation) in Lower Saxony might be improved. These suggestions aim at supporting the further development of the geography teachers’ professional action competence and thus at helping the teachers to advance on their individual ways toward regional professionalism and toward becoming a regional expert.