Pupils’ Perceptions of Geography in Dutch Primary Schools: Goals, Outcomes, Classrooms Environment, and Teacher Knowledge and Performance

Abstract

Concerns about the decreasing quality of geography education within primary schools can be linked to a decrease of time spent on geography education and, for example, to low achievement on national or school-specific tests. Learning outcomes for geography stay behind in relation to what experts believe that pupils should perform. Results indicate that pupils would like to gain more theoretical knowledge and get more help from teachers to apply actual and conceptual knowledge within new subject content. Pupils also wish to have more active, inquiry-based teacher activities during the lessons, and to be actively coached and motivated by the teacher.

Keywords:

• primary geography education
• pupils’ perceptions
• learning outcomes
• learning environment
• geography teaching