Abstract
This research aims to evaluate the geographical knowledge of nine teachers in the region of Valparaiso, Chile. An interpretive case study was conducted with data collected through classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires, and these data were then analyzed through triangulation. The findings showed that these teachers, who are the most qualified within the region's context, consider geography to be marginal knowledge in the school curriculum, although they also consider it relevant to the education of their pupils. Both elements provided evidence of the fragility of their geographical knowledge, which fell within a spectrum that combines expert knowledge and lay knowledge.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Andoni Arenas-Martija
Andoni Arenas-Martija is a professor at the Instituto de Geografía and head researcher at the Geography Education Laboratory at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. The focus of his work is geography teacher training and geographical thinking.
Victor Salinas-Silva
Victor Salinas-Silva is a teaching fellow and researcher at the Geography Education Laboratory at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. His research interests are related to teachers' education, qualitative methodologies, and environmental education.
Leonor Margalef-García
Leonor Margalef-García is a professor of didactics at the University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Her research interests include teacher training and professional development, curriculum innovation, and action research.
Maria Otero-Auristondo
Maria Otero-Auristondo is a researcher at the University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom. She also teaches geography at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.