2023 Volume 18 Issue 1 Pages 92-109
Preceding research pointed out that regional geography learning has the danger of making children uncritically accept “regional characteristics” set arbitrarily and subjectively by curriculum creators and teachers. In this paper, we consider a region as a social product, examine and critique it, and clarify the lesson structure of the geography learning approach aiming at the reconstruction of regional representation and creation of new regional representation. The results of geographic education research in England and the GeoCapabilities project suggest that geography learning based not only on a social constructivist approach but also on a social realist approach emphasizing the reality of knowledge is required. As a result of this study, we propose a lesson process model of “social construction-reconstructive regional geography learning.” The purpose of the model we developed is to connect academic knowledge based on the results of research and everyday knowledge based on children’s life experiences through questions in order to acquire and develop geographic concepts.
