The students’ image of geography: A systematic review

Abstract

Geography as a school subject is facing a crisis of identity. Student interest in geography has decreased and the lack of solutions for improving geography’s image opened a research gap. The aim of the paper is to summarize the knowledge and understanding from the pupils’ perspective and prepare the ground for conducting similar research in Czechia. Getting the pupils’ perspective is crucial for shaping the subject in a more favorable direction and in defending geography’s place in the education system. Subsequently it creates concrete arguments for defending and stabilizing. The author searched for studies using the WoS and Scopus databases. Three criteria were set: studies only in English, the maximum time limit as February 2020, and the age of researched students as 11–19 years. Twenty-seven relevant studies, mainly conducted in English speaking countries, were found. The review focuses especially on applied methods and results of studies. Results showed that quantitative methods prevailed over qualitative. Factors such as the personality of the teacher, teaching methods, and geography topics seemed the most important in the process of developing a positive image of geography.