REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION: CHANGES IN GLOBAL TRENDS IN MODERN SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY

Abstract

The position of regional geography in the system of geographical sciences is a topic that has been the subject of intense epistemologically and methodologically focused discussion within scientific realm at the global level since the middle of the 20th century. The initial outcome of these processes at the academic level was the marginalization of regional geography in the study of spatial phenomena, but since then there was a partial revitalization of the regional approach. In view of these changes, the place of regional geography within geographical education also began to be problematized. In this paper, it is conducted a critical review of selected academic articles from the last few decades that at least in a certain segment touch on this topic, as well as analysis of recent trends in school geography. This analysis suggests that it is difficult to find an adequate replacement for regional content, especially in the geographical education at lower levels of education, and that in many countries it still represents the basis or at least an important part of the geographical curriculum. However, at the same time, the need for change of teaching approach based on the excessive so-called regional inventory of space, by introducing general geographical concepts in the study of regional units of various levels, and putting them in the service of the development of critical thinking in students.