Towards a framework for research in geographical education

Abstract

Research is the jewel in the crown of geographical education. Well-conducted and reliable research provides information, insights and understandings accessible to professionals as they go about their daily tasks. It draws on educational research for its methodology and contributes to both the content and methodology of educational research. Research is a deliberate, systematic activity founded on ethical behaviour. However, research in geographical education requires a culture conducive to research and trained researchers supported through funding adequate for them to undertake projects that vary in scale and complexity. This article is based on a framework of research in geographical education that is sufficiently general to locate recent and current studies and enables lines to be drawn between specific studies located in particular places and the components of the framework. The framework is illustrated in Figure Nº1.