Geografiska informationssystem som en integrerad del av lärarutbildningen och skolundervisningen<br/>Geographic information systems as an integral part of the teacher and school education

Abstract

The Swedish school education in geography has developed slowly and still focuses on names of, for example, countries and capitals, rather than geographical concepts and processes. To implement the secondary and upper secondary school curricula, teachers need both broad and deep geographical knowledge. For example, teachers need knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS), which are computerised information systems for analysis and presentation of geographical data. This literature-based discussion article aims to analyse opportunities and difficulties with using GIS programs in the teacher and school education. In summary, the preconditions are good, with few technical barriers, for developing GIS-based teaching in the teacher and school education that promotes active, inquiry-based, cooperative, and problem-based learning. This would make the school education more problem-oriented and interdisciplinary so that it promotes pupils’ opportunities to achieve the competencies stipulated in the curricula. Such development requires that teacher educators and school teachers get the time and resources needed to develop technological pedagogical content knowledge. However, it is probably enough for educators and teachers to get started with simpler internet- and web-based GIS and then develop their knowledge at an appropriate pace.