Abstract

WILMOT, Di. Using COVID-19 as a vehicle for enabling geographical thinking in teacher education. JoGEA [online]. 2023, vol.6, pp.1-31. ISSN 2788-9114.  http://dx.doi.org/10.46622/jogea.v6i1.4330.

This article describes a curriculum innovation conceptualised in the March/April 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and implemented over six months (April to September 2020). Written from a position of hindsight, the article responds to the question: how can the geography of the COVID-19 pandemic enable teachers' geographical thinking? More specifically, it addresses the need for practical 'how to' examples of responsive geography education curriculum-making processes and active learning pedagogical approaches employed in teacher education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article begins by describing how, despite the many challenges faced across education sectors, COVID-19 was able to be used as a 'teachable moment' in the geography module of the Understanding the Social and Physical World course- offered in the BEd (Foundation Phase Teaching) qualification at a South African university. The article describes the curriculum design and conceptual framing. It reveals how the constructivist, learner-centred epistemology used was employed to elicit, build on, and expand the student's knowledge of the pandemic from a geographical perspective. Written from a position of hindsight, this article critically reflects on how I used COVID-19 content to conceptualise and implement an enquiry-based curriculum responsive to the context in which we found ourselves while maintaining disciplinary integrity. In showcasing examples of how this was achieved, the paper offers insights into the lessons learned, which may stimulate curriculum innovation and pedagogical responsiveness in other geography teacher education programmes.

Keywords : curriculum innovation; constructivist; learner-centred epistemology; geographical thinking; active learning; teacher education; COVID-19 pandemic; enquiry-based approach.

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