An international perspective on geography curricula: paving a way forward for geographical thinking

Geographical thinking is a cornerstone of modern geography education. Despite its universal value, no large-scale international study has systematically examined its integration into diverse curricular documents. This study investigates how geographical thinking is embedded in the curricula of nine countries, focusing on content and procedural dimensions. Using a structured analytical framework, the research reveals significant patterns and gaps, particularly the underrepresentation of place as a central concept, the lack of explicit focus on geographical thinking, and the limited emphasis on its procedural dimension. The findings emphasise the need for stronger interconnections between these dimensions to promote a more comprehensive approach to geographical thinking within different forms of curricula.

地理思维是现代地理教育的基石。尽管其具有普遍价值，但尚无大规模国际研究系统考察其在多元课程文件中的整合情况。本研究探讨地理思维如何嵌入九个国家的课程体系，重点关注内容维度与过程维度。借助结构化分析框架，研究揭示了显著的模式与差距，尤其体现在“地方”作为核心概念的代表性不足、对地理思维的明确关注缺失，以及对其过程维度的重视程度有限。研究结果强调，需加强这些维度间的关联性，以推动在各类课程形式中采用更全面的地理思维培养方法。