Action as a Missing Link Between the Concepts and Practice of Geography Teaching.

Teaching geography involves a teacher who takes actions in respect to subject matter. While such actions are performed every day, analyzing teaching action is not a trivial matter. Teaching depends on the subject matter taught, resulting in teaching actions specific to subjects. To analyze how action is conceptualized for geography education, the paper reviews four research approaches prominent in German-speaking geography education and highlights how action is conceptualized in concepts for geography teaching. The review analyses conceptualizations of action in research on (1) student interests in geography, (2) everyday life concepts of students, (3) conceptual change, and (4) Educational Reconstruction. Analysis shows that current research on geography education aims to suggest strategies for teaching, but does not conceptualize teaching and learning as interaction between teachers and learners. Analysis is followed by an outline posing a contribution to the empirical analysis of teaching actions and classroom interaction in geography education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]