South African teachers’ conceptualisations of ‘place’ in Geography : a case study

Abstract

Geography, like other subjects, has a set of unique concepts. In South Africa, the national curriculum for school geography (CAPS) outlines “geography’s four key” concepts; namely “place, spatial distribution, spatial processes, and human and environmental interaction”. The existing literature points out that geography is the study of places and geographers strive to comprehend how places are related and distinct from one another. This research employs a qualitative case study methodology to explore teachers’ conceptualisation(s) of the concept of ‘place’, through eight geography teachers at state and independent schools in South Africa. Data collection instruments included official document analysis, card sorting, and interviews. School geography teachers were requested to explain and describe their knowledge of the concept of ‘place’ in school geography and explain strategies as to how they facilitate and implement geographic learning of ‘place’ in their lessons. The concept of ‘place’ was overwhelmingly regarded by teachers as the most important. The study further revealed that teachers had various perspectives about place, and thus conceptualised place differently. The reason for this is that the concept of ‘place’ in geography, is open to multiple interpretations. This study illustrates the apparent relationship between teachers’ conceptualisation of the concept of ‘place’ in school geography and their ideals, educational training, social standing, working environments and teaching experience. Therefore, this study recommends that the concept of ‘place’ be unpacked in the CAPS FET Geography curriculum document so that the fundamental details on which it is founded, and which give it form, are made visible.