Should Alexander von Humboldt Be Part of Contemporary Geography Education?

Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

Authors

  • Thomas Hoffmann

Geography education has passed through profound changes and recently faces again a discussion about its educational value and societal benefit. As such, it is vital to reflect on recent meaning and contribution of geography’s role in education. It has become obvious that especially the combination of systemic approach, the consideration of different spatial levels, the solution-oriented as well as action- and future-oriented didactic approaches of geography education supplies an important input. Against the background of a globalized world along with numerous global challenges such as climate change, soil degradation, poverty or mass migration and the “2030 Agenda” as global strategy to counteract these trends, it reveals that education for sustainable development offers appropriate didactic concepts. That can be combined with those in geography education. It is within this framework that Alexander von Humboldt’s geographical approach appears absolutely modern despite his influence on geography education being negligible. This leads to the question whether Alexander von Humboldt’s work can contribute to contemporary geography education.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAlexander von Humboldt : Multiperspective Approaches
EditorsGregor C. Falk, Manfred R. Strecker, Simon Schneider
Number of pages17
PublisherSpringer International Publishing AG
Publication date01.01.2022
Pages137-153
ISBN (print)9783030940072
ISBN (electronic)9783030940089
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.01.2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

    Research areas

  • 2030 agenda, Education, Education for sustainable development, Geography
  • Geography