GLOBE: Geographical Learning Outcomes and Bridging Educational Gaps

The GLOBE research project will explore how teachers of geography at the transition stage of primary and post-primary levels of education understand and teach the subject, their perceptions of student learning, and what can be gained from cross-phase collaboration across the island of Ireland. Furthermore, professional learning communities and networks across phases offer valuable opportunities for teachers to develop reflective practice, enhance subject knowledge, and co-construct new understandings of effective geography teaching. By examining learning when teachers of geography from different phases come together, this research aims to contribute to the literature on collaborative teacher development and inform more integrated approaches to subject-specific pedagogy across the education systems across the Island of Ireland. The GLOBE research project will address the following research questions: What are primary and second level teachers’ understanding of geography in each of the phases of education? What are primary and second level teachers' perceptions of students’ learning in different phases of education? What learning occurs when bringing together teachers from different phases of education? What can teachers of geography in different phases learn from each others’ practices?