Geography Teaching as a Tool for Enhancing Values Education: A case of promoting sustainable development values in selected secondary schools in Northern Education Division (NED)

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring how Malawi secondary school Geography helps to promote geographical values particularly Sustainable Development Values (SDVs) in learners. This was achieved by examining how SDVs are addressed in secondary school Geography syllabi; investigating how secondary school Geography teachers address SDVs through the teaching of Geography; assessing challenges facing promotion of SDVs through the teaching of Geography, and evaluating how some Geography school leavers apply SDVs in their societies. The study was guided by Transformative Learning Theory, adopted a mixed-method approach and fell under the pragmatic research paradigm. It involved 78 Geography teachers and 38 former Geography students as participants. This project was conducted in 35 secondary schools in two districts (Mzimba north and Nkhata bay) of NED. The study findings show that most success criteria in junior and senior secondary school Geography syllabuses do not promote the SDVs. In addition, most Geography teachers do not consider addressing geographical values when handling Geography lessons. Furthermore, there are a lot of challenges facing the effective promotion of values through the teaching of Geography. It has also been established that although it seems that the former Geography students make use of the SDVs in their everyday lives, secondary school Geography course does not contribute enough. Therefore, the study recommends that MIE should revise the success criteria of secondary school Geography syllabuses to promote learning through practice; Teacher training colleges should impart values-teaching skills in teachers; Geography teachers should also be encouraged to use more action learning methods to allow learners learn through practice, among others.