Geographical Association

Karl Donert (Liverpool Hope University College) describes how teaching and learning about Europe, the EU and the EC should form an integral part of twenty-first century geography. This Think Piece accompanies the one on ‘Enabling European activities’.

• Learning about Europe
• How can a European dimension be taught?
• What is meant by European citizenship?
• Europe in the geography curriculum
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Learning about Europe is not simply about countries, places, economies and landscapes. Europe is a complex geographical (spatial) system where a strong and explicit European process has been taking place within the framework of an enlarging European Union (EU). Political and economic integration is happening all around us. The inhabitants of Europe are part of this system and so are influenced directly by this European process. In teaching the citizens of Europe, geography has a significant role to play, specifically by developing a European dimension and and understanding of place.

Past studies of geography curricula and resources demonstrate that most classroom attention has been paid to economic and political aspects of Europe, the organisation of the EU and the countries belonging to the EU (Kirchberg, 1995, Donert and Boschaart, 2002), whereas there appears to have been little or no reference, for example, to ecological and cultural aspects. Often, the way in which countries were presented was one-sided and sometimes even wrong (Weinbrenner, 1997).

The European Union aims to build a cohesive and inclusive society based on solidarity. By trying to reduce economic disparities the goal is to prevent a loss of cohesion and any cause for conflict. This should lead to a democratic and peaceful Europe. To achieve this, the EU tries to stimulate the development of European citizenship.


<<< Back to top

The Council of Europe (1989) recommended that geography teaching should include themes that would contribute to:

• understanding the position, shape and variety of physical and social environments in Europe;
• acquiring knowledge about political formations;
  learning about and understanding different ways of life in Europe;
• understanding economic and other consequences of incorporation into the EU;
• understanding the necessity to co-operate with other European nations in solving their problems and facing the challenges of change;
• understanding the co-dependence between Europe and the world.

Concepts such as 'European identity' and 'European citizenship' have since emerged and were developed by the Council of Ministers in the European Council Resolution for enhancing the European dimension in education adopted by the Ministers of Education in 1990.

The Resolution outlined four objectives:

1. To strengthen a sense of European identity and make clear the value of European civilisation and of the foundations on which the European development is based, particularly safeguarding the principles of democracy, social justice and respect for human rights;
2. To prepare young people to take part in the economic and social development of the Community and in making progress towards EU;
3. To make young people aware of the advantages which the Community represents and of the challenges involved in opening up an enlarged economic and social area;
4. To improve young people’s knowledge of the Community and its Member States including the significance of the co-operation of EU Member States with other countries of Europe and the world (European Commission, 2004).

<<< Back to top

There are many definitions of and approaches to citizenship (see below). Being a citizen can be considered to be a question of rights, entitlements, shared obligations and duties. In fact, to participate in modern European society young people must be informed about their rights and duties and understand the context in which these exist. Geography, through the study of contemporary issues, does this.

So, we should start from the assumption that European citizenship education aims at encouraging young people to become informed and responsible members of society who are conscious of what is happening around them.

To develop a sense of European awareness students need to:

• acquire an understanding of the geography of Europe;
• be aware of the evolution and the role of the EU in its development;
• acquire a greater understanding of the daily lives of other Europeans, the places they live in and their cultural heritage.

European citizenship is enriched through Europe's enormous geographical diversity and because of the complex relationship between the EU and its member-countries (European Commission, 1993). This can be translated as giving young people an idea of their responsibilities in an interdependent society.

Geography can provide the context for studying Europe as a system in which students should participate as active citizens. So geography activities ought to contribute in the following:

(a) creating citizens by:

• encouraging the capacity and motivation to develop democratic and trans-nationally meaningful competences
• raising awareness on social, egalitarian, intercultural and ecological issues
• giving young people a sense of their responsibilities in an interdependent society

(b) creating a tolerant society by:

• learning how to live positively with difference and diversity
• working critically with diverse and overlapping values and identities

(c) understanding and educating by:

• enabling culturally-based understandings of citizenship
• establishing an awareness of local, regional and national identities and contexts
• explaining Europe as an open and complex system in which everything is inter-related and where, at the same time, Europe is becoming increasingly globally interconnected

Aspects of citizenship

A number of different definitions and approaches to citizenship exist. Active citizenship encourages participation in a liberal democratic nation-state. Cultural citizenship can be described in terms of the extent to which individuals and groups feel a sense of attachment to the society and the community to which they belong. It is closely related to the promotion of social inclusion and cohesion, responsibility towards society, as well as to matters of identity and values. Living positively with difference and diversity is a core dimension (Learning for active citizenship). Global citizenship is associated with the implications of one’s actions (including ecological, social and intercultural) on a local, national, European and global scale.

Comprehensive citizenship concerns all public actions and education that pertain to good citizenship. After: Andrews and Lewis, 2000. How the study of geography interconnects with these approaches is key to integrating the European dimension in the curriculum. The next section provides some examples of this.


<<< back to top

Embedding European activities in geography can be accomplished by establishing a curriculum which encourages students' awareness of the geographical diversity of European regions. Including the natural, social and economic features, political and social structures, the forces that shaped Europe and patterns of development and characteristic features of European lifestyles in their unity and diversity.

This should help students to become conscious of their own European identity, without losing sight of their global responsibilities or their national, regional and local roots, but such that they are inspired to take an active part in shaping Europe's future.

A broad range of teaching and learning approaches can be applied to the themes studied. These should include structured opportunities for students to be actively involved in discussion on topical and contemporary issues as well as activities both in school and in the community.

Opportunities to establish and develop suitable, real European experiences - either by using online communication and collaboration activities or via fieldwork and study visits (see Enabling European activities) – should also be built into the programme.

Teaching about Europe ought to:

• reflect topics of current European interest (e.g. enlargement, European institutions, elections, immigration, transport or environment);
• involve pupils and teachers from different European countries, where groups can collaborate on developing ideas with common themes, for example through eTwinning;
• show similarities and differences between European countries and regions in one or several specific issues (e.g. Europe and employment, Europe through different heritage, landscape, cultural diversity and attitudes) and approaches to, for example, environmental issues;
• promote European values (e.g. social inclusion, equal opportunities, human rights and democracy, care of the environment, respect for other cultures) and active participation;
• consider common concerns for European society (e.g. social exclusion, racism, population change, transport, crime and health);
• provide an intercultural learning experience, with opportunities for mutual understanding between different cultures living in the same local community;
• study current geographical processes and patterns at different scales, so that students are able to think critically and form their own opinions.

<<< back to top

Teaching about Europe and European citizenship through geography should provide an attractive opportunity to help young people understand each other, to collaborate, to be tolerant and full of curiosity about diverse places, people, their societies and cultures.

But, the European dimension can only be developed through modern approaches, using active methods and techniques of learning and teaching, which demand complex thinking on the side of the students, and justification of their statements, not just the reproduction of facts, details or principles.


<<< back to top

Andrews, R. and Lewis, G. (2000) 'Citizenship Education in Wales: Community, Culture and the Curriculum Cymreig'. Paper presented at the BERA Conference, Cardiff University, 7-10 September.
Borchardt K-D (1995) European Integration: The origins and growth of the European Union. Luxembourg: Office for OPEC.
Commission of the European Commission (1995) Teaching and Learning: Towards the learning society (White Paper). Luxembourg: Office for OPEC.
Council of Europe (1989) ‘Conclusions and recommendations’ of the symposium on geographical information and documentation on European countries (Doc. CDCC 89). Strasbourg: CE.
Donert, K. and Bosschaart, A. (2002) ‘Establishing the role of ICT in delivering Citizenship in Geographical Education’ in Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual Conference of the European Teachers Education Network. London: University of Greenwich, pp. 83-6.
EC (1993) Green Paper on the European Dimension of Education.
EC (2004) The Europe of Cultural Co-operation.
Kirchberg, G. (1995) Europe in Geography Education.
Weinbrenner, U. (1997) ‘Education for Europe by means of geography school textbooks’, International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 6, 1, pp. 93-7.


<<< back to top


(Updated 18.06.07)