Professional development focusing on inquiry-based learning using GIS

Abstract

Geographic inquiry projects with GIS make geography education more relevant and challenging, and provide opportunities to stimulate in-depth knowledge about geography, increase higher-order thinking and develop a wide range of technology skills. Providing professional development that ensures teachers know how to use GIS to support geographic inquiry is necessary. The professional development experiences should take into account the various competencies teachers need to design and conduct geographic inquiry projects using geospatial technologies. The TPACK framework focuses on teacher competencies and is valuable when designing professional development. Considering the TPACK framework, a successful strategy for teacher training is a collaborative inquiry model. When applied to GIS, the collaborative inquiry model is designed to overcome the common barriers to using GIS such as the lack of curriculum, support, and data. The model highlights the successful implementation of geographic inquiry using GIS within a school or district based collaborative team. This chapter explores didactic models for integrating GIS in inquiry projects; frameworks for the competencies that teachers need to design and conduct such projects; and successful strategies for training these competencies.