Landscapes as represented in textbooks and in students’ imagination: stability, generational gap, image retention and recognisability

Abstract

The paper focuses on the representation of landscapes and the depiction of landscape features in the photographic images of textbooks, the perception, recognition and imagination of landscapes by the school population, and the possible link between both. The empirical element of the study is based on the case of Slovenia and includes quantitative and qualitative analysis of photographs in textbooks and questionnaires completed by primary and secondary school students (aged 10–18 years). The results show that the photographs emphasise natural, rural, and tangible aspects of landscapes, while students’ imagination also includes urban, dynamic and, especially, intangible elements. We discuss the relevance of stability, generational gap, image retention, and recognisability. One of the key conclusions is that there is a dichotomy between the representation of landscape in textbooks and in students’ imagination, but it is not clear-cut.