Geography education requirements in K--8 preservice teacher training at Southern Regional Education Board colleges and universities and development of a field -oriented model curriculum

The purposes of this study were to (1) identify what geography courses and/or credit hours, if any, that colleges and universities within the Southern Regional Education Board require of their K--8 preservice teachers; (2) determine if these institutions utilize Geographic Alliances with regard to preservice teacher training, and if so how; (3) determine need for a field-oriented model curriculum for geography education; and (4) develop a field-oriented model curriculum for geographic education at the college/university level designed for preservice teachers.;Responses were received from 72 percent of the SREB institutions that were contacted. Findings reveal that no geography course was required for 32 percent of respondents and one to three hours of geography were required for 50 percent of the SREB institutions. A World Regional course was required for preservice educators at 37 percent of the SREB institutions. It was revealed that 80 percent of the SREB institutions responded that a geography course would best be taught within a Geography Department because the geography faculty was most qualified. Of the 138 SREB institutions that responded, 46 percent stated that their state Geographic Alliance was not utilized in K--8 preservice teacher training, and another 24 percent responded that they were unfamiliar with a Geographic Alliance or any Geographic Alliance activity at their institution.;There were 87 respondents (63 percent) that indicated an interest in a field-oriented geography model curriculum. To address this interest and need a model curriculum was developed that uses the six essential elements of the National Geography Standards, and a field-oriented activity. This model curriculum is included in Appendix G and is offered as six lesson plans of varying grade levels.