| This evaluation was carried out to investigate the relationship between participation in the Wisconsin Geographic Alliance education program, use of learned material in the classroom, student response to delivery of materials, and student geographic knowledge. Teacher and student attitudes, interest in the subject, and perceptions of learning were also evaluated. A Wisconsin middle school classroom with a teacher who had received Wisconsin Geographic Alliance (WIGA) training was compared to a Wisconsin middle school classroom whose teacher had not received training. Observation, interview, questionnaire, and follow-up tests were used to illuminate similarities and differences in these classrooms and determine apparent relationships between Wisconsin Geographic Alliance training, teaching effectiveness, and student learning.;A positive relationship between teacher training, use of learned materials in the classroom, and student theme knowledge was determined. However, student attitude and positive perception of learning were found to be higher in the classroom of the teacher who had not received WIGA training. Follow-up tests were administered to determine theme knowledge in context and the relationship to spatial identity. The classroom of the trained teacher scored higher on theme knowledge identification in context but the classroom of the teacher who had not received training scored higher on the spatial identity test.;This research tentatively associates increased student theme knowledge with Geographic Alliance teacher training. No positive relationship was found between use of the themes framework and student satisfaction. |
