oa Mosenodi - Students' perceptions of teaching and learning patterns in geography : a Botswana senior secondary school case study

Abstract

This paper reports findings of a questionnaire study which sought to establish students' perceptions of geography classroom climate in a senior secondary school in Botswana and their interest in 30 geographical activities. 780 students completed a Geography Activities Rating Scale (GARS) and a Geography Interest Questionnaire (GIQ). Results indicated the predominance of teacher-centred activities in geography lessons and showed that these same activities are also rated by the students as being of low interest to them. The findings are important to the teachers who need periodic feedback on their classroom practice from their students, and also to curriculum developers who should always take into consideration the interests of students when planning syllabuses.