Setting the Foundation – Educational Opportunities of and Needs for Primary Geography

What knowledge, skills and attitudes do children and young people need to be able to deal with the uncertain and complex issues of today and tomorrow, to question our current actions and to learn from the mistakes of the past? And how can primary school geography make a decisive contribution to these knowledge, skills and attitudes? The chapter addresses these questions and summarises the results of current teaching and learning research for geography teaching in primary school. To help the geographical community better understand primary school geography and offer new ideas for high-quality and future-oriented geography teaching, this chapter provides an expert discussion based on current teaching and learning research on geography teaching in primary school. The chapter argues why geography in primary school must be a compulsory subject based on a multi-perspective, integrative and problem-solving approach. The chapter concludes with a Framework for Primary Geography Education, which highlights the essential present and future learnings, indicating three critical goals: dispositions, knowledge, and responsibility.