Geography fieldwork at the Buskett-Dingli area : themes and ideas for secondary schools

Abstract

Fieldwork is widely recognised as a basic component of geographical education, yet it is rarely exploited fully and can be neglected when not understood by teachers and senior management. The present work focuses on the Buskett-Dingli region as an area offering outstanding possibilities for fieldwork: various natural habitats, including woodland areas, maquis, garrigue, and cliff habitats as well as rural (farms) and semi-rural areas (Dingli village), together with their physical and human interactions. Ideas are presented on fieldwork themes and how these might be organised holistically or as stand-alone topics at a variety of educational levels (lower and upper Forms). Different approaches to fieldwork are discussed. Also, published work on Buskett-Dingli region offering possibilities or information for fieldwork are reviewed. It is hoped that the dissertation will generate interest in this region and offer ideas so as to make geographical fieldwork a valuable and enjoyable, if scarce, out-of-class teaching and learning experience.