Fieldwork : to do or not to do? : an investigative study in geography fieldwork in Maltese Form 2 secondary schools

Abstract

Fieldwork enables the students to have first hand expenence of the environment, stimulated by curiosity and discovery. The first hand experience plays a vital role in the teaching of geography. These practical tasks help to make lessons more interesting and enable students to develop certain skills which are rarely learnt in the classroom. The students' questionnaire conducted in Maltese Secondary Schools testified that children are eager to apply their theoretical knowledge into practice. Unfortunately, due to school logistics and other limitations, teachers fail to take students out on field sessions. Geography teachers argue that time inhibits the organisation of such activities. Besides, fieldwork is lacking due to the inadequacies of the educational system which lead to non geographical educated teachers actually teaching the subject. The present work is our attempt to analyse, at least in part, the above issues and the proposal of new practices which enable fieldwork to be included in Maltese Secondary Schools. Hopefully, both teachers and students may profit from it.