Philosophical Roots of Authentic Learning and Geography Education

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, the use of real environmentsin education and making students face real problemshas been taken as a basis. The question “What is therelationship between the philosophical roots ofauthentic learning & geography education?” wasdetermined as the problem status of this study.Research Methods: The method of this study was adocument review. Accordingly, the philosophersselected by purposeful sampling within theeducational sciences intellectual history, and theirworks were retrospectively examined, and theintellectual roots of authentic learning wereinvestigated. Findings: The findings showed that authentic learning underwent an intellectual preparationprocess the roots of which date back to the 16th-century philosopher Erasmus. Erasmus,Comenius, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Frobel, Dewey, Vygotsky, and Piaget, respectively, followedand developed each other's views on this subject. The naturalist approach involved in theclassical view within the philosophy of education; in other words, the use of real space ingeography education was the main field where authentic learning developed.Implications for Research and Practice: Given that authentic learning, which is not socommon in Turkey, is discussed in more studies and applications within the frame of this ideahas been considered crucial concerning the development of geography education.