A scoping review of Geography Education Research in South Africa, 2014-2025

Abstract

In a world of rapid socioecological change and intensifying geopolitical and environmental crises, Geography Education has an important role in addressing global challenges by developing learners who have knowledge of places and natural forces at work, and of the interactions between the natural and social worlds. This study provides insights for understanding how Geography Education research in schooling and teacher education in South Africa is contributing to the field of Geography Education in general, and how it is (or is not) responding to calls from within and outside the field of enquiry for teaching and learning that address global concerns. Drawing on the six-stage research methodology framework used by Arksey & O’Malley (2005), this paper presents a scoping literature review of Geography Education research in South Africa from January 2014 to September 2025 based on a dataset of 102 published peer-reviewed journal articles. The overview is used to identify thematic and methodological trends, and research gaps. Results indicate that Geography Education research in South Africa is actively contributing to the field through small-scale, empirical studies that are mostly practice-oriented and focused on problems associated with curriculum, teacher and learner perceptions, and knowledge and teaching practices. Less attention is paid to learning, assessment, theory building and engaging with global education calls for transformative education that advance the field theoretically and pedagogically.