Connecting Physical Geography Content with Career and Life Aspirations

摘要

Students often have a difficult time understanding how general education course content is beneficial to them. Content in geography courses is very diverse but often very relatable for students. This research examined students' perceptions of the link between the content in physical geography and their intended careers and life. A content analysis of paired essays revealed that course content was very relevant to - students' intended careers and lives. The process used to create the coding scheme employed for this study and the related results are discussed. Overall, students were able to make a greater connection of the course material to their intended careers and their lives at the end of the semester. These findings suggest that professors should be intentional with helping students relate course content to various careers and life situations in order to improve the applicability of course material.