The purpose of this study is to first examine, analyze, and describe the characteristics of middle school students' subjective spatial perception attitude toward sense of place in order to understand the formation of a sense of place regarding happine...
The purpose of this study is to first examine, analyze, and describe the characteristics of middle school students' subjective spatial perception attitude toward sense of place in order to understand the formation of a sense of place regarding happiness. Second, using the Visual Q methodology, the sense of place according to happiness derives significance that can contribute to place-based geographic education by forming a sound identity based on the understanding of the place and the attachment to the place. As a result, it is expected that an expansive understanding of place-based geographic education will be possible through discussions on happiness education based on these places.
In 1953, William Stephenson's Q methodology about “human subjectivity” can use for studying such as learning, memory, and thinking because it can make studied objectively.
Research has been conducted on perception, desire, willingness, emotions, and behavior (Kim Heon-soo and Won Yu-mi, 2000). Visual Q methodology is one of the Q methodologies and aims to form aesthetic meaning(Kuipers, G, Sezneva, O, Halauniova, A.,2022). The Visual Q methodology does not require that informants do not need “translate” their aesthetic experiences, it can overcome the shortcomings of the “declarative” method. This research procedure is consists of Q population composition, Q sample selection, P sample selection, Q classification, and result analysis.
To construct visual images to be used in the Visual Q methodology, photos taken and interpreted by students were used by running PhotoVoice. Finally, 25 photos were extracted and arranged as Q samples. As a result, it was found that middle school students' sense of place for happiness was largely divided into four types. They are the everyday pleasure-seeking type, the homebody type, the goal-oriented type, and the non-routine pleasure-seeking type. This shows how each student perceives the place differently.
This Visual Q methodology can be used as a geography teaching tool in geography education. First, in the Visual Q methodology, the procedure by which learners arrange cards arouses learners' interest. It can also have the positive effect of creating an atmosphere in which a sense of place can be freely expressed. Second, arranging photos from an individual's perspective can reveal subjective views on a subject or phenomenon. This can be an easy teaching method to reflect an individual's intentions, values, attitudes, beliefs, purposes, and experiences. Third, by looking at the same place from various perspectives, you can develop geographical imagination that allows you to see familiar things in a new way. Fourth, learner-centered geography classes can be realized through the Visual Q methodology. Fifth, teachers can better understand learners through Q methodology. Sixth, using photos of places taken by students themselves helps foster students' active and critical citizenship. Lastly, most of the Place-based education programs are based on field trips, but it is expected that it will be able to supplement and solve some of the difficulties of not being able to conduct field trips every time for Place-based geography education in school geography classes. Based on these points, the sense of place that has been emphasized in geography education can be used as a teaching tool for place-based geography education by forming a sound identity based on the understanding of the place and the attachment to the place by using the Visual Q methodology.
The implications of the Visual Q methodology for geography education are as follows. First, the use of photos can contribute to improving visual literacy skills. Second, ‘representational geography’ can be expressed through photography, and descriptions of photographs can express ‘non-representational geography’. Third, the Visual Q methodology promotes ‘active learning’. Lastly, the Visual Q methodology can be an excellent teaching tool to realize a core competency-based curriculum. Therefore, Q methodology can be applied in various ways in geography classes to understand geographical thinking, analytical ability, creativity, decision-making ability, and cultural diversity.