International journal of geography and geography education (Online), sa.58, ss.19-40, 2026 (TRDizin)
Geography Lessons and Responsibility Value: An Examination of Teachers’ Opinions
Abstract
One of the values that teaching programmes strive to instill in students is responsibility, which is among the values most closely associated with learning outcomes in geography teaching programmes. This research was conducted to determine how geography teachers establish a relationship between the value of responsibility and geography lessons and what approach they follow to instill this value in students. The phenomenological research design was chosen for this study. The study was conducted with 10 geography teachers selected using purposive sampling, and the research data were collected using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using content analysis. According to the results of the research, the participants perceive the value of responsibility as a sense of duty, a sense of role, and taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions. They believe that school administrators and geography teachers can contribute to instilling responsibility by serving as role models for students and by assigning them tasks and following up on them. It was observed that the participants were aware of the potential of geography lessons in terms of the value of responsibility and that they associated geography lessons with responsibilities such as patriotism, civic awareness, and environmental responsibility. It is understood that geography teachers strive to instill responsibility in their students by assigning responsibilities, providing guidance and support, acting as role models, and involving them in various activities and projects. According to other findings from the research, it was determined that participants encountered certain problems, primarily related to parents, students, and other educational stakeholders, while instilling the value of responsibility in students.
Keywords: Responsibility value, Values education, Geography teacher, Geography lessons