World regional geography and distant suffering

Student and faculty perceptions of moral obligation

Bibliographic Data

ID11955165
AuthorsSarah A Coppersmith (0000-0001-6275-4711, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri, USA, corresponding author), Douglas A Hurt (University of Missouri)
Year2020
Volume46
Issue1
Pages20-42
Publication date2020-10-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Geography in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0309-8265 • E-ISSN: 1466-1845
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03098265.2020.1833845
OpenAlexW3096599409
LanguageEN
References cited53

The purpose of the research was to examine perceived moral agency beliefs, attitudes, and prosocial actions of 226 undergraduate World Regional Geography students and eight instructors at two Midwestern U.S. universities. The context of the research is positioned within the study of world regional geography courses in order to better understand students’ and professors’ perspectives and expectations for prosocial action while learning and teaching about global environmental and human issues. Theoretical backgrounds include living in a globalizing world, witnessing distant suffering, and moral education. Using a socio-psychological lens for examining geography learning related to motivations for prosocial behavior and moral agency, the research context included a framework for investigating student and instructor perspectives of prosocial behavior in response to human suffering and environmental crises. The cross-case study included mixed methodology, with analysis of student survey responses, student and professor interviews, and written reader-responses to global issues. Findings showed a significant correlation between when students felt disturbed by global crises and subsequent thoughts on moral agency. Results reveal diverging and contrasting views between students and professors, with undergraduate participant perspectives, requests, and significant suggestions for explicitly addressing pro-social actions in world regional geography for educators and students for the future

Agency (philosophy · Context (archaeology · Geography · Moral obligation · Obligation · Pedagogy · Perception · Political science · Prosocial behavior · Social science · Sociology · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences · Psychology · Social Psychology · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development

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