Opportunities to implement GIS in teaching and learning geography : a survey among smart schools in Sabah, Malaysia

Geography Information System (GIS) have not yet been introduced to secondary school geography in Malaysia with reason of ability, lack of ground facilities and ICT. The purpose of this study is to determine the potential for GIS to be implemented into the teaching of geography in secondary Smart schools in Sabah, an area which is well known for having the most advanced ICT equipment in the country. This study gathers both quantitative and qualitative data from a set of survey questions and a structured interview process. The purposive sampling method applies to select Secondary Smart School. Two teachers, with varied profiles from each school, were selected randomly for an interview. The data gathered verified the analysis that an increased number of computer labs, computers, internet access and ICT tools in schools broadened the potential to establish and apply GIS within the teaching of geography in Sabah. Furthermore, 90 per cent of geography teachers in these schools attended a GIS course at the university. This significant support, in terms of the human resources available to implement the new systems, further supports the opportunity to apply GIS in teaching geography. The result from interview showed the main issue preventing teachers from using GIS to teach geography is the lack of availability of GIS software and the incompatibility of this teaching method with the existing geography curriculum.6 page(s