Transport geography in geography course in grammar schools

Osnovna vloga prometa je, da omogoča dostopnost prebivalstvu in zagotavlja razvoj gospodarstva na ustreznih lokacijah, pomembnih za zadovoljevanje potreb, tako materialnih kot nematerialnih. Pri tem je ključno vprašanje zagotavljanje enakih možnosti vsem udeležencem v prometu. Geografski vidik razumevanja prometa je ključen za razumevanje posledic prometnega delovanja v prostoru ter njegov vpliv na regionalni razvoj. Danes v svetu narašča uporaba osebnega prevoza, zato je ena od nalog trajnostnega razvoja prometa tudi večja uporaba javnega potniškega prometa. Promet pa nima vpliva le na prostor, ampak ima pomembne socialne in kulturne učinke na življenje človeka in s tem v bistvu oblikuje človekov način življenja. Ker je promet vpet v vsakodnevno dogajanje posameznika, je potrebno, da ima prometna geografija ustrezen položaj v šolskem sistemu. Definicij prometne geografije je ogromno, skupno pa jim je to, da prometna geografija obravnava promet kot sestavino zemeljske površinske sfere in kot dejavnik njenega spreminjanja. Za razumevanje sodobnega prometa je potrebno izpostaviti naslednje vsebine: prometna dostopnost (dostopnost je ključen element prometne geografije, saj predstavlja neposreden izraz mobilnosti, bodisi ljudi, blaga ali informacij) in s tem povezana mobilnost ljudi, vpliv prometa na gospodarstvo in okolje, problem prometa v urbanih okoljih in s tem povezano načrtovanje prometa. V slovenskih učnih načrtih in učbenikih je prometna geografija obravnavana najprej ločeno, kasneje pa še v okviru regionalnogeografskih vsebin. Pri tem so vsebine preveč teoretične in premalo problemske, čeprav dajejo učni načrti profesorjem določeno avtonomijo, učni cilji pa omogočajo širše interpretacije. V učbenikih je prometni geografiji namenjeno premalo pozornosti, vendar so učni cilji dobro usklajeni z vsebino v učbenikih. Avstrijski šolski sistem se do določene mere razlikuje od slovenskega, kljub temu pa primerjava vsebin iz prometne geografije kaže, da se v avstrijskih splošnih gimnazijah prometna geografija obravnava bolj problemsko, učni cilji, ki se neposredno nanašajo na prometno geografijo, pa so manj obsežni in manj strukturirani od slovenskih. Študij geografije bodočim profesorjem pri nas namenja dobro podlago iz vsebin prometne geografije, tako da so profesorji geografije ob začetku svoje poklicne poti dobro izobraženi. Nadaljnjo usposabljanje pa je pomanjkljivo, saj je profesorjem namenjeno premalo strokovnih seminarjev iz prometne geografije, tako da je dodatno usposabljanje odvisno od samoiniciative profesorjev, bodisi v obliki podiplomskega študija, prebiranja strokovne literature, študijskih skupin in drugo. S pomočjo anketnega vprašalnika smo pridobili mnenje profesorjev geografije o položaju prometne geografije pri pouku geografije v splošnih gimnazijah. Z analizo strokovne literature, učnega načrta za geografijo, učbenikov za geografijo in z analizo anketnega vprašalnika smo prišli do zaključnih ugotovitev, opredelili smo prednosti in pomanjkljivosti obravnave prometne geografije v splošnih gimnazijah, na koncu pa smo predlagali še spremembe oziroma dopolnitve.The main role of transport is providing the population with accessibility and ensuring the growth of economy in suitable locations important for meeting both material and immaterial needs. The key question here is how to secure all the traffic participants with the same possibilities. The geographic aspect of understanding transport is crucial for understanding the consequences of transport action in space and its influence on the regional development. Due to the increase of the use of private transport in today’s society, it is one of the priorities of the sustainable transport development to encourage the use of public passenger transport. Transport influences and shapes man’s way of life space-, social- and culture wise. Since transport is part of man’s everyday action, it is necessary for transport geography to have an appropriate position in the school system. There are plenty of definitions of transport geography, but they all share in common the subject matter which is the treatment of transport as part of the terrestrial surface sphere and as the factor of Earth’s change. To understand modern transport, it is necessary to point out the following contents: transport accessibility (accessibility is the key element of transport geography since it represents a direct expression of mobility either of people, goods or information) correlated with mobility of people, transport’s influence on economy and environment, transport issue in urban setting correlated with transport planning. In Slovene syllabi and textbooks transport geography is first discussed separately and later within the regional geographic contents. Here the contents appear to be rather theoretical than problematic although the syllabi grant teachers certain autonomy and the objectives enable wider interpretations. In textbooks transport geography does not get the attention it deserves despite the objectives being well coordinated with the textbook contents. The Austrian school system differs from the Slovene one to a certain degree although the comparison of the transport geography contents shows that the treatment of transport geography is more problem-oriented in Austrian general high schools and that the objectives which are directly related with transport geography are less broad and less structured than Slovene ones. The study of geography in Slovenia offers future professors solid knowledge of transport geography so that they are well-educated at the beginning of their career. Due to insufficiency of the professional seminars dealing with transport geography, additional training is inadequate and therefore dependent upon professors’ self-initiative either in the form of post-graduate studies, reading of professional literature or study groups and similar. With the help of survey questionnaire we have gathered the opinions of geography professors on the position of transport geography in geography class in general high schools. We have arrived at the conclusions by means of the analysis of professional literature, geography syllabus and textbooks and the analysis of the survey questionnaire. We have classified the advantages and deficiencies of the treatment of transport geography in general high schools and at the end have suggested certain changes or additions