There is a lack of research on curriculum issues and especially within geography. A new curriculum reform will soon be introduced in Sweden alongside a new program for teacher education. Each subject is supposed to increase the share of curriculum studies within the teacher training program, something that highlights the need for research in this field. The theoretical starting point is the curriculum theoretical didactics with a focus on the contents as well as on the process of selection of the contents.

Our aims are twofold: firstly to build up a scientific base for curriculum studies within geography and, secondly, to develop the practical teaching of geography both as a school subject and as curriculum studies at the university level. The investigations will involve teachers and students in teacher training programs. Using a data base including information from observations by students, interviews and focus groups we want to study how the subject of geography is perceived and how the basic curriculum questions  - why, what and how - are understood and expressed. Previous research has identified traditions in geography teaching which have been based on earlier national curricula and textbooks. Such traditions within the subject seem to be consistent over time and adapted by students in teacher training programs independent of their earlier view of the subject. One central argument is that such traditions should be thoroughly analysed and discussed in order to build up a new base for future curriculum education in geography.