Introduction

The development of geography as an academic discipline and its ability to provide specialist educational contributions to knowledge can be dated to the 1870s when the geography department was established in Germany.

The historical records show that geography education in secondary school began earlier in the 1930s. Since the development of geographical knowledge in Nepal appears to be from Vedic periods. Tribhuvan University as a national institute of higher education was established in 1959. Geography education is considered an important department among the various subjects of the Department of Education. Geography education plays a significant role in the building of a nation. Among them, the Department of Geography Education is also one and works under the Central Department of Education, T.U., and Kirtipur. The master program in this department has shifted into the semester system to match with the T.U. Educational pattern. The important ones include innovation and improvement in course-curricula, an introduction of the paradigm shift in learning and teaching pedagogy, examination and education system in geography. Geography education provides required knowledge about these diversities made by physical and cultural environments of Nepal. Being a mountainous country, for the sustainable development of Nepal, policymakers, planning, and executives all need to confess the geographical, cultural and linguistic diversity of the country. It gives them knowledge of geography education. Thus, the development of Nepal cannot be imagined without the understanding of geography. Considering the importance of this subject, Nepal has incorporated geography as a subject in both school and university curricula and it has placed its pivotal role in the academic arena.

Faculty Members

S.N	Name	Designation
1.	Shambhu P. Katiwada, PhD	Professor
2.	Kabi Prasad Pokhrel, PhD	Professor
3.	Narayan Prasad Paudyal, PhD	Professor
4.	Trilok Singh Thapa	Reader and Head
5.	Devi Prasad Paudel, PhD	Reader
6.	Keshav Raj Dhakal	Reader
7.	Bikash Kumar Shrestha	Reader
8.	Tara Prasad Awasthi, PhD	Lecturer
9.	Tej Prasad Sigdel	Lecturer
10.	Dhan Krishna Mahat	Lecturer

 

Courses Offered

Department of Geography Education offers different courses which have mainly tried to cover the multi-disciplinary approach of physical geography, human geography, regional geography, field study and tools and techniques.

First Semester Geo. Ed. 515 Geomorphology Geo. Ed. 516 Population Geography Geo. Ed. 517 Geographical Thought Geo. Ed. 518 Mountain Geography	Second Semester Geo. Ed. 525 Climatology and Climate Change Geo. Ed. 526 Applied Statistics in Geographical Research Geo. Ed. 527 Geographic Information System & Remote Sensing Geo. Ed. 528 Geography of Resource Management
Third Semester Geo. Ed.  535 Teaching Geography Geo. Ed. 536 Surveying, Cartography and Field Study Geo. Ed. 537 Regional Study with reference to Nepal Geo. Ed. 538 Geography of Tourism	Fourth Semester Geo. Ed. 542 Practice Teaching Geo. Ed. 544 Thesis Writing Geo. Ed. 546 Environmental Geography

Note: Core area courses are not included in this table.

Short Term Courses

The Department has also organized the short-term training courses on Geographic Information system (GS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) and orientation of Four Years B. Ed courses for the college teachers.

Courses and Course Description

Course Title: Geomorphology

This course is designed to provide the students with the advanced knowledge of teaching geomorphology. It deals with the fundamental concepts of geomorphology, geomorphic processes and resultant landforms. It provides knowledge on diastrophism process, plate tectonics, hill slope evolution and application of geomorphic knowledge on different sectors of real life situations. In addition, it also helps the students’ insights to develop the teaching geomorphological in school and college levels.

Course Title: Population Geography

This course is designed to provide theoretical knowledge of population geography to the students. It intends to develop basic techniques and skills for geographical analysis of human population. 

Course Title: Geographical Thought                            

This course is designed to orient the students mainly to the knowledge of the historical development of geography in the world. It also deals with various thoughts, modern themes and recent trends in the field of geography.

Course Title: Mountain Geography

This course is designed to provide the students with the advanced knowledge of teaching mountain geography. It deals with the fundamental concepts of mountains, their aspiration and understanding problems and prospects of mountain terrain with specific references to the Himalayas. In addition, it also helps student insights to develop the teaching mountain landscape in school and college levels.

Course Title: Climatology and Climate Change

This course has been designed for master level second semester students to equip them with the knowledge and skill of climate and climate change. It also intends to acquaint the prospective teacher with structure, process and thermodynamic characteristics of atmosphere. It helps to understand the climate change and its impact on human being, economic activities and other environmental factors.

Course Title: Applied Statistics for Geographical Research

This course is designed to provide knowledge and develop skills of applied statistics for students of master level of geography education. This course aims to enable students to use different statistical techniques for drawing summary and making inferences or conclusions form statistical data. This is a practice-based theoretical course.

Course Title: Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS)

This course is designed to provide students the knowledge of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS). It deals with the fundamental concepts of GIS, data entry, GIS database management, analysis and output design as well as fundamental concept of RS, different types of sensor sensing systems, images and techniques of image interpretation and mapping. It provides knowledge on handling digital database. In addition, it also helps students to develop the teaching aids with the help of using GIS and RS software in school and college levels. After this course, students will be able to handle spatial data of the real world to solve the geographical problems independently by using Personal Computer (PC) based GIS, Remote Sensing and Global Positioning System software and devices.

Course Title: Geography of Resource Management

This course is designed to provide the students with the advanced knowledge of geography of resource management. It deals with the fundamental concepts of resource, types of resource, approaches, resources bases, people and resources relationship and management practices. It provides knowledge on resource management in global as well as in local with reference to Nepal. In addition, it also helps students to develop the teaching geography of resource management in school and college levels.

Course Title: Teaching Geography

This course has been designed to provide theoretical and applied knowledge of teaching geography to the prospective teachers. It intends to familiarize them with methods, strategies, techniques and skills essential for teaching geography education at higher level. The course also includes practical aspect. Thirty three percent of the weightage has been given to practical aspect. Of the total teaching hours 32 are allotted to the theoretical aspect whereas 48 are allotted to the practical aspect. 

Course Title: Surveying, Cartography and Field Study                            

This course is designed to provide the students with the advanced knowledge of teaching instrumental surveying, cartography and field study. It deals with the fundamental concepts of instrumental surveying for mapping with the help of survey instruments and reading, making and interpretation of different types of map. It intends to enable the students to collect information/data, analyze them and prepare field study report based on the field work. In addition, it also helps student insights to develop the teaching and materials in school and college levels.

Course Title:  Regional Study with Reference to Nepal

This course is designed to provide the students with the advanced knowledge of teaching regional study with reference to Nepal. It deals with the conceptual as well as theoretical basis of region and regionalization practices in Nepal. In also highlights on distribution of settlements, population and their ethno-demographic characteristics, economic activities and major development indicators by regions. It helps in identifying appropriate/relevant methods and preparing materials for teaching regional geography for the perspective teacher of college and university level.

Course Title: Geography of Tourism      

This course is designed to provide the students with the advanced knowledge of teaching geography of tourism. It deals with the fundamental concepts of tourism, evolution of geography of tourism and recreation, tourism services and carrying capacity, impact of tourism and tourism policy and planning with reference to Nepal. In addition, it also helps student insights to develop the teaching and materials in school and college levels. In these pursuits present course on geography of tourism has been designed to provide adequate knowledge and skill on tourism to the students and to initiate them into promoting sustainable tourism development in the national and international context.

Course Title: Environmental Geography

This course is designed to provide the students with the advanced knowledge of teaching environmental geography. It deals with the fundamental concepts of environmental geography, typology of environmental hazards, global environmental status and efforts on protection, environmental issues of Nepal and environmental management and sustainable development. In addition, it also helps students’ insights to develop teaching methods and strategies of teaching environmental geography in school and college levels.

Course Title: Agricultural Geography

This course is designed to provide students with the essential knowledge of agricultural geography. It deals with the theoretical aspects of agricultural geography, systems of agriculture, and determinants of agricultural systems. In addition to this, the course would also help students develop idea about selected models and innovations in agriculture and some measurement techniques applied in agricultural geography. 

Course Title: Settlement Geography

This course is designed to provide the students with the knowledge of settlement geography.  It deals with the concepts of settlement geography and classification of settlement. it enable the students in dealing with analyzing morphological and functional characteristics of rural and urban settlements. And it identifies problems and planning urban settlement with specific references to the selected urban centers.

For any queries contact:

Tej Prasad Sidgel

Lecturer

tej.sidgel@cded.tu.edu.np