A Bridge between Two Worlds: Why Advanced Placement Human Geography Is Good for the Discipline of Geography

Abstract

Amidst ongoing debates regarding the pros and cons of Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) for the field of geography, this article asks whether it has been good for the discipline in the United States. The authors argue that APHG has strengthened U.S. geography because it has been remarkably effective at building bridges between high school and college geography educators, providing professional development opportunities for K–12 teachers, supporting the pipeline of new geographers entering college classrooms, offering a rigorous and comprehensive course, and increasing the number of K–12 students who have been exposed to geography. Rather than focusing on narrower questions about test performance, this article contributes to the literature by assessing the broad question of whether APHG is good for the discipline and by shedding light on the connections APHG has fostered between the often separate worlds of university professors and high school teachers. These insights are based on empirical evidence as well as several decades of combined author experiences at APHG readings.

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