Teaching geomorphology at university

Abstract

A questionnaire survey on the content and structure of geomorphology courses taught in university geography departments in Britain reveals that current practice is for teaching to be structured around courses and subheadings which reflect the main landform/process systems (e.g. fluvial, glacial) rather than more abstract concepts. This empirically‐based orientation is convenient, but in the long run it could be inefficient and unchallenging. Three alternative ways of structuring teaching on a more theoretical basis would be to focus explicitly on more fundamental geomorphic processes; to structure teaching on the use of a systems approach; or to introduce more specific courses on key methodological problems.