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Anna Smits is a Lecturer at Utrecht University focusing on the intersection of everyday experiences and geographical knowledge. Her PhD project, titled "Explore Everyday Geography Class!", investigates how students' everyday geographical experiences can be integrated into classroom learning to enhance disciplinary geographical understanding. By encouraging students to explore their own environmental contexts through geographical thought, Smits fosters deeper personal and disciplinary insights. Currently, she is conducting a large-scale, multidisciplinary scoping review of young people's everyday experiences, utilizing AI-supported methods. This review will inform the educational design of geography lessons, emphasizing the importance of integrating students' personal geographies into academic content. Smits employs creative participatory methods that empower young people to take ownership of educational design, thus making the research relevant and impactful for learners.
Department of Psychology