Since the school year (SY) 2019/2020, the curriculum of Geography has been
gradually implemented in Croatia. The purpose of this survey is to gather
information on the frequency and effectiveness of teaching methods in
Geography teaching over two school years by means of direct participant
observation method. In the SY 2020/2021, a study was carried out in two high
schools in Osijek Baranja County for three learning outcomes. Using a
pre-made template for the self-observation of the teaching process, 12
lessons in the second and the third grade were observed and later
interpreted using descriptive statistics methods. During the SY 2021/2022,
the same method was carried out for eight lessons in six schools with a
high-school program for three learning outcomes in the second grade, two in
the third grade, and one in the fourth grade. Results show the domination of
the discussion teaching method, followed by indirect graphic method, and
then work-on-text method, while among the most common methods used, the
rarest are oral presentation (done by pupils) and direct graphic method. The
results found demonstrate a significant shift toward the use of more
effective teaching methods compared to older papers in Croatia. The students
reported a higher level of satisfaction with the lessons than the teachers
did. The method of direct participant observation, complemented with a
structured interview, can provide relevant information on the quality of
teaching as a prerequisite for the achievement of the learning outcomes
specified in the curriculum for Geography.