School of Education University of Brighton s

A case study focused around the question How do geography teachers construct the geography curriculum at key stage 3? s

Interviews Questionnaires Analysis of documentation s

Interviewees allowed to talk freely on the subject of the construction of the key stage 3 geography curriculum. A list of questions for backup if needed. s

Questionnaires are rarely objective Knowing the PGCE students quite well I felt I was able to make a useful interpretation of their questionnaire responses. (Insufficient time for in-depth interviews) s

Classroom and departmental observations are at best a snapshot of the reality of the department. Documentation can also be misread and misinterpreted. s

Shortcomings of methods & methodology acknowledged. Professional judgement comes into play (as with Ofsted inspections) Variety of methods reinforces validity. s

School A It was my perception this department needed to revise its KS 3 curriculum Also reflected in the most recent Ofsted report. s

Department achieves around 50% A-C GCSE Basic text for KS 3 original Waugh series. Ho. D only interested in exam. classes. 1500 pupils: s 2 GCSE groups 12 taking geography A-level

Student on first placement at this school at a tiny school for second placement : 4 GCSE groups. In his limited opinion he felt that ‘the approach at key stage 3 in his first placement school was putting pupils off selecting it at examination level’. s

School B Limited experience in KS 3 geography for pupils. Opening comment ‘I like having PGCE students as I can use the money to buy new sets of text books. Proudly pointing to his new set of Waugh books. s

Has moved on through the influence of PGCE students. Thinking skills activities ICT s

School C Lack of awareness of poor practice in geography his own county, although he has remit to visit other schools and run workshops. Insight I get when my students actually work within departments is a privilege. s

Department scheme of work : very detailed but not prescriptive No non-specialists teaching the subject 1400 pupils (no 6 th form) 7 GCSE geography groups s

School D New, young Ho. D in post 12 months when interviewed. Most recent Ofsted weaknesses in geography: - limited use of ICT to support the teaching of the subject - the use of a number of part-time staff to cover geography lessons s

• First job-dusted off lap & data-projector which had never been used! • He believes he revitalised pupils’ interest in the subject by use of very basic technology in his lessons • ‘The fun had been taken out of geography. There were only 23 pupils taking the subject at GCSE. There was very little cross-over from key stage 3 to GCSE which I think is a fairly good indicator that they did not enjoy the subject in years 7, 8 & 9’. s

Made immediate changes: • Year 7 ‘capture’ pupils interest ‘having fun with maps’. • Year 8 360 Geography based around a new set of texts • Year 9 ‘development’ around current issues G 8 & Live Aid (‘ditched use of old texts) • Units on sport & crime being developed. s

• GCSE geography uptake increased from 23 to 50 for September 2005 (yr 9 options made in Feb. 2005 after 6 months in post) • Wants 3 by Sept 2006 to convince SMG that another full time geographer should be employed. • Very noticeable how many times he used the word ‘fun’ when talking about his aims with the geography curriculum s

PGCE Questionnaires • Frequent references to case study work within schemes of work relating to Kenya, France, Brazil, Bangladesh. • Use of videos 20 years old including China’s Child. Pupils transfixed by fashions, hairstyles and technology; miss the geography! s

• Virtually every department where data was collected has the Waugh series in current use; some departments are still using the 1992 version. • One school; pedagogy more important than content. The exception to the rule; feedback from students and the interviews with heads of department, reveal an emphasis on content not pedagogy. s

• Pedagogy given more attention in ‘challenging’ schools; perception that where behaviour is an issue, pedagogic approaches need more detailed attention. • ‘Dry’ subjects such as farming and rivers brought to life if a field trip is included. • Consensus that a topic maintained for too long; pupils became bored. A case study of the USA, lasted nearly half the year; pupils became bored. Other over-long topics: rivers, coasts, farming, Kenya, France, Brazil and deforestation, Bangladesh and flooding. s

• Generally there was flexibility to deal with issues as they arose (e. g. Boxing day tsunami) • When the Iraq war broke out, one of my students was told he must not spend any time on it as ‘we must get through the syllabus on coasts’. s

• There was much less emphasis on the Waugh series of books in my second placement school where the uptake at GCSE was much greater than in the first placement school. • I tried to be ‘inventive’ in approach but the year 9’s especially worked much better if they were just given questions to work through in a book. This is what they are used to and they were resistant to change; had they been exposed to other forms of teaching on a regular basis from year 7, they might have been more receptive. • The year 10 GCSE group numbered 25 pupils in a school of 1600 pupils from year 7 -11. This is probably a reflection of the way the key stage 3 geography curriculum is constructed and delivered in this particular school’. s

Documentation and Observation • Majority of schemes reviewed still cling to 1991 structure. • USA & Japan still there. • Italy and France predominate EU study. • Bangladesh the most commonly used country with regard to flooding • Kenya and Egypt (LEDCs) s

• Most schemes of work reflect a split of geography into human, physical and environmental • Schemes of work looked at nearly all have a section called ‘skills’; which seem to be taught in isolation s

Conclusion and reflection • Earlier research; an expectation about subject content • This project ; an expectation about pedagogy • Pupils talked about pedagogy; teachers talked about subject content • Mis-match in perceptions led to a conference ‘Reinvigorating key stage 3 geography’ • So successful another one this July; planning for the new Geography National Curriculum s

• Does subject content dictate the construction of the curriculum at key stage 3? • Have heads of geography neglected pedagogy when constructing the key stage 3 geography curriculum? • Should heads of department be able to intertwine their subject expertise with pedagogy, which Shulman (1986) claims is essential for effective and successful teaching and learning? • Is there evidence that departments are most successful where a balance between subject content and pedagogy exists, and vice versa? s

“The world’s a wonderful place; how can geography teachers make it so boring” (Germaine Greer cited in Molyneux & Tolley 1987, 10) It does indeed take a very special kind of talent, said Gerald, to make such a subject as geography dull. A toast: to the extinction of geography teachers. They all drank. (Hart 1999, 53) s

BIBLIOGRAPHY • Bell, D (2005) The Value and Importance of Geography in Teaching Geography Vol. 30. No 1. pp 12 -13. Sheffield: Geographical Association. • Biddle, D. S. (1985) Paradigms and Geography Curricula 1882 -1972 in Boardman, D (ed) (1985) New Directions in Geographical Education. Lewes: The Falmer Press • Burns, R. B. (2000) Introduction to Research Methods. London: Sage Publications Ltd. • Butt, G. (2002) Reflective teaching of geography 11 -18 London: Continuum s

• Cohen, L. , Manion, L, & Morrison, K. (2000) Research Methods in Education. London: Routledge. Falmer • Denscombe, M. (1998) The Good Research Guide. Buckingham: Open University Press • DES (1989) National Curriculum Geography Working Group Interim Report London: DES • DFE (1995) Geography in the National Curriculum London: HMSO • Df. EE(1999) Geography: The National Curriculum for England London: Df. EE & QCA s

Freebody, P. (2003) Qualitative Research in Education. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Geography (2003) Education Matters Special Vol. 88 Part 3 pp 161 -246 Sheffield: Geographical Association Geography (2003) Education Matters Vol 88 Part 1 pp 414 & pp 47 -74 Sheffield: Geographical Association Graves, N. (2001) School Textbook Research; the case of geography 1800 -2000 London: Institute of Education, University of London. Hacking, E. (1992) Geography into Practice London: Longman s

Harrison, S. , Massey, D. , Richards, K. , Magilligan, F. , Thrift, N and Bender, B. (2004) Thinking across the divide: perspectives on the conversations between physical and human geography in AREA Vol. 36 No 4. pp 435 - 442. London: RGS with IBG Hart, C. (1999) The Harvest London: Faber & Faber. Huckle. J (1997) Towards a critical school geography. In Tilbury, D. & Williams, M. (eds) Teaching and Learning Geography pp. 241 -252. London: Routledge Johnston, R (2003) Geography : a different sort of discipline in Transactions Vol. 28 No 2 pp 133 -141. London: RGS with IBG Lambert, D & Balderstone, D (2000) Learning to teach geography in the secondary school London: Routledge. Falmer s

Lynch, K. (2003) Geography, Debate and Dissent in Geography Vol. 88 Part 2 pp 85 -87. Sheffield: Geographical Association Marsden B. (1995) Geography 11 -16; rekindling good practice London: David Fulton. Molyneux, F & Tolley, H (1987) Teaching Geography; a teaching skills workbook Basingstoke: Macmillan Education. Norman & Harrison (2004) Year 9 students’ perceptions of school geography in Teaching Geography Vol. 29 No 1 pp 11 -15. Sheffield: Geographical Association Rawling, E. (2001) Changing the subject; the impact of national policy on school geography 1980 -2000 Sheffield: geographical Association. s

Roberts, M (2004) ‘The study of place in key stage 3 geography’ Lecture input at the Geography Teacher Educator’s Conference MMU January 2004. Roberts, M (1998) ‘Impact and legacy of the 1991 Geography National Curriculum at Key Stage 3’, Geography, 83, 1: 15 -27. Sheffield: Geographical Association. Stannard, K. (2003) Earth to academia: on the need to reconnect university and school geography in Area Vol. 35 No 3 pp 316 -322 London: RGS with IBG Unwin, T (1992) The Place of Geography Harlow: Longman Waugh, D (2000) Writing Geography textbooks in Fisher, C & Binns, T (eds) (2000) Issues in geography teaching. London: Routledge. Falmer Wrigley. E. A (1965) Changes in the Philosophy of Geography in Chorley, R. J. & Haggett, P (eds) (1965) Frontiers in Geographical Teaching. London: Methuen s