Editorial: What is geography?
Melanie
This key question is at the heart of several of the
articles in this edition of Teaching Geography
with its focus on ‘questioning geography’. Our
guest writers question current approaches to
teaching geography, as well as probing the
conceptual framework around which the subject
is constructed in schools. As David Lambert
suggests, geography is a misunderstood subject.
Both Alan Kinder and David Lambert discuss the
value of continued questioning of our subject:
significant government influence on everything
that is related to ‘education’ could have a
negative impact on our subject. As David suggests
the value of education for understanding is being
replaced by an emphasis on generic learning skills.
This focus on learning rather than what is learned,
could undermine the work of geography teachers
who ‘introduce students to disciplined thought
and argument, putting reported facts and
information about the world into a conceptual
framework’. Alan says that one of the major
thrusts for geography teachers is to find ways
in which curriculum content can be expressed in
the form of suitably challenging and engaging
questions. Since we still await announcements
about the new National Curriculum, we don’t
know what the government’s expectations will be
for school geography from 2014.
Rebecca Kitchen’s article, ‘What is geography?’
reflects on the question she posed to year 7
students. Her findings indicate, as you might
expect, there are many influences on perceptions
of the subject, but the way in which the subject is
taught is very significant, echoing both Alan and
David’s thoughts.
Fran Martin’s article is distilled from her 2012
GA Presidential Lecture, in which she highlights
concerns about telling a single story in which
those with the power to do so put forward their
story as the story. Fran concludes her article by
suggesting ‘tweaks’ to enquiry questions used in
school geography to create relational enquiries
allowing for co-existence of difference and the
exploration of multiple perspectives.
Claire Kennedy also discusses the value of
exploring difference in her piece on school
partnerships. Claire’s school partnership venture is
part of her research for her PhD. I hope Claire will
contribute another article for Teaching Geography
outlining how the project has developed and
what she has established in regard to students’
Norman,
Editor
learning about distant places from the perspective
of both Ghanaian and English school students. The focus of this
issue of Teaching
The notion of a ‘single story’ is implicit in Megan
Geography is
Brook’s feature where she uses undergraduate
’questioning
texts with her A-level students in an effort to
engage them in more critical thought and geography’.
As David Lambert
discussion on the issues of ‘development’.
James Percival confirms that reading beyond the suggests, geography
‘recommended exam text’ is not a new idea. One is a misunderstood
of his sixth-form teachers said her notes would be subject.
good enough for a C, but students who wanted
higher grades would need to read more widely. A
pity he didn’t take heed or he would have passed
first time. However, had that been the case we
wouldn’t have had such an illuminating view on
the debate that exams have got easier, which
James says is not the case!
Other featured articles continue the theme of
‘questioning geography’; Graham Goldup writes
about year 8 experiences using iPads to execute
fieldwork enquiries; Samantha Coulson and
Christopher Mattley discuss the use of film in
geography lessons where students interrogate
the representation of ‘place’ in movies, which
links again to the ‘single story’ aspect of articles
already mentioned. Martyn Simmonds gets A central theme of
the spring issue of
year 5 students to question aspects of life in an
Geography is change –
Antarctic environment as a ‘taster’ of good things Gill Valentine outlines
to come in geography lessons and Steve Puttick a new perspective on
asks GCSE students what they need to help them the challenges of ‘living
with difference’, David
revise for the exam, but asks us how revision
Lambert reflects on the
activities contribute to students’ development
monumental changes
as geographers rather than merely achievers of to school geography
higher grades? Lisa Conlan found that her year teaching since 1944,
7 students valued the opportunity for discussion, Peter Jones and
in which questioning is implicit, when she colleagues report on
experimented with the Philosophy for Children the continuing growth
of digital technology
approach to learning.
and Gill Miller and
As I write this editorial in late December, at the Elizabeth Elman explore
the pressures on
end of one of the wettest years on record, it is
schools and teachers
good to read Emma Rawling Smith’s description in Kenya following the
of her life as a geography teacher in Abu Dhabi. introduction of free
She gives a fascinating insight into the challenge primary education in
of living our whole year under the sun and admits 2003.
she misses the rain!
What is geography? The question is open to
discussion and debate, but our fascination with
the variety and awe-inspiring complexity of the
planet is fundamental to our passion for teaching
our subject.  |  TG
Spring 2013
© Teaching Geography
5
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without
permission.