Aims and Objectives

The course is intended to generate discussion about the nature and purposes of Geography teaching. In general terms it aims to:

• Ensure continued debate about the integrity of geography and its importance as a distinctive subject;
• Develop expertise in recognising and promoting rigorous, relevant and enjoyable geography in schools, appropriate to the needs of 21^st century citizens;
• Encourage practising teachers to challenge young people to tackle difficult problems such as sustainable development through rigorous geographical enquiry;
• Bring school teachers into closer contact with geography departments in higher education and enable them to engage with contemporary scholarship and developments in the subject.

The Objectives

More particularly the course is designed to address certain fundamental questions:

• Why should we teach geography? Should it be considered a key subject not only for demonstrating the extraordinary diversity of our planet but also for addressing issues of sustainable development in the future management of natural and built environments?
• What geography should be taught in schools? What knowledge and understanding of the world we live in is necessary in order to be able to make informed judgements about the impact of man’s existence upon his environment?
• How should geography be best taught and learned?  What is meant by ‘thinking geographically’, and how is this discipline to be promoted and developed in successive key stages?
• In what particular ways does geographical thought contribute to a rich educational experience?
• In what ways does geographical thought progress and develop?
• In what ways can the contents of geography be selected and arranged to promote both breadth and depth of geographical knowledge and understanding?
• What role, if any, does geography have in helping young people to develop a shared sense of social and political values and in contributing to informed citizenship?
• Does geography have a responsibility to demonstrate and reveal to young people the extraordinary diversity of the planet in its human and physical characteristics and patterns?
• What kinds of teaching are most likely to stimulate young people’s curiosity about ‘making sense of the world’, to develop their capacity for independent critical thinking and enable them to make a reasoned judgement between alternative solutions?
• What kinds of resources do geography teachers require in order to teach well? What is the role of the textbook in the context of various digital materials and sources?
• How should geography position itself in relation to the wider formal curriculum in schools? What relationships with English, history and science teachers could be nurtured and developed for mutual benefit (and for the benefit of young people)?