David Mitchell IOE, University of London d.mitchell@ioe.ac.uk

1. On putting geography back into geography education: implications for the preparation of geography teachers David Mitchell IOE, University of London d.mitchell@ioe.ac.uk

2. My intentions: • The ‘knowledge turn’ • Implications for ITE • Some practical examples for a Geography ITE programme • 4. Conclusion: Cautiously optimistic – but how will teaching be measured? My argument: Putting geography back is dependent on putting education back – the curriculum making model helps.

3. A turn away from knowledge “(The student teacher spoke)...as if the purpose was to ‘get through’ tasks rather than to develop geographical understanding.” Roberts (2010:112) Since 1976 decline of teacher autonomy, accountability of teachers, measurement (Ofsted, league tables), performance management, standardised systems – teacher as technician. Schooling for skills and competencies – flexible & willing workers & consumers, learning to fit in to society and economy. Use of geography for ‘good causes’ (that are not educational).

4. The ‘knowledge turn’ 1. Policy- (DfE 2010), National Curriculum Consultation 2. Academic –‘powerful knowledge’ (Young and Muller, 2010), ‘core knowledge’ for ‘cultural literacy’ (Hirsch (1987), neo-liberal hegemony/ ‘official’ knowledge (Apple, 2004), radical geography/ critical approach to knowledge Morgan (2011), Apple (2004), ‘good causes’ (Marsden,1997), therapy education (Furedi, 2009), curriculum making (Lambert and Morgan,2010) 3. Popular – media accounts of Edexcel ‘scandal’ 2011 (corruption of exams, grade inflation) suggests a cynicism about quality of what is learned in school 4. School – beginning to pick up on and use ‘core knowledge’

5. 2. Implications for ITE Powerful knowledge – challenge to show student teachers in what ways geographical knowledge is powerful (transformative) Curriculum making - enacted curriculum ‘exists’, lives in the classroom Beliefs and values - awareness – of their own beliefs and values and those influencing them ...humanist (scholarly understanding) social reconstruction, social efficiency, learner centred? Student teachers as geographers – an ongoing ‘conversation’ with Earth as their home

6. 2. Implications for ITE - Powerful knowledge Three futures for subject knowledge (adapted from Young and Muller 2010)

7. 2. Implications for ITE - Curriculum making The resources for teachers’ curriculum making in geography (Source: Lambert and Morgan 2010)

8. 2. Implications for ITE –awareness of beliefs and values Revealing teachers’ curriculum ‘ideologies’ (annotations added) Scholar-academic “The casual remark over staff-room coffee lifts the curtain for a moment… ‘Of course, the fundamental thing is to give them a grasp of the basic ideas of the discipline’… ‘I don’t really care what they got from it but the trip was a tremendous experience’… ‘We are really here to get them an O level aren’t we, that’s all’… ‘If they just understand how the system gets at them, I’ll be happy’.” (Walford, 1981:222) Learner-centred Social efficiency Social reconstructionist A question of putting the education back in geographic education?

9. 2. Implications for ITE –Student teachers as geographers Ongoing ‘conversation’

10. 3. Some practical examples for a Geography ITE programme i) GA engagement

11. 3. Some practical examples for a Geography ITE programme ii) The lesson plan - a subject box

12. 3. Some practical examples for a Geography ITE programme iii) Curriculum making emphasis in asssignments Assignment 1 – To plan teach and evaluate a sequence of lessons. Necessary to provide a strong rationale for the educational purpose of the geography. Assignment 2 – Teacher Research into wider educational concerns (sustainability/ GIS/ Assessment). Necessary to engage in the purposes of geography, and how geography relates more widely to school and education.

13. 3. Some practical examples for a Geography ITE programme • iv) Understanding their relationship to curriculum • Should we be teaching students teachers more about • history of geography education and curriculum? • curriculum ‘ideologies’ – the different value and belief systems which influence the curriculum? A vision of education goes hand in hand with a purposeful use of geographical knowledge.

14. 4. Conclusion – cautiously optimistic Knowledge turn is to be welcomed. Student teachers are curriculum makers – they need theories to understand this, and a vision of education to carry it through. But, how will schools and teachers be measured?

15. References Apple, M. (2004) Ideology and Curriculum 3rd Edition. New York: RoutledgeFalmer Furedi, F. (2009) Wasted: Why Education Isn't Educating. London: Continuum Press. Hirsch E D (1987) Cultural Literacy, New York: Houghton Mifflen. Lambert, D. & Morgan, J. (2010) Teaching Geography 11-18 – A Conceptual Approach. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Marsden, W. (1997)On taking the geography out of geographical education: Some historical pointers. Geography 82 (3), 241–52. Morgan, J. (2011) What is radical school geography today? Forum 53, 1, 116 – 128. Oram, R. (1973) ‘An action frame of reference as a register for curriculum discourse’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 10, 2, 135-149. Roberts, M. ‘Where's the geography? Reflections on being an external examiner’, Teaching Geography, 35, 3, pp. 112-113. Walford, R. (1981) Language, ideologies and geography teaching. In Walford, R. (ed.) Signposts for Geography Teaching (pp. 215–22). London: Longman. Young, M. & Muller, J. (2010) Three Educational Scenarios for the Future: lessons from the sociology of knowledge, European Journal of Education, 45, 1, pp. 11-27.