4. Curriculum status – ‘now’
• Explicit requirement for all
students to study geography
Key Stages 1-3
• Renewed focus on subject
rigour:
– improved locational
knowledge
– better balance between
physical and human
geography
– sound understanding of
the how and why of
geography
• One of ‘traditional’
subjects of the English
Baccalaureate 14-16
• A ‘facilitating’ subject
post-16
• Highest employability
statistics for graduates
• UK human geography
ranked first in the world
in ESRC benchmarking
review
5. Organisational position
• members in over 60
countries
• ½ million website
visits annually, from
over 200 countries
• over 1000 teachers
per year in GA CPD
• 14 000 publication
sales per year
• policy voice for
geography
5000
5200
5400
5600
5800
6000
6200
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
TARGET 2012-13
RECENT GA MEMBERSHIP TRENDS
6. 2012 2013 2014 2015
S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J B M A M J J A S O N D J B M A M J J A S
GCSE subject
criteria
Change down the line
GNC
drafted
GNC
consulted
GNC released
Preparations begin
GNC applied
Teaching begins
EBC
consultation
Ofqual reforms to current GCSEs
A level criteria
review
Ofqual Reforms to current A levels
A level specs available?
A level
begins?
A level
consultation
closes/reports
GCSE draft spec?
GCSE final spec?
New
GCSEs
begin
HELP
www.geography.org.uk/news/nationalcurriculumchanges/
A level draft specs?
7. New statutory Orders
Key features
• Skeletal – ‘not a
curriculum’
• Focus on places,
processes and
procedures
• Ignores the ‘geological
underpinnings’ of
concepts
Key challenges
• Any incentive to
change?
• Greater teacher
autonomy?
• Assessment – the
tension between
guiding and reporting
HELP
www.dfe.gov.uk
8. Core and local curriculum
Local curriculum opportunities, preferences and priorities
Core knowledge, understanding and skills all pupils should acquire
9. Student experiences,
motivations, learning
Geography: the subject
discipline
Teachers’ pedagogic
choices and
performance
How does this take
the learner beyond
what they already
know?
Curriculum Making
9www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/curriculummaking
10. GA help and guidance
• How to manage change
• Linking concepts to
content
• Selecting places for
study – ‘major’
countries, regions, scale
• Location, place and
context knowledge
• Powerful geographical
knowledge
• Transition from KS2
• Creative approaches to
curriculum
• Writing geographically
• Map making and
reading
• GIS
• Fieldwork
• Assessment
11. Reforming GCSE
Key features
• Choice - single EBC
specification postponed
• Prescribed physical,
human, environmental
core content
• Terminal written
assessment only?
Key challenges
• Fieldwork assessment
• Meeting raised
standards – in a single
exam paper?
• Extended writing
• Maintaining increased
take-up (above 36%?)
HELP
http://www.geography.org.uk/aboutus/papersandresponses/
12. A ‘world class’ 14-16 curriculum?
• Extend their knowledge of
locations, places and
contexts
• Understand some key
processes, concepts,
theories and perspectives
• Develop competence in
maps, fieldwork, GIS,
research and evidenced
argument
• Apply geographical
knowledge and skills to real
contexts and new situations
• Locational and place
knowledge
• Geography of the UK
• Geomorphic processes
and landscape
• Weather and climate
• Ecosystems and resource
management
• Cities and urbanisation
• Global economic
development
13. • dismay at trend in HE geography departments for a ‘year zero’ for
undergrads
• A-level geographers should acquire substantial body of knowledge
about locations, places, environments and processes
• A-level criteria ignore need to understand and critically analyse
geographical models or theories
• A-level geography criteria should include complex systems and
interactions and analysis of complex data and problems
• explicit reference to fieldwork should be made in the aims and
objectives of A-level geography
• A-level geog students must be confident users of maps, adept in
handling geographic information and able to use GIS
• A-level criteria should provide a balance of human and physical
geography
A levels fit for purpose? @GAChiefExec:
HELP
www.geography.org.uk/news/a-levelchanges/
14. For discussion
• Things that excite,
worry or confuse you
• Things your school is
saying, doing, planning
• Opportunities, threats
• Queries and questions
Editor's Notes
Thank organiser for inviting me.Set out key elements of what I am saying –Overview of curriculum position and changeSome key trends and implications
Geography GCSE Grew 3.5% in 2012 6th fastest growing subject IPSOS-Mori poll suggests 36% take geography, up from 25% a few years ago Moved up one place to 9 – Ebacc influence?A level 2012 entries for geography A-level increased by 779 despite a 0.6 drop in total entries for all A-levels 3.5% of entries Only just in top 10 of subjects when numbers revised – greater choice to blame?
Let’s celebrate our ‘place in the sun’ (again)And the characterisation of geography as a worthwhile and rigorous subject – a means of acquiring a ‘Different View’ of the world (introducing students to the world as an object of thought, not experience).Which means we should emphasise ‘thinking geographically’ and:- improved locational knowledge e.g. where countries, climatic zones and vegetation belts are;- better balance between physical and human geography, which supports better environmental understanding;- sound understanding of the how and why of geography - the social, economic and environmental processes that help explain why environments, places and societies are different and how they are changing.
Stress the reach of the GA throughout the international subject communityAnd its significant influence on policy nationallyNow involved in major national projects e.g. The Global Learning Programme, sponsored by DfID, until 2017 (£17 million programme to raise the quality of global learning in 50% of English schools).Organisation in good health despite challenging conditions re: membership, funding, publications sales. ‘Swimming upstream’.
Talk through timelines and GA involvementKS3 Make clear that the GA curriculum consultation (2011) and proposals (2012) have been instrumental in securing a place for the GA at the top table with civil servants and ministers That representing our members to policy makers is one of our key functions – the size of the membership gives us legitimacy and a stronger voice than 6000 individuals That the ‘rules of engagement’ this time around have been different. Fewer professional organisations. Shorter timeframe. Clear steer on the nature of the curriculum (slimmer). Reduced capacity for consultation.KS4/5 Interventions with Ofqual to urge release of specifications and agree changes for the future (GA conference lecture) EBC response and awarding bodies representation Similar process for A level in placeMention GA pages on curriculum and qualification reform
Key featuresThis is a new approach to writing a national curriculum - a concise document which sets out clearly ‘the knowledge and understanding that all children should be expected to acquire in the course of their schooling‘ (2010 white paper) And it seeks to rebalance the curriculum, ensure place knowledge, understanding of geographical processes especially physical processes, as well as technical skills Should we be concerned, or relaxed, at the omissions? Will this set a tone for transmission of fixed and inert facts, or allow freedom to innovate?Key challenges The orders do not suggest how to teach, nor how to plan, sequence of assess. They don’t even apply to all! More support MIGHT be flagged up/linked from the statutory document for the first time. But will YOU and your department feel skilled up to teach all physical processes? The GA is working hard behind the scenes to prepare materials, training etc. Level Descriptors gone – how will schools track progress? Refer to DfE circular on assessment...
This diagram represents the relationship between the essential core and the curriculum taught in two different schools. It helps to establish what the curriculum is not: a comprehensive account of the geography to be taught.
NotesDirection of travel Single EBC would be awarded to a franchise, but GA has argued that this won’t work, as have ABs, as it would lead to loss of specialist expertise linear is already being established, but very difficult to design terminal exams that cater for all Much to play for as to whether fieldwork is recognised through exam of other means Gove’s original idea – for split qualifications – will not wash. So combining higher standards with expectation that those not achieving A*-B will only get a statement of attainment is unworkable. GA argues for clear recognition of everybody’s achievementImplications a terminal exam 16 years with ONE spec would ‘drive’ the 11-16 curriculum (ref above – non-maintained schools) the GA is advising government on ways to reduce overlap and ensure the breadth and challenge 14-16. This is the first time this has happened. increased take-up (IPSOS-Mori Oct 2012 = 36%) has implications for engaging pupils who previously didn’t choose geography future of Ibs and iGCSEs uncertain but political climate in favour of these
(for example through the study of cross-cutting themes such as food and energy security)e.g. through fieldwork in a locality or through a detailed investigation of aspects of living in the UKvaluing fieldwork – as an intrinsic part of the subject’s tradition, its methods of investigation and as a means of ensuring that young people experience the world directly as part of a rich school curriculumbalancing the development of thematic knowledge and understanding (e.g. about volcanoes) with knowledge of specific places and with geographical skills
