Geography in Secondary Education in England
Ashley Kent
Department of Education,Environment and Economy,University of London Institute of Education,20Bedford Way,London WC1H OAL,UK At most levels geography retains its popularity with students in England and Wales,though there is some evidence of recent decline.At‘A’level(a two year courwhich actsas a university entrancerequirement formanystudents),however, geography is currently the fourth most popular subject behind English,mathematics and biology.In1998,44,881‘A’level candidates were assd which reprents a2.8%increa over the1997figure.In1993there were46,399candidates,which was the best year ever.At GCSE level(a two-year cour undertaken by most14-to16-year-olds)geography is the most popular optional subject behind the compulsory core of science,mathematics,English,craft design and technology, and French.Beyond‘A’level it is also a popular choice for undergraduates. Geography is studied by16,000students at any one time in higher education,in 98university departments.Alongside its position as one of the ten subjects in the National Curriculum for5-to14-year-olds,geography can thus be regarded as one of the big players in the school curriculum of England and Wales.
Geography appears to have remained a popular element in the curriculum becau,as its proponents suggest,many students at all levels e it to be relevant, stimulating and interesting.As a joint statement from the three leading geographical bodies in England claims,it provides awareness,knowledge and understanding of a changing and interconnected world through study of physical environments and resources;cultures,economies and societies;people and places;and global development and citizenship.In addition it develops intellectual,practical and social skills such as investigation and rearch, graphicacy and fieldwork and communication(Royal Geographical Society/ Institute of British Geographers/Geographical Association,1998).As such it strongly mirrors the International Charter on Geographical Education which was adopted by the General Asmbly of the IGU at its27th Congress in Washington DC,in August1992.
横幅标语The strength and value of geography education was bolstered by the three Schools Council Projects between,1970and1985(Naish,1997).The had significant impacts on the external examination system,which are reflected in the revid criteria of1995(SCAA,1995),which state that GCSE syllabus must require:·study of the interrelationships between people and the environment;·study of the geographical aspects of social,economic,political and environ-mental issues;
·study of the significance of the attitudes and values of tho involved in
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288International Rearch in Geographical and Environmental Education geographical issues and in decision making about the u and management of environments;
·development of a range of enquiry skills.
The‘A’level core(SCAA,1996)embraces the principles of the former Schools Council Geography16–19Project even more clearly.The are similar to the GCSE criteria above and in addition required students to:
·understand how decisions are made about the u and management of resources and environments;
·clarify and develop their own values and attitudes in relation to geographical issues and questions;
·undertake investigative work;唯独
·develop their capacity for critical thinking.
So in spite of a tightening central control of the curriculum,the principles enunciated by the three Schools Council Projects for condary schools have maintained their powerful indirect influence on examination syllabus.The Geography16–19Project,funded for nine years from1976–1985,and bad at the University of London Institute of Education,had its greatest direct impact on the related‘A’level syllabus run by the(then)University of London Examinations Board.At its peak in the mid-1990s,it generated an annual candidature of over 12,000students.Its major contribution was the curriculum framework,which embodied a distinctive approach to geography and an enquiry-bad approach to learning(Naish et al.,1987,Chapter3).
A significant factor in explaining geography’s continuing strength in con-dary schools in England and Wales has been the maintenance of programmes of teacher education in geography both in older and newer universities.Initial teacher education in the form of a one-year PGCE(Postgraduate Certificate in Education)cour run by university schools of education and schools in partnership remains a compulsory entry requirement for teachers entering maintained schools.Furthermore,local education authorities provide a range of cours for teachers in rvice,while the Geographical Association,apart from its earlier successful lobbying to establish the subject’s ca for inclusion in t
he National Curriculum(Bailey&Binns,1987)maintains its provision of a wide range of guidance and resources for teachers,as indicated in a number of the contributions to this Forum.One of the most significant factors is,however,the success with which geography has convinced students at condary and tertiary levels that it opens up a range of career opportunities(Kent,1990).The link with careers has most recently been outlined in Exploring the World of Work:Geography and Careers(Talbot,1998)produced as an information source for students in condary education jointly by the Royal Geographical Society and Institute of British Geographers.
At post-16level attempts are being made to create individualid‘pathways’for students.The include both the academic(‘A’level and GCSE),eking to develop knowledge,understanding and skills associated with a subject or discipline;and the vocational(National Vocational Qualification(NVQ)),de-signed to develop and recogni mastery of a trade or profession at the relevant level.Geography is exploring how it can contribute to the more vocational
Forum289 pathways by,for instance,providing the underlying structures for cours in leisure and tourism.As‘A’level subject cores are developed(SCAA,1997),so‘A’level syllabus have en content changes.Recent inclusion of some aspects of social and political geography such as crime and dia as hazards,has helped to‘balance the economic and technological process,(and)give thos
e leaving school and geography a broader geographical preparation for life’(Bradford, 1996).
The above outline may give the impression of complacency concerning the place of geography in the condary school curriculum.That is far from the ca. There has been a recent flurry of activity in respon to a number of identified challenges that the subject faces.The activities have included the‘Education for Life’minar held in June1997,jointly organid by the Royal Geographical Society,Institute of British Geographers and the Geographical Association;the Council of British Geography(COBRIG)Seminar,July1998on‘Why Geography Matters’;and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Conference on ‘Geography and History in the14–19Curriculum’,held in January1998.The foremost challenges include:
(1)Geography’s contribution to a rethought14–19curriculum with a stress on
numeracy,literacy,citizenship,sustainable development and personal, social and moral development.
(2)Declining numbers of GCSE candidates between1997and1998(an8.5%
drop),the cond year of significant decline.
(3)A sharp decline in1998of geography graduates applying to undertake
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teacher training.
(4)A concern that school geography neither reflects the lives of students nor the
geography taught in universities such as the‘cultural turn’.
(5)Some criticism of content,on the one hand that of geography(e Marsden,
(1997)and on the other of aspects of environmental education(e Aldrich-Moodie&Kwong,1997).
(6)The evidence from OFSTED(1998)that the quality of geography lessons语言文字运用
obrved was shown to is less satisfactory than equivalent history lessons. Related to the challenges are strategies for ways forward.The include improving geography’s image,with geographers at all levels communicating more effectively;and keeping up to date via structured professional development (Kent,1997).
There are obviously tho who continue to react against the subject-centred curriculum,and it is therefore vital to receive support from tho outside the subject lobby,and not least from environmental educationists such as Michael Palin,who stated:
‘Geography is one of tho richly comprehensive subjects who relevance is all around us.Where we come from,what we do,what we eat,how we move about and how we shape our future are all directly the province of the geographer.More than ever we need the geographer’s skills and foresight to help us learn about our planet—how we u it and how we abu it’(1991:1).
290International Rearch in Geographical and Environmental Education References
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女人心理Palin,M.(1991)Foreword.In J.Stewart(ed.)Working in Geography.Sheffield:Careers and Occupational Information Centre(COIC).
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