Research | geocapabilities

Clearing the ground: the research platform for GeoCapabilities

Key research themes

1. Capabilities and curriculum aims

2. The role and status of geographical knowledge in curriculum making

3. Relationship between powerful knowledge and powerful pedagogies

4. Effective teacher training practices

5. International teacher collaborations and links

"Ground Clearing" The research themes above occupied the project for the first year to eighteen months.

From Spring 2015 the project has focussed on the creation and dissemination of four teacher training modules. These will encourage curriculum leadership using a capabilities approach to knowledge-led curriculum making.

Here, Michael Young outlines his idea of 'powerful knowledge'.

Click on the image of his 2014 book.

GeoCapabilities accepts the idea that powerful ideas are constructed in disciplinary communities and that geography in school seeks to introduce disciplinary thinking to young people.

Michael Young's book, which is jointly edited by David Lambert, and published by Bloomsbury Publishing and and is available from their website.

Here, Margaret Roberts challenges Michael Young.

Click on the image of her 2013 book.

GeoCapabilities accepts the idea of powerful pedagogies. This is to ensure that children gain access to powerful knowledge which is often abstract.

Margaret Roberts' book is published by the Geographical Association and is available through their online shop.

Powerful knowledge and powerful pedagogies.

GeoCapabilities is very interested in the relationship between the two. The curriculum is knowledge-led.

But teachers' curriculum making must attend to both curriculum and pedagogic principles.

Powerful Knowledge and Geography Teaching -

This presentatiion discusses powerful knowledge in the context of geography and some implications for the geography teacher.

Powerful Knowledge & Geography Teaching

Click to download slides. Instructions on Slide 2.

Click for commentary

(starts Slide 4).

Slide advance sound

Capabilities

The background to the project and key ideas are posited and explained in this video slide presentation:

GeoCapabilities: A Transatlantic Approach to Researching and Improving

Teacher Preparation and Leadership in Geography.

Curriculum Making

is teaching with a purpose.

It is summarised by the diagram:

Find out more and explore with further details, illustration and explanations via a project page at the Geographical Association

Curriculum Making PDF.pdf

Curriculum Futures

(under construction)