Developing Pupils' 'Personal Geographies' - Is the Personalization of Geography Education Beneficial?
Date
2009
Authors
Butt, Graham
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education
Abstract
From September 2008, the Geography National Curriculum taught in English state schools has made explicit reference to pupils' 'personal geographies'. This article explores what is meant by this term, the extent to which teachers at Key Stage 3 ( 11-13 year old pupils) already engage with this concept, and the caveats geography teachers may need to apply when exploring pupils' personal geographies.
A questionnaire survey, followed by semi-structured interviews with geography teachers (N=21) from secondary schools in the English West Midlands, reveals the extent to which teachers consider 'personal geographies' to be important in their teaching and pupils' learning. Findings suggest that although teachers are very positive towards pupils exploring their 'personal geographies' they are also aware that in so doing professional and ethical questions may be raised.
Description
Keywords
geography, geography education, personal geographies, school geography, personalization
Citation
Butt, G. (2009). Developing pupils' 'personal geographies' - Is the personalization of geography education beneficial?. Research in Geographic Education, 11(1), pp. 5-24.