Geographical Association

'A collective dedicated to the promotion of geography education through research and publication'

GEReCo is a group of 13 teacher educators who joined together three years ago with the shared purpose of creating and disseminating research in geography education. They achieve this through a variety of activities including conference presentations, seminars books and journal articles.

Aims

1. To undertake high quality research in geography education
2. To disseminate widely, through various publications, conferences and seminars, the research findings of the Collective
3. To develop original thinking, critical perspectives and new knowledge in geography education
4. To actively pursue research projects and funding from educational and/or governmental sources
5. To facilitate a research and publication forum, which meets at least once each term
6. To add value to the research activities of the wider geography education community

Members

Mary Biddulph – University of Nottingham
Clare Brooks – Institute of Education, London
Graham Butt - University of Birmingham
Simon Catling – Oxford Brookes University
Roger Firth – University of Nottingham
David Lambert – Institute of Education, London and GA Chief Executive
Fran Martin - University of Exeter and GA Junior Vice-President
Alun Morgan - London South Bank University
John Morgan – Institute of Education, London and Bristol University
Charles Rawding – Edge Hill University
Eleanor Rawling – University of Oxford
Margaret Roberts – ex Sheffield University and GA Past-President
Liz Taylor - University of Cambridge

Meeting Notes

Download: March 2010 (PDF, 140k)
Download: June 2010 (PDF, 138k)

ESRC Seminar Bid

GEReCo members have put together a bid for an ESRC seminar series entitled 'Subject to Change: the role of geography as a subject discipline in curriculum construction in schools'. If successful, this will fund six seminars around the country which will draw together in debate academic geographers, geography educationists and others. The seminar series will end with a dissemination conference at the Institute of Education in London.

AAG Conference

A group from GEReCo attended the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in Washington DC in April 2010, presenting papers on the themes 'Geography, Education and the Future' and 'Postcolonial spaces for learning'. David Lambert and John Morgan also led a panel session discussing their recent publication Teaching Geography 11-18: a conceptual approach.

Selected presentations from the Conference are accessible here:

• Young People's Geographies - Mary Biddulph (PPT, 864k)
• Geographical knowledge and professional development - Clare Brooks (PDF, 545k)
• Geography, Education and the Future: perspectives on geography education in English schools - Graham Butt (PPT, 365k)
• In danger of 'going native'?Juggling the roles of participant and observer when researching North-South study visits - Helen Griffiths (PPT, 1.5M)
• 'Capabilities' and school geography - David Lambert (PPT, 3.6M)
• Teaching Geography 11-18: a conceptual approach - Introduction - David Lambert (PDF, 58k)
• Teaching Geography 11-18: a conceptual approach - David Lambert (PDF, 57k)
• Power, control and identity. Ethical issues in researching North-South study visits - Fran Martin (PPT, 2M)
• Placing geographies of global citizenship: An ethnography of school partnerships - Lynne Wyness (PDF, 4.3M)

These presentations explored the question of what geographical knowledge(s) is/are appropriate for young people growing up in the 21st century. In addition, Fran Martin's presentation explored the methodological and ethical issues raised by researching school partnerships across the North-South 'divide'.

GEReCo has previously organised similar paper sessions, discussion panels and seminars at AAG conferences in Las Vegas (2009) and Boston (2008).

Forthcoming Book

An edited book, also called 'Geography, Education and the Future', is currently being prepared for Continuum press - to be published during 2010.

IRGEE

The May 2010 edition of the international journal International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education (IRGEE) will be a Special Edition themed 'Perspectives on Research in Geography Education' (from a UK perspective). Articles will include:

• Geography education research and why it matters (David Lambert)
• 'By our theories shall you know us' (John Morgan and Roger Firth)
• Sources of evidence for conducting research in geography education (Simon Catling)
• Which methods are best suited to the production of high quality research in geography education? (Graham Butt)
• What is the place of radical/critical research in geography education? (Roger Firth and John Morgan)
• How does one become a researcher in geography education? (Clare Brooks)
• What are the connections between subject developments in academic and school geography? (Charles Rawding)

Impolite Geography

GEReCo members David Lambert and John Morgan set up a blog discussing their thoughts on contempory geographical issues. http://impolitegeography.wordpress.com/

For further information about GEReCo, please contact Graham Butt or Roger Firth.