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Geography Teacher Educators' Conference 2006
The Geography Teacher Educators' (GTE) conference is an annual event where geography tutors from ITE courses all over the UK gather to exchange ideas, discuss each other’s research and debate current issues within geography education. The University of Brighton’s School of Education hosted the event in Brighton from 27-29 January 2006. The venue selected for the conference was the Old Ship Hotel, which turned out to be an excellent choice. The programme was wide-ranging with high quality presentations from a number of contributors, as can be seen from the papers and PowerPoints presented below.
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| The Role of the GA and the GTE |
Dr David Lambert, Chief Executive of the Geographical Association
David Lambert outlined the significance of the GA as a community of practice in a learning society and underlined the importance of the GTE professional network. Both the GA and the GTE are mutually supportive and the importance of both groups is recognised by the TDA.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| ‘Boosting’ Geographical Knowledge |
Clare Brooks, Institute of Education, University of London
Clare asked questions about subject knowledge booster courses and the way ITE can affect the ‘gap’ between university and school geography.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Running a Subject Knowledge Booster Course |
Mark Jones, University of the West of England
Mark shared experiences of running a TDA funded Subject Knowledge Booster course - now in its third year - from auditing subject knowledge, selection of trainees to attend, teaching and learning approaches, trainee feedback and changes to the courses as a result. He then explored different stakeholders' views about the necessary Degree requirements needed for entry to a PGCE in Geography and how a booster course can compensate for perceived inadequacies in Degrees such as Archaeology, Mineral Mining, Tourism Studies, Town Planning and Coastal Leisure Studies.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Learning Journals as a Tool to Develop Subject Pedagogy - an Initial Review |
Simon Hoult, Canterbury Christ Church University
Simon considered the use of Geography PGCE students' learning journals as a means to develop their subject pedagogy (as distinct from their general development towards QTS). The session presented work in progress and started from considering whether journals should reflect subject pedagogy, comparing Geography students' work with other subject areas. Sample reflective pieces were shared to consider the key question.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| A Story of Transition PGCE to M.Ed |
Rachel Lofthouse, Newcastle University
Rachel offered a chance to share experiences of upgrading PGCE courses to M. level, discussing the new programme and assessment procedures in terms of their impact on the teaching and learning opportunities provided by the Newcastle University partnership. The main change at Newcastle has been the way in which tutors and students engage with research processes.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Year 9 Pupils Conception of Geography |
Nick Hopwood, University of Oxford
Six Year 9 pupils, two from each of three schools, have been the centre of in an in-depth case study. Research questions focused on the content and nature of their conceptions of geography. This lecture presented findings with respect to the ways pupils describe geography, aspects of geography they value, and relationships between these aspects and the ways they interpret their learning experiences.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Pupil Choice at 14: Geography: A Case Study |
Paul Weeden, University of Birmingham
Numbers opting to study geography at GCSE have been falling and Paul's research has looked at the possible reasons for this decline. A model to describe the different factors has been developed that attempts to explain the uniqueness of individual school situations. Some preliminary findings about the trends in different locations and types of school were outlined.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| An Action Plan for Geography |
Dr David Lambert, Chief Executive of the Geographical Association
The recent and current challenges facing geography, across the sectors, have been acknowledged by the DfES. There is a strong possibility of support from the DfES to underpin a plan devised by the GA & RGS/IBG (in conjunction with the DfES) to stimulate the 'recovery' of geography. This session outlined progress made so far and invited discussion.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Strange Bedfellows: Emerging Relationships Between Geography and English |
Mark Jones, University of the West of England
Mark shared his experience of a collaborative approach to teaching KS3 English lessons post SATs where geographical themes provided the context for a series of lessons. The lessons were team-taught by the PGCE Tutors in a local partnership school to a Year 9 English set and trainees from the University worked collaboratively on developing lessons with joint English and geography objectives.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Making Sense of Geography in Commercial Geography Books for Children |
Professor Simon Catling, Oxford Brookes University
Various single volume publications entitled 'Geography' can be found on the children's bookshelves of many high street bookshops. This lecture considered what sense of geography they portray. Is it the same idea of geography as that conveyed in the primary national curriculum? How might it be described?
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Ethnogeography: A Future for Primary Geography? |
Dr Fran Martin, University of Worcester
Fran discussed what emerged from her PhD research and asked if ethnogeography could be the new paradigm for primary geography.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Download: Paper
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Jeff Battersby, Dean of the Faculty of Education, College of St Mark & St John
Developments in the ECM agenda and how ITT provision is accommodating this. How are we addressing the personalised learning, extended schools and workforce remodelling agendas on our ITT courses, specifically in preparing trainees to experience and contribute effectively to these developments? What are the implications for the Standards? What are implications for the geography curriculum?
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Exploring Geographical Significance |
Professor Simon Catling, Oxford Brookes University and Liz Taylor, University of Cambridge
'Significance' is a useful concept in history, enabling consideration of what might be worthy of focus and study. There is passing reference in geography to this term in the context of 'significant' places to locate on maps of the British Isles, Europe and the World. Might this concept have a stronger role to play in geography? What might be significant in geographical study? What might be significant geography for pupils? The intention is to explore the potential of this notion of significance in geography education.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Articles about Geographical Significance will be appearing in Teaching Geography and Primary Geographer later this year.
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| Generalist Geography in Primary PGCE Courses: An Update |
Professor Simon Catling, Oxford Brookes University
At the last GTE Conference an interim report was presented on an investigation into the geography component provided for all trainees in Primary PGCE courses. This session briefly updated that report (using responses from 50 HEIs) and indicated what is now being investigated in this area.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| Geography Teachers as Strategic Decision Makers |
Clare Brooks, Institute of Education, University of London
Using Moore's notion that ‘good’ teachers act strategically, by choosing an appropriate range of strategies and techniques that are relevant to their students and their learning needs, this session questioned to what extent the subject of geography has a role to play within that. To what extent are teachers influenced by geography in their planning and teaching and to what extent to do they allow other concerns to take precedence?
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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| How Do We Determine Quality in Geography Education Research? |
Dr Graham Butt, University of Birmingham
An attempt to explore what constitutes quality in our research with particular reference to what might be considered (or rejected) by educational journals for publication.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Download: Paper
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| GIS in Initial Teacher Education |
David Mitchell, Institute of Education, University of London
In this presentation, David examined some possible approaches to introducing and embedding GIS into geography ITE. The IOE, London's Geography PGCE is used as a case study of one approach to GIS. A current GA/OS project to support and develop approaches to GIS in Geography ITE was also discussed.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
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Sue Bermingham, Manchester Metropolitan University; Linda Clarke, University of Ulster; Doreen Oakley, University of Leeds and Jeff Serf, University of Wolverhamton
Jeff and Sue spoke about the 'Seeking Ubuntu' project and their involvement in a study tour last year. 'Seeking Ubuntu: education for democratic citizenship-learning from South Africa', a study visit course organised by TIDE, Teachers in Development Education based in Birmingham. The project builds on the experience of earlier TIDE work and the publications Towards Ubuntu and Exploring Ubuntu co-authored by Jeff Serf, Clive Harber and Charlotte Carter.
Linda Clarke illustrated her experiences of the study visit with the PowerPoint Presentation called 'I would like to ask you two questions: Voices from South Africa', five slides with photos and a commentary on her study visit to South Africa.
Doreen Oakley presented images from her experiences in South Africa and added: '...At the end of a week when all my senses seemed to have been assaulted by this incredible experience, I left South Africa reflecting on what similarities and what differences existed between that country and the UK as well as within the country itself. The slides were an attempt to give a feeling of those similarities and differences...'
Download: PowerPoint Presentation (Linda Clarke)
Download: PowerPoint Presentation (Doreen Oakley)
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| Putting Burgess in the Bin |
Charles Rawding, Edge Hill University College
Charles asked us all to think again about approaches to urban geography by insisting we 'put Burgess in the bin'. He offered a reconstruction of the urban geographies of Brighton to support his case.
Download: Paper
If you would like a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation used in this session, please contact Charles Rawding.
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| Geography 'at a Crucial Point': Implications of Change in Higher Education |
Andrew Church, Professor of Human Geography, University of Brighton
Andrew Church gave the after-dinner talk on the first night on the GTE conference. Due to some catering difficulties Andrew did not start his lecture until much later than planned but still spoke to a full gathering of delegates who were very interested in Andrew's 'nature-culture binary' which was frequently referred to throughout the conference. Andrew joined delegates in the bar after his lecture where debate and discussion continued, setting the context for the rest of the weekend.
Andrew joined the University of Brighton from Kings College, London; before following the research route, he completed a PGCE and takes a lively interest in geography at school level. Andrew is the President of the Brighton and District local branch of the GA and also a Fellow of the RGS/IBG.
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
(Due to copyright restrictions, some images have been removed from this presentation)
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