Research Around the Curriculum – Geography
Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (2019):
- Emphasizes the importance of schools providing an “ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum.”
- States that inspectors will assess “the extent to which the school’s curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will gain.”
- Highlights the role of “sequencing that is logical and progressive” in curriculums.
- Geography is included as one of the core subjects for inspecting curriculum quality and standards.
Ofsted Research Review Series: Geography (2011):
- Found fieldwork, local area studies, and map skills are important starting points for primary geography.
- Emphasized “the role of knowledge, skills and understanding in shaping pupils’ views of the world.”
- Recommended broad topics like water, weather, settlements to engage pupils.
- Noted teacher subject knowledge, resources, planning and assessment impact quality.
Ofsted Subject Professional Development Materials: Geography (2020):
- Advises building locational knowledge of the world and UK from the start.
- Notes geography “allows pupils to make sense of current events and issues.”
- Emphasizes fieldwork skills like observation, collecting/analyzing data.
- Highlights the role of key concepts like place, space, scale and environment.
- Provides examples of effective curriculum sequences, lessons and assessments.
Organizations:
The Geographical Association:
- Publishes a wide range of research-informed curriculum guidance documents for primary schools.
- Their Primary Geography journal highlights effective teaching strategies and case studies.
- Extensive library of CPD resources including webinars, self-study courses, workshops and conferences.
- Develops research-based teaching units, fieldwork resources, atlases, and assessment materials for purchase.
- Grants available for teachers to undertake action research or geography investigations.
Royal Geographical Society:
- Involved in educational research projects, surveys and publications focused on geography.
- Created the Geography Quality Mark award to help schools evaluate their curriculum.
- Offers geography-focused professional development courses for teachers.
- Provides educational resources like maps, videos and publications to members.
- Engages in outreach through public lectures, community projects and youth participation.
National Geographic Education:
- Funds geography education research like the National Geographic Geo-Inquiry surveys.
- Develops instructional resources aligned to research on high-quality geography education.
- Provides professional development webinars and training focused on concepts like spatial thinking.
- Administers grants to teachers to support geography teaching and projects.
- Shares real-world case studies, lesson plans, activities linked to researchers and explorers
Academic Research:
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education:
- Publishes empirical studies on innovations in geography teaching methods, curriculum, assessments etc.
- Recent topics include spatial thinking in the curriculum, virtual fieldtrips, diversity in geography, social justice pedagogy.
- Provides insights into effective teaching strategies backed by academic research studies.
- Includes literature reviews synthesizing key research around issues in geography education.
International Journal of Early Years Education:
- Covers studies on improving preschool and early primary geography and environmental education.
- Sample topics: children’s spatial skills development, play-based geography learning, concepts of place and space.
- Highlights creative, child-centered approaches to nurturing curiosity about the world.
- Connects child development research to building locational knowledge and mapping from a young age.
Journal of Geography in Higher Education:
- Research on undergraduate geography education provides implications for teacher training.
- Insights into student-centered teaching methods, curriculum design, fieldwork, assessment etc.
- Articles analyze key geographical concepts, themes, and ways of thinking that are foundational.
- Research on effective educational technology integration applicable to schools.
A Summary of Ofsted’s Geography Research Report
