1. Unpacking paradise: geography education narratives from Seychelles - Indra Persaud, Institute of Education

2. PARADISE? Photo: Indra Persaud

3. PARADISE? Image courtesy of R. Bustin, with permission

4. REALITY Photo: Indra Persaud

5. As a starting point I use the model representing three competing forces that influence geography curriculum-making The model was produced as part of the Action Plan for Geography (www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/curriculummaking)www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/curriculummaking and found in Teaching Geography 11-18, A Conceptual Approach by David Lambert and John Morgan (2010, p50) I re-construct the model to illustrate examples of unbalanced curriculum-making The model is then adapted to represent the Seychelles context The model is closely related to Schwabs (1973) four commonplaces for curriculum making; subject matter, learners, teachers and milieu and Harts (2009) trinity of educational practice

6. Taking students beyond what they know Underpinned by Key Concepts Thinking geographically Learning Activities Milieu (Schwab, 1973): the classroom, school and wider social context

7. Disenfranchised from geographical knowledge Pedagogic Maverick Certain key concepts ignored, subject at risk of being emptied out Annotation based on ideas from Lambert & Morgan (2010)

8. The subject is the only source of geographical knowledge and the teacher is the only source of creative energy Passive recipient, empty vessel Annotation based on Lambert & Morgan (2010)

9. British based disciplinary knowledge Cambridge exams Seychellois teachers and students marginalised? Seychelles Context

10. Can Seychellois geography teachers become confident, collaborative curriculum makers rather than curriculum takers? Through curriculum conversations, the research will explore Seychellois geography teachers narratives Photo: Indra Persaud

11. References Action Plan for Geography. www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/curriculummaking Hart, T (2009) From Information to Transformation, Education for the Evolution of Consciousness. Revised Edition, Peter Lang Lambert, D and Morgan, J (2010) Teaching Geography 11-18, A Conceptual Approach. Schwab, J. J. (1973) The Practical 3: Translation into Curriculum, The School Review, 81:4 pp501-522, The University of Chicago Press