“teachers as curriculum leaders” Geo-Capabilities “teachers as curriculum leaders” www.geocapabilities.org

.. Theoretical Background .. Purpose Research and develop the potential of improving curriculum making in geography internationally through a “capabilities approach” .. Theoretical Background .. Four interconnected ideas: Curriculum Powerful knowledge Curriculum making Capabilities

Curriculum 1. The importance of Aims Every student to be able to lead a flourishing life to help others to do so too to form a broad background of understanding (Reiss and White 2013) 2. The importance of Content Every student needs access to essential knowledge and understanding skills and the development of capacity (eg making choices) Thus, the overarching ‘curriculum question’ is: What shall we teach, and how do we justify this?

Powerful Knowledge PK is characterised by these features. It is often, but not always, evidence based abstract and theoretical (conceptual) part of a system of thought dynamic, evolving, changing – but reliable (‘testable’ and open to challenge) sometimes counter-intuitive exists outside the direct experience of the teacher and the learner discipline based (or at least in domains that are not arbitrary) It enables societies to think the ‘unthinkable’ and the ‘yet-to-be-thought’.

Curriculum Futures F1 subject delivery – of knowledge for its own sake; traditional subjects: under-socialised knowledge F2 skills and ‘learning to learn’ – knowledge is constructed: over-socialised knowledge; subject divisions are artificial. Themes. Experiential. F3 subjects are not given (as in F1), but not arbitrary either (as in F2) – knowledge development led by ‘... the epistemic rules of specialist communities’. (Young and Muller 2010)

Some more curriculum questions Who ‘owns’ powerful knowledge (PK)? Can the state legislate: ie can PK be codified into national standards? What are the roles/responsibilities of teachers in bringing an F3 curriculum into fruition?

Curriculum Making in Geography In the context of the discipline of geography Which learning activities ? Does this take the learner beyond what they already know ? Student Experiences School Geography Teacher Choices Underpinned by conceptual understanding Thinking Geographically Curriculum Making in Geography

Human (intellectual) ‘functioning’ A capabilities approach is NOT to be confused with imparting value-free ‘skills’ or ‘competences’ It is about enhancing the autonomy and agency of students, based upon extending their knowledge and deepening understanding It may help us articulate: geographical knowledge as ‘powerful’ the significance of thinking geographically

Geography as a powerful knowledge (in the Anthropocene) Geography encourages, the acquisition and development of deep descriptive and explanatory ‘world knowledge’ the development of the relational thinking that underpins geographical thought a propensity to think about alternative social, economic and environmental futures In this day and age, how might the absence of the above result in a deprivation of human capability?