1. “teachers as curriculum leaders”
Geo-Capabilities
“teachers as curriculum leaders”

2. .. 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

3. 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?

4. 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’.

5. 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)

6. 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?

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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?