Transcript Primary ITE Students’ Senses of Geography Professor Simon Catling Oxford Brookes University & Emma Morley University of Winchester Looking to the Future Geographical Association Annual Conference April 6th, 2013

Primary ITE Students’
Senses of Geography
Professor Simon Catling
Oxford Brookes University
&
Emma Morley
University of Winchester
Looking to the Future
Geographical Association
Annual Conference
April 6th, 2013
Investigating Primary Student
Teachers’ Senses of Geography
This study developed from an earlier investigation into undergraduate
primary student teachers’ perceptions of geography (Morley, 2012),
which found similar results to Walford (1996), Martin (2000), Catling
(2004) and Alkis (2009), that:
 Primary trainee teachers’ images of geography were limited to an
information–orientated perception of the subject, centred on the
human-physical features of the world, e.g. ‘geography is about the
world we live in’;
 No significant differences in the results between students who
had formal qualifications in geography and those who did not;
 Twice as many students surveyed preferred history to geography
on entry to their primary teacher education course.
Reasons for the Study: Considering ITE
students’ feelings about geography
Students’ feelings about geography have not been
directly investigated.
In informal discussions student teachers express a
range of views and feelings about geography,
indicating varied levels of engagement, and likes
and dislikes or disinterest as influences on their
views of geography.
What was being Investigated?
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This research project investigated how a cohort of
primary student teachers felt about geography in general
as well as more specifically about their school geography.
It explored whether individuals were positive or negative
about geography and what may have contributed towards
these feelings.
It became apparent that there is a wide variety of
influences affecting students’ views about geography, and
that their own experiences of being taught geography had
an evident impact on their feelings towards the subject.
Study Details
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The research was undertaken with 215 undergraduate
students in Winchester and 83 students in Oxford. It
provided some 248 useable sets of data.
A questionnaire was administered during the taught part of
a Year 1 geography module (September – November) at
Winchester and of a Year 1 research module (October) at
Oxford Brookes in the autumn of 2011.
Students were asked about:
o their qualifications in the subject of geography;
o how they felt about the subject geography;
o how they felt about the way they were taught
geography in school.
The Undergraduate Student Teachers’
Qualifications in Geography
 53% of students have no geography qualification – Almost all
gave up geography at the age of 14.
 47% of all the students have post-16 geography qualifications,
including GCSE/O level, A/AS level or other qualifications.
 Of all students:
 43% have a 16+ qualification in geography;
 16% have a 17+ qualification in geography;
 18% have an 18+ qualification in geography;
 2% have another qualification in geography.
Students’ Feelings about Geography as
a Subject:
Positive 45%; Negative 25%
70
60
Number of Students
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
Negative
-
2
3
Ambivalent
4
5
Positive
+
Influences on Students’ Feelings
towards Geography
Positive experience and/or attitude
Critical experience and/or attitude
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Personal enjoyment/interest 12%
Positive about all subject content 7%
Positive about methods of teaching 7%
Importance of the subject 6%
Positive about some subject content 5%
Eagerness to learn more 2%
Usefulness of subject 1%
Determined to teach good geography 1%
Personally relevant <1%
Limited experience/lack of interest

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


Combination of positive and negative 4%
Ambivalent to geography 3%
No personal interest 3%
Little exposure to geography 1%
No memories of geography 1%
Negative about teaching methods 18%
Negative about some content 11%
Academically challenging 7%
Negative about subject content 6%
Uncertainty of subject knowledge 4%
Bad personal experiences 1%
Students’ Feelings about Studying
Geography at School:
Positive 42%; Negative 37%
70
60
Number of Students
50
40
30
20
10
0
1
2
Negative
-
3
Ambivalent
4
5
Positive
+
Influences on Students’ Feelings about
being Taught Geography at School
Positive experience and/or attitude
Critical experience and/or attitude
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 Negative experiences of geography
teaching, a few very poor 23%
 Difficult and challenging subject 7%
 Negative about all aspects of teaching of
geography content 4.5%
 Negative about some teaching of content
4%
 Could not study beyond 14+ years: option
choices limited 1.5%
 Not taught geography as a separate
subject <1%
 Not fully confident with subject knowledge
<1%
Positive about how taught geography 14%
Much personal interest and enjoyment 10%
Positive about some subject content 8.5%
Positive about all subject content 8%
Personally relevant 5%
Usefulness of subject 1.5%
Limited experience/lack of interest
 No personal interest or desire to learn
geography 6%
 Combination of positive and negative
experience of teaching 4%
 Little exposure to geography in its own right
1.5%
 No memory of being taught geography <1%
 No opinion 1%
Comparing Students’ Feelings about
Geography and about being Taught Geography
Students Feelings About Geography as a Subject
70
60
Students Feelings about being taught Geography at School
40
70
30
60
20
50
10
40
0
1
2
3
4
5
Number of Students
Number of Students
50
30
20
10
Negative
-
Ambivalent
Positive
+
0
1
2
Negative
3
4
Ambivalent
-
5
Positive
+
Students’ Hobbies and Interests: Some
75% claimed links with geography
Hobbies
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Sport & being active 14%
Community activities 4%
Artistic, photographic 2%
Collecting things 1%
Geographical Hobbies and Interests
25%
Interests
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Travel experiences 31%
Cultural experiences 19%
Wildlife, habitats, geology 9%
Media, ICT, literature 6%
Environmental issues 5%
Being outdoors 1%
Spiritual 1%
Family links elsewhere 1%
 Aspirations, eg to travel 6%
No Geographical interests or
hobbies
Some form of Geographical
Interest or hobby
75%
Key Positive and Critical Aspects of
Students’ Feelings about Geography
Key positives
Some 45% had a positive view of
geography, and 42% were
favourable about their taught
experience, including:
 Positive experience of being
taught geography;
 Positive about the subject’s
content.
 Personal interest and enjoyment;
 Seeing geography as important and
personally relevant;
 Many students have hobbies and
interests which they connect with
geography.
Key critical issues
Some 25% were negative about
the subject, but 37% were critical
of their taught experience,
referring to:
 Critical of the approaches to
and quality of the geography
teaching they experienced;
 Not enjoying various aspects of
the subject’s content;
 Finding the subject challenging
academically.
Some Implications for Teaching Geography to
Generalist Primary Student Teachers – 1
 There are divided views about geography among primary ITE students, not
tied to subject qualifications. Some 2/5th+ seem positive, but a 1/4 to 1/3rd+
have mild or strongly negative views.
This is a more favourable position than in maths!
Primary ITE geography courses have, it seems, two demands: (a) to
keep the positive interested, and (b) to change the minds of the less
engaged and the uninterested.
Two ways forward: [1] A focus on the value of geography for students
and for primary children, and [2] an active, practical approach to
geographical learning relevant to the primary geography curriculum.
 Some 75% of students state they have interests or hobbies relevant to
primary geography. Is this an opportunity?
 Some thought should be given as to how these interests and hobbies
can be harnessed (in a climate of diminishing course time).
Some Implications for Teaching Geography to
Generalist Primary Student Teachers – 2
 Engage those students who have a background and positive
perspective on geography to:
 Share their liking of geography with their peers;
 Buddy with a fellow student who is less positive;
 Lead, introduce and/or reflect on activities for the whole class group.
 Begin the course with students recording their own views
about geography and their reasons for these.
 Encourage them to set goals about what to develop;
 Have students note what they have learnt from each session, and
how this contributes to meeting their goals;
 Ensure they evaluate their personal views during and at the end of
the course.
A Concluding Reflection and Concern
 Students in this study referred almost exclusively to their
secondary school geography experience.
 If more than 50% of secondary school students do not take
geography for 16+ exams, why is this? (Option choice
problems? Unhappiness with the teacher/subject? Other?)
 What are the positive and critical effects which secondary
geography teaching/courses have on 11-14 year olds that affect
these students’ feelings about geography at 13-14 years old?
 What responsibility do secondary geography teachers and
teacher education programmes have to create positive attitudes
to geography for all school students, including those who
become primary school teachers of geography?
References
Alkis, S. (2009) Turkish geography trainee teachers’ perceptions of geography, International Research in
Geographical and Environmental Education, 18, 2, 120-133.
Catling, S. (2004) An understanding of geography: The perspectives of English primary trainee teachers,
Geoforum, 60, 149-158.
Martin, F. (2000), Postgraduate primary education students’ images of geography and how these affect
the types of teachers they become, International Research in Geographical and Environmental
Education, 14, 4, 364-371.
Morley, E. (2012) English primary trainee teachers’ perceptions of geography, International Research in
Geographical and Environmental Education, 21, 2, 123-137.
Morley, E. (2013, forthcoming) The geography that WE want to teach! The views of a sample of English
trainee teachers, in Schmeinck, D. & Lidstone, J. (eds.) Standards and Research in Geography
Education: Current Trends and International Issues, Berlin: Mensch & Bucj Verlag.
Walford, R. (1996) What is geography? An analysis of definitions provided by prospective teachers of the
subject, International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 5, 1, 69-76.
Acknowledgements
Our data analysts, Clive West and Melanie Reynolds, have been immensely helpful to this
project. Our thanks to them.