Geography

'Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change.  It is dynamic and relevant, a great adventure with a purpose.'
                                                                         Michael Palin

Never has it been so important to work with young people to develop their understanding of how the natural and human world interact, creating the opportunities and challenges we face on the planet from climate change to resource management, population change, variations in human development, changing physical landscapes and how we might achieve sustainable futures. Young people will be the decision-makers of the future and geography teachers have a role in developing students’ knowledge and understanding of our world so that they can become engaged and interested in the futures they will ultimately influence and shape as adults.

The course will enable you to explore the best pedagogical approaches to teaching geography, drawing on the work of a strong tradition of geography education. However, our subject has changed significantly in the way it is represented and has been taught over time and new approaches to teaching some of the key challenges and big ideas in the subject will be explored. This includes tackling some of the big questions about our subject’s colonial legacy and ensuring more inclusive and representative geographies are presented to young people. 

Of course, fieldwork is also an integral part of a geography education, and we will prepare you for fieldwork with young people on our own trainee teacher field trip to the coast. It is so important to inspire young people with an experience of unfamiliar places and landscapes or to see familiar places with a different perspective. Creating a sense of awe and wonder is the first step towards valuing the amazing planet we live on, ideally through direct experience of an environment or through creative and innovative ways of bringing the world into the classroom.