Guidance on effective practice in A level Geography
The introduction of Curriculum 2000 (C2K) gave schools and colleges the opportunity to reconsider their choice of specification and rethink the aims, organisation and character of the geography they offer. The advice which follows draws on the experience of schools and colleges to provide some general points of guidance about managing and implementing effective teaching and learning. These are illustrated by some case studies of good practice on this website.
Planning and management of teaching and learning
Forward planning and careful management are essential to develop good practice in the teaching and learning of geography. In particular, the geography department should:
- share a vision about the purpose of teaching geography and its contribution to the aims of the school as a whole, ensuring that this vision is communicated throughout the school and made apparent through various initiatives (for example, open evenings, displays, parental involvement)
- select a geography AS/A2 specification which suits the vision and ethos of the department and has the potential to provide challenge and motivation for students
- take ownership and turn the specification into a curriculum, using the specification aims, informed by the departmental aims, as the starting point for designing a long-term (two year) course plan, medium-term plans/schemes of work for units or topics and shorter-term lesson plans
- ensure that the geography curriculum makes best use of the capabilities and interests of staff, the location and facilities of the school/college and the opportunities for fieldwork and community links
- share and discuss the aims and objectives of the curriculum with students, making amendments to the detail each year to ensure course suitability and student motivation
- support students in the transition from GCSE to AS and from AS to A2. This will vary according to the nature of the school/college and the specification offered. In some schools/colleges, AS or A2 induction units are made available to all students; in other cases, fieldwork courses are used to bridge the gap and introduce new skills and approaches
- offer information and guidance to students about the nature of the course, assessment deadlines, and specific help or resources. Many schools and colleges provide ‘study guides’ or ‘diaries’
- provide a supportive learning environment for students, in particular addressing their diverse needs and different learning styles. Formative assessment and regular progress reviews can play an important part in this process
- provide focused enrichment opportunities that extend or develop particular aspects of the course content or skills, or build on students’ personal experiences and enjoyment of geography (for example organise visiting speakers, involvement in local projects, links with local university geography departments)
- ensure that information and guidance are available about employment opportunities, career prospects and progression to higher education
- provide opportunities for the professional development of staff in the geography department – including updating and refreshment in the subject itself, exchanges with other schools and colleges and training or development in management and pedagogical matters.
Implementing teaching and learning
Effective teaching and learning are most likely to take place when the geography department is confident about the purpose and character of geography teaching in the school, and when each teacher feels committed and competent to work as a professional within a well-managed team. Each teacher will have a certain amount of professional freedom and flexibility, but some common principles are that teachers should:
- share a common view about the methodologies and styles of teaching and learning to be developed. The AS/A level specifications are all underpinned by a commitment to enquiry-based teaching and learning, although the precise interpretation of enquiry varies from specification to specification. Each geography department needs to identify this and to clarify its own approach
- ensure that their students are provided with a range of opportunities across the learning continuum, from teacher-directed to more open-ended student-directed work. In particular, at AS/A2, there should be encouragement for students to learn independently
- provide opportunities for students to extend and develop their ICT skills and to make appropriate use of the extensive range of resources on the worldwide web
- promote teaching and learning activities which help students to develop skills, intellect and values – for example, by focusing on thinking skills, on critical evaluation of sources and viewpoints, and on issues which pose moral dilemmas and require a judgement or a decision
- plan fieldwork or out-of-school activities as essential and integral components of the geography curriculum. Such activities are not only required by all the specifications but they also enrich students’ learning and add insights from real-world experience
- ensure that students appreciate how important maps, graphs and images of all kinds (for example photographs, pictures, sketch diagrams) are to geography. The subject is as much concerned with visual images as it is with the written word and students need to develop their own skills in making, applying and interpreting images
- allow space and time for the unexpected, so that topical events or local issues, significant news items (for example an international summit, a refugee crisis) or students’ personal activities (for example involvement in an expedition, project work in another A level subject) can be used to motivate students and/or reinforce aspects of geographical learning.
Case studies
> Geography
QCA web links
> A level exemplification and performance descriptions: geography
Documents to download
> Summaries of the A level specifications available in geography PDF
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Page updated: 12 June 2008