This module explores the potential of the capabilities approach in geography education and identifies what we call ‘GeoCapabilities’.
The principal guiding questions of this module are:
- Who are the children we teach?
- What do the children need to be fully educated in this day and age?
- How can teaching geography contribute to the education of young people?
Participants using this module will:
- Realise the idea of capabilities as a productive and practical way to express educational aims.
- Acquire a deeper understanding of the significance and potential value of ‘powerful geographical knowledge’ in secondary education.
- Define, communicate, and use GeoCapabilities as a framework for curriculum leadership.
Module 1 draws on the conceptual resources introduced in the presentation.
The presentation introduces the roles and responsibilities of teachers.
It then considers the capabilities approach and importance of Powerful Disciplinary Knowledge (PDK).
GeoCapabilities encourages teachers to create a Future 3 curriculum, underpinned by PDK.
The presentation then reminds us that the creation of powerful knowledge requires powerful classroom pedagogies.
(This takes us back to the role of teachers.)