Geography Through Enquiry
Overall verdict: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Why this book?
I know what you’re thinking: oh yes, great book- I read that one during my PGCE. Yes, I know lots of us did, but have you referred to it since? Pick it up again! Three years after first reading this work by Margaret Roberts I reread this book and I’d recommend you do the same. Upon first reading (perhaps in your PGCE or NQT year) it fills your brain to the brim with ideas and techniques to start using in the classroom the very next day but returning to it years later, with several hundred lessons under my belt, meant I read it with a refined focus. I came away from rereading it (once again!) inspired, motivated and galvanised to reflect on our curriculum and ensure that we were teaching the very best geography possible.
What I love about this book is that it serves us all: from PGCE students teaching their first lesson to the most experienced teacher- not many books do that!
Recently, there’s been much discussion online between Heads of Department about how best to enact a curriculum vision; how to align thinking between departmental members and how to achieve a healthy consistency in approach. Below are the extracts that I’ve used in departmental meetings to try and achieve this.
p.4-5 The Preface
This extract introduces the idea of enquiry-based learning and, with the current focus on knowledge in the curriculum, feels more important to consider than ever. Roberts aligns her thinking on enquiry learning and states that ‘it is a mistake to think of enquiry mainly in terms of student learning valuable generic skills’ and rather that enquiry is a fundamental part of our discipline.
p.7-10 Learning Through Enquiry: FAQs
In this section, Roberts provides further clarity and explanation around what enquiry looks like in geography. We used this in a departmental meeting to reflect on how effectively we nurture and encourage geographical enquiry within our classrooms and think about what we could do to further develop it. The table given on p.9 is particularly worthy of discussion; to ensure that all members of the team are aligned in what learning geography through enquiry means and looks like in the classroom.
p.15 Other FAQs
The bottom half of p.15 is another particularly useful section which aims to dispel some myths around enquiry in geography. This proved useful as a starting point for discussion with colleagues who have taught for a long time and perhaps have a different understanding of ‘enquiry-based learning’- one that is not aligned to the current thinking around curriculum.
p.34-35 Creating a need to know
This is perhaps my favourite section of the whole book and one that has stuck with me ever since first reading it.
‘Students do not necessarily come into the classroom wanting to know about, for example, flood hydrographs or life expectancy in Kenya.’ (p.34)
We need to create in students a ‘need to know’ and we each have our own ways of doing this- our own ‘stance’ in the classroom. When I joined my current school as Head of Department with two NQTs in the department, this was something we reflected on at the end of Term 1:
How do we each create a ‘need to know’ in our classroom? How do we encourage curiosity about the world around us? What stance do we have as a teacher? How do we share our excitement in our subject matter with the students?
Three key takeaways:
1. Geography through enquiry does not equate to ‘discovery learning’ or ‘problem-based learning’; rather it is about questioning the world around us and teaching students to do the same. Thus, enquiry learning is not at odds with a knowledge-rich curriculum or a focus on powerful knowledge.
2. Geographical enquiry is a fundamental part of being a geographer and requires students to actively engage in investigate questions, problems and issues.
3. Teaching geography through enquiry is not just a classroom approach; it is a culture. It is the establishment of a classroom culture in which constant questioning is valued and students challenge thinking.