Geography

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rgpy20

The GA’s Framework for the school geography

curriculum

Alan Kinder & Eleanor Rawling

To cite this article: Alan Kinder & Eleanor Rawling (2023) The GA’s Framework for the school
geography curriculum, Geography, 108:2, 101-106, DOI: 10.1080/00167487.2023.2217633

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2023.2217633

Published online: 05 Jun 2023.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 278

View related articles

View Crossmark data

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rgpy20
GEOGRAPHY vol108-part2.qxp_Layout 1 25.05.2023 13:13 Page 101

© Geography 2023 https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2023.2217633 Geography Vol 108 Part 2 Summer 2023

Spotlight On …
The GA’s
Framework for the
school geography
curriculum

Spotlight On … Introduction
In the autumn of 2022, the Geographical
Association (GA) published A framework for the

The GA’s school geography curriculum (GA, 2022; hereinafter

‘the framework’), the culmination of two years’
work across the Association under the guidance of

Framework for its lead writer (a co-author of this article) and

advisory group (of which the other co-author was a
member). This work, which involved multiple

the school evidence-gathering and drafting phases, drew on a

large body of research and a wide range of
professional perspectives in geography education

geography and beyond. The resultant document, alongside its

accompanying support materials (GA, n.d.),
represents a major curriculum policy initiative from

curriculum the GA, with the principal aim being to influence

future national curricula and qualification
requirements. Although the framework was
developed in the context of UK schooling in the
Alan Kinder and 2020s, its contents are not directed towards a
Eleanor Rawling specific nation or jurisdiction. Rather, its publication
is intended to influence national-level curriculum
thinking and development as widely as possible. It
may also provide ‘a useful basis for international
discussion’ (GA, 2022, p. 4) and offer a ‘resource Figure 1: The three
for professional development’ (GA, n.d., para. 4) for components of
teachers, teacher educators and curriculum geographical disciplinary
researchers. knowledge set out in
ABSTRACT: The Geographical Association (GA) has A framework for the
produced A framework for the school geography geography curriculum.
curriculum (GA, 2022), which sets out the nature of The framework Source: GA, 2022.
the school subject, its disciplinary foundations and The framework identifies the significant
the significant features of geography that should features and distinctive approaches that
underlie any geography curriculum or set of constitute the disciplinary basis
curriculum requirements at national level. The for a school geography Practices and processes
framework was produced in response to observed (thinking and working like a geographer)
curriculum, arranged in a
failings in the processes of national curriculum and threefold structure: Dev
andelop elo
p
qualification production, which have created • concepts and ideas r e fine Devand te
da
professional and educational issues in several UK vali
• practices and Con
fir
Arelied
nations over a significant period of time. The processes vali and m app to
dat
e
framework responds to these issues by identifying • applications and
curriculum development responsibilities at various challenges (Figure 1).
Concepts and ideas Applications and
levels of the education system and setting out how (knowing and challenges
Are applied to
these can work together in support of high-quality The framework also understanding like (making use
a geographer) of geography)
school geography curricula. The initiative may be highlights how these
understood as part of a wider movement by a features contribute to the
number of subject organisations to rebalance the education of children and Illuminate
influence exerted on the curriculum by subject young people, and clarifies and refine
101
specialist communities rather than the state. how disciplinary and
GEOGRAPHY vol108-part2.qxp_Layout 1 25.05.2023 13:13 Page 102

Geography Vol 108 Part 2 Summer 2023 © Geography 2023

educational considerations should inform the knowledge rather than just an accumulation of
Spotlight On … development of the school curriculum. Crucially, it world facts. Similarly, disciplinary knowledge is
clarifies the relationship between disciplinary and only meaningful when applied and developed in the
The GA’s
substantive knowledge. Substantive knowledge particular contexts of places, environments, topics
Framework for the comprises the ‘facts and information about and themes.
school geography phenomena in the world’ (GA, 2022, p. 5) that
curriculum populate the themes and topics of any school The framework also summarises key
curriculum (Figure 2) and provides the context considerations around progression, distinguishing
within which disciplinary understanding is between the sequencing of curriculum inputs
developed. Substantive and disciplinary knowledge planned by the teacher and the outlining of
work together: knowledge about the world must be expected outcomes of pupil learning. Both tasks
shaped by disciplinary understanding and require a clear understanding of how the subject
approaches in order to become geographical works if they are to result in high-quality geography

Aims
Curricula based on this framework should provide opportunities for: promoting curiosity about the world;
inspiring wonder, joy and passion; understanding the key concepts, distinctive practices, skills and
applications of the subject; appreciating dynamic links and interrelationships; addressing real-world issues;
promoting personal/moral development, independent thinking, and the development of informed, engaged
citizens.

Disciplinary knowledge
Features of the discipline significant for school geography3

Geographical key concepts Geographical practice Geographical application

‘Knowing that’ ‘Knowing how’ ‘Knowing how to apply’

How geographers think and know How geographers find out – How geographers apply
– thinking like a geographer working like a geographer. knowledge – making use of
geography
Includes learning how key Includes undertaking the skills,
concepts and conceptual methods and approaches of Applying knowledge,
frameworks help us make sense geographical enquiry; the understanding and skills to real-
of the world and allow us to argumentation/analysis involved world challenges and issues –
generate new ideas; clarifying the in confirming how we know what living peacefully and productively
distinctiveness of geographical we know; recognition of the with others and ensuring our
thought values and moral/ethical future on the planet
dimensions involved in any
Place, Space, Earth Systems, enquiry and development of one’s Learning about application and
Environment own moral and ethical stance young people learning to apply for
themselves
Time, Scale, Diversity, Qualitative and quantitative
Interconnection, Interpretation enquiry in classroom and field;
personal development

Substantive knowledge
Lies behind and supports all disciplinary knowledge3
‘Knowing about’

The full range of contextual and specific knowledge of the world around us (often called world knowledge)
including locational knowledge; tangible features such as rivers, mountains, cities, countries and landscapes;
also more abstract features such as economic systems, community beliefs, everyday practices and
imaginative place representations

All curriculum development requires a selection of substantive content to be made. A minimum entitlement of
substantive knowledge is necessary for a national-level curriculum to ensure consistency across schools.
Figure 2: Curriculum
Further selection of content should be made by those developing the curriculum, e.g. exam boards, resource
aims, disciplinary and
providers, schools and teachers. Criteria for selection initially derive from the Curriculum framework, but will
substantive knowledge
be added to later by curriculum developers to address other purposes at national, sub-national and
102 components. Source: GA,
school level.
2022.
GEOGRAPHY vol108-part2.qxp_Layout 1 25.05.2023 13:13 Page 103

© Geography 2023 Geography Vol 108 Part 2 Summer 2023

curriculum experiences for young people. sheet (GA, 2023). For example, the GA suggests
The framework should not therefore be interpreted that it is essential that those designing a national Spotlight On …
as an alternative national curriculum, nor as a curriculum understand how the subject works as a
The GA’s
template for school practice, but as an enduring, discipline so that it is clear how geography can
contribute to national policy aims and so that
Framework for the
underpinning view of the nature of the school
subject, offered as a means of practical support for appropriate decisions can be made about more school geography
curriculum development. specific aims or further content. The GA curriculum
recommends that they:
• add further purposes (as appropriate to the
Using the framework wider curriculum reform process being
For government departments and curriculum undertaken) to the framework aims, as these
authorities responsible for developing national are derived from the discipline
curricula and qualification requirements, the • add more specific curriculum/qualification
framework is intended to provide ‘an effective way objectives as choices of substantive content
of deciding what to include in a geography are made and special emphases are required,
curriculum to achieve consistency, but also … the e.g. to consolidate learning about the home
curriculum design responsibilities that can be nation
delegated to examination designers, publishers • ensure key concepts and dimensions work
and schools’ (GA, n.d., para. 3). Figure 3 identifies together to highlight geographical ways of
a hierarchy of responsibilities from which an thinking
interrelated number of curriculum development • ensure that an appropriate range of both
actions (including delegated actions) may be geographical practices and applications are
deduced. These hierarchical responsibilities are included
made more explicit in a recently-published briefing • prepare criteria for the selection of content;

The GA’s Curriculum framework lies above national level and offers potential at all levels.

Level Who does it? What should it provide?

1 National Currently undertaken by National geography requirements: aims/rationale;

level government departments framework of big ideas, concepts, practices and
in England (DfE) and applications; minimum knowledge entitlement;
Potential to influence all levels of curriculum development.

Wales, often drawing on curriculum planning criteria; broad expectations or

subject working group outcomes appropriate to assessment and evaluation
expertise or consultants strategies

With expectation of regular review and reconsideration

2 Planning and Those organisations which Examination specifications, professional development

development need to use the national guidance, range of publications and support material
level framework to develop and Clarification of thematic and enquiry foci, coverage of
plan courses, schemes of knowledge, concepts and development of skills,
work, examination guidance on scale and progression
requirements (e.g.
awarding bodies, resource Guidance on preparing schemes of work
providers, subject
associations and Plans and resources for professional development
publishers)
Information about assessment and examinations

3 Classroom School geography Broad departmental plans for geography in the school;
teacher level departments and stage plans and year plans, sequences of topics
individual geography Detailed development and interpretation of schemes
teachers of work, lesson plans and decisions about resources
and experiences to provide (including fieldwork)
Figure 3: Levels of
curriculum development
Planning of professional development opportunities
and planning for
geography. Source: GA
Plans for implementing the departmental assessment
(2022), after Rawling, 103
strategy and commitment to review lessons/courses
2007; 2020a.
GEOGRAPHY vol108-part2.qxp_Layout 1 25.05.2023 13:13 Page 104

Geography Vol 108 Part 2 Summer 2023 © Geography 2023

using the criteria developed, select a minimum follows this approach, since it comprises ‘a
Spotlight On … entitlement of substantive content to provide a number of highly-prescriptive (if not always precise)
sound and consistent basis for pupil requirements for teaching’ (Kinder, 2015, p. 80),
The GA’s
progression, and that provides access to key with these requirements focused predominantly on
Framework for the ‘[p]lace and locational knowledge … alongside
concepts, allows inclusion of a range of time
school geography periods and scales and promotes opportunities knowledge of human and physical processes and
curriculum to address diversity, interconnection and some technical procedures, such as map skills’
interpretation (ibid.). This approach tends to offer ‘a limited diet
• leave room for awarding organisations and of “facts” and low-level skills’ (Morgan, 2017, p.
publishers to make selections, and for 24) and to give limited attention to geography’s
teachers to select content appropriate to their disciplinary components. Given that progression in
setting and expertise geographical knowledge and skills rests on
• decide on monitoring and assessment disciplinary as well as substantive content, this
strategies: outline broad outcomes for approach can also create profound difficulties for
conceptual understanding and skill implementation, particularly around progression
development. If a national assessment system and assessment. Such was the outcome of the
is desired, define a minimum entitlement of 1991 National Curriculum for England and Wales
content to provide the context for assessment (Lambert and Hopkin, 2014).
criteria.
The second type of response is to set out the
geographical concepts and/or skills required
Why the framework is without specifying the minimum entitlement of
needed substantive content needed to provide real-world
substance and context for their development. The
In one sense, the framework follows on from
Humanities Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE)
earlier statements by the GA concerning the
currently in force in Wales is of this type,
nature, scope and purposes of geography in
consisting of ‘statements of what matters’,
education. Noteworthy examples from the past
‘principles of progression’ and ‘descriptions of
include A Case for Geography (Bailey and Binns,
learning’ (Wales Government, n.d.) but ‘there is no
1987), which was credited with earning geography
minimum entitlement of knowledge, no criteria for
its ‘place in the sun’ within the first national
further selection of content, no well-defined
curriculum for England and Wales (Bailey, 1989, p.
progression threads in each subject’ (Rawling,
149), and A Different View: A manifesto from the
2020b, p. 101). In Morgan’s colourful phrasing,
Geographical Association (GA, 2009) – an initiative ‘[o]ne of the dangers of this approach is that the
to communicate the potential of the school subject answer to “what is geography?” ends up being
across the geography education community and to quite ethereal and almost “mystical”‘ (2017, p.
a wider audience. However, the framework is a new 24).
kind of curriculum policy initiative, rather than a
recasting or confirmation of what has gone before. A connected set of issues with national curriculum
In particular, the framework responds to the requirements therefore concerns the licence and
significant educational and professional issues guidance they provide for professionals working at
attributed to successive national curricula, since other levels within the system. An overly-
their first iterations appeared across England, prescriptive approach reduces the ability of those
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the early responsible for developing qualifications,
1990s. assessment systems, textbook materials, or
indeed for planning at the school level, to create
One set of issues concerns the failure of national distinctive, creative or locally-appropriate
requirements to translate the structure of specifications, publications and curricula –
geographical knowledge into a curriculum context producing a kind of curriculum ‘straitjacket’
with the necessary fidelity. Morgan (2017) (Lambert and Hopkin, 2014, p. 71). Conversely,
observes ‘there have been two types of responses loosely-written or sparing national guidelines place
to the question of what knowledge to include in too great a demand on teachers and others in
school geography curricula, neither of which are, I respect of curriculum development. Government
think, sufficient’ (p. 24). The first of these is to guidance in Wales, as explained above, places
mandate (sometimes in specific detail) the almost all the responsibility for creating a
substantive content to be taught. The 2013 balanced, structured curriculum on schools (Wales
Geography National Curriculum for England Government, n.d.). and begs the question of how
104
(Department for Education [DfE], 2013) arguably there can truly be a Welsh national curriculum if
GEOGRAPHY vol108-part2.qxp_Layout 1 25.05.2023 13:13 Page 105

© Geography 2023 Geography Vol 108 Part 2 Summer 2023

there is no minimum knowledge entitlement disciplinarity and form of inquiry, and the role of
(Rawling, 2020b). While the GA, through its the subject in the development of students’ (2021, Spotlight On …
conception of curriculum making, ‘upholds p. 603) because without such knowledge it is
The GA’s
teachers’ freedom to make appropriate choices considerably harder to act independently of
over curriculum content, contexts for study and the ‘official’ accounts of the subject produced by the
Framework for the
organisation of teaching’ (Kinder, 2017, p. 332), it Government, awarding organisations or publishers. school geography
also recognises that teachers and others need curriculum
appropriate support in their professional work, and
that the production of national curricula is a References
‘sophisticated task of curriculum making … often Bailey, P. (1989) ‘A place in the sun: the role of the
undertaken by policymakers, curriculum Geographical Association in establishing geography in
specialists, and subject specialists’ (Deng, 2022, the National Curriculum of England and Wales, 1975–
p. 611). 89’, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 13, 2,
pp. 149–57.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03098268908709080
The challenges ahead Bailey, P. and Binns, J.A. (eds) (1987) A Case for
Geography. Sheffield: Geographical Association.
For the reasons set out above, national curriculum
Biddulph, M. (2018) ‘Curriculum enactment’ in Jones, M.
requirements for geography can be said to be and Lambert, D. (eds) Debates in Geography Education
failing in some important respects (Rawling, (2nd edition). Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 156–70.
2020a). Addressing the underlying causes behind Deng, Z. (2022) ‘Powerful knowledge, educational
these deficiencies is likely to prove challenging, not potential and knowledge-rich curriculum: pushing the
least because the introduction of national curricula boundaries’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 54, 5, pp.
represented ‘a considerable shift of power away 599–617.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2022.2089538
from professional educationalists to central
Department for Education (2013) National Curriculum in
government’ (Lambert and Hopkin, 2014, p. 70) England: Geography programmes of study. Available at
and the degree of politicisation in their production https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-
has, if anything, increased with successive curriculum-in-england-geography-programmes-of-study
iterations (Biddulph, 2018; Rawling, 2015). Geographical Association (GA) (n.d.) GA Curriculum
Nevertheless, the policy intention of this initiative Framework. Available at https://geography.org.uk/ga-
is to use robust evidence and reasoning to exert curriculum-framework
GA (2009) A Different View: A manifesto from the
influence over the medium to long term. The
Geographical Association. Sheffield: Geographical
likelihood of success is increased by the fact that
Association. Available at https://geography.org.uk/wp-
several scientific learned societies have in recent content/uploads/2023/01/GA_ADVBookletFULL.pdf
years embarked on equivalent exercises, in biology GA (2022) A Framework for the School Geography
(Royal Society of Biology, 2021), chemistry (Royal Curriculum. Sheffield: Geographical Association.
Society of Chemistry, 2020) and physics (Tracy, Available at https://geography.org.uk/wp-
2018). Taken together, these independent content/uploads/2023/04/GA-Curriculum-Framework-
curriculum exercises may well have an increased 2022-WEB-RES_final.pdf
GA (2023) A Framework for the School Geography
chance of establishing the idea of a subject
Curriculum: Briefing sheet. Available at
‘curriculum framework’ as something worthy of https://geography.org.uk/wp-
consideration by policy makers, or as a source of content/uploads/2023/04/Curriculum-framework-brie
dialogue with them (Kinder et al., 2023). fing-sheet-2023.pdf
Hordern, J. (2021) ‘Recontextualisation and the teaching
A second challenge concerns the potential uses of of subjects’, The Curriculum Journal, 32, 4, pp. 592–
the framework by education practitioners, 606. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.110
Kinder, A. (2015) ‘English lessons: the changing nature
particularly those working at ‘level 3’ of the
of geography curriculum and assessment in England’,
hierarchy (see Figure 3). While there is potential to
Journal of Research and Didactics in Geography (J-
help practitioners to ‘reflect on the nature of the READING), 2, 4, pp. 79–84.
subject in schools, the relationship between https://doi.org/10.4458/6063-07
disciplinary and substantive knowledge, and the Kinder, A. (2017) ‘Belonging to a subject community’, in
contents of a current curriculum’ (GA, n.d., para. 4) Jones, M. (ed) The Handbook of Secondary Geography.
these are currently only being explored and are Sheffield: Geographical Association, pp. 330–43.
therefore not well established (see, for example, Kinder, A., McLeod, L., Rawling, E. and Tracy, C. (2023)
The GA’s Framework for the School Geography
GA, n.d.). Nonetheless, the authors tend to
Curriculum. Presentation given at the Geographical
support Hordern’s assertion that teachers
Association Annual Conference and Exhibition, 13 April,
ultimately benefit from ‘awareness of the Sheffield, UK.
propositional and procedural structure of the Lambert, D. and Hopkin, J. (2014) ‘A possibilist analysis 105
subject [we teach], its specific mode of of the geography national curriculum in England’,
GEOGRAPHY vol108-part2.qxp_Layout 1 25.05.2023 13:13 Page 106

Geography Vol 108 Part 2 Summer 2023 © Geography 2022

2023

International Research in Geographical and Royal Society of Chemistry (2020) The Elements of a
Environmental Education, 23, 1, pp. 64–78. Successful Chemistry Curriculum: The Royal Society of
https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2013.858446 Chemistry’s vision for 11–19 chemistry education.
Morgan, J. (2017) ‘The making of geographical Available at https://www.rsc.org/globalassets/22-new-
ignorance?’, Geography, 102, 1, pp. 18–25. perspectives/talent/chemistry-curriculum-framework/c
https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2017.12094005 hemistry-curriculum-brochure.pdf
Rawling, E. (2007) Planning Your Key Stage 3 Geography Tracy, C. (2018) ‘Guidelines for future physics curricula’,
Curriculum. Sheffield: Geographical Association. School Science Review, 370, pp. 36–43. Available at
Rawling, E. (2015) ‘Curriculum change and examination https://www.ase.org.uk/resources/school-science-
reform for geography 14–19’, Geography, 100, 3, pp. review/issue-370/guidelines-future-physics-curricula
164–8. Wales Government (n.d.) Area of Learning and Experience:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2015.12093972 Humanities. Available at
Rawling, E. (2020a) ‘How and why national curriculum https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-
frameworks are failing geography’, Geography, 105, 2, wales/humanities/statements-of-what-matters
pp. 69–77.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2020.12094091 All URLs last accessed 22/5/2023.
Rawling, E. (2020b) ‘Geography in the Welsh curriculum;
a good idea but…’, Teaching Geography, 45, 3
Alan Kinder is Chief Executive of the
(Autumn), pp. 101–4. Available at
https://portal.geography.org.uk/downloads/journals/T
Geographical Association, Sheffield, UK
G_AUT_2020_RAWLING.pdf (email: [email protected]; Twitter:
Royal Society of Biology (2021) Evolving 5–19 Biology: @GAChiefExec). Eleanor Rawling is an
Recommendations and framework for 5–19 biology Independent Consultant and Author (email:
curricula. Available at [email protected]; ORCID: 0000-0003-4572-
https://www.rsb.org.uk/images/Evolving_5- 2739).
19_Biology.pdf

Only from the GA

GeogPod is the Geographical Association’s podcast. In each
episode, our host John Lyon chats to a guest from within the
geography community, discussing their work and areas of interest.
GeogPod is available for free on most main podcast apps,
including Spotify and iTunes, as well as via the GA website. Just
search for ‘GeogPod’ to find us. Don’t forget to subscribe to find
out about the latest episodes!

The following episodes are available now:

#69: Richard Philips – The meaning of place
#68: Helen Mazalon – Leaving nobody behind
#67: Alex Densmore – Learning from the landscape
#66: Daanish Mustafa – Critical geography
#65: Chris Winter and Dan Whittall – Research for
teachers
#64: Dave Petley – Landslides and earthquakes

To listen or find out more go to

www.geography.org.uk/GeogPod-The-GAs-Podcast