Teaching development through Geography
Geography in schools has always been of importance when teaching students about development and global issues. This can be traced back to more questionable imperialist motives at the turn of the 19th century, when Geography was used to teach subjects of the British Empire about their place in the world and promote ‘othering’ . Following its problematic beginnings, the decolonization of the curriculum led to a shift away from ‘traditional’ approaches towards global issues and sustainable development. Today, Geography in schools remains the main source for students to learn about development, while learning about development is important in helping students understand the world around them.
“We know we cannot understand the character of any place without setting it in the context of its relations with the world beyond.” - Doreen Massey, Geographical Association Conference, 2001.
Place is an idea central to geography. Key to establishing a sense of place is an understanding of development - defined by the UN as a “multidimensional undertaking to achieve a higher quality of life for all people” and often referring to economic, social, environmental and political indicators. Without an understanding of how different levels of development exist, change and impact populations, it is difficult to establish the contextual foundations that underpin a sense of place. For example, how can someone understand the causes of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest without first understanding that Brazil is a country with a booming agricultural industry (4th largest globally by value of agricultural production) that has helped lift millions out of poverty, but simultaneously destroyed swathes of pristine rainforest. This is why learning about development in schools plays a significant role in helping students understand the world they live in and its many issues.
Development at CSIA
This September, when the new cohort of year 7 students sat down for their first Geography lessons at Camborne Science and International Academy in Cornwall, they did so with vastly different levels of understanding of basic geographical concepts. This is the school where I have been teaching for just over two years and where, over the last 15 months, a colleague and I have redesigned the geography curriculum to give students from one of the country’s most deprived and isolated catchments the best opportunity to discover the world around them. Development and Globalisation is one of the first topics we teach students. In fact, it is third after Population and Coasts. The main reason for teaching this topic so early in the learning journey is that it contains fundamental geographical concepts that are vital in understanding key issues in Geography. Poverty, inequality, the Development Gap, measures of development such as life expectancy, globalisation and sustainability are all taught for the first time in this topic. These concepts help students develop a balanced epistemology and understanding of key global issues. They also help students build empathy and critical thinking - skills that are indispensable in Geography as in life.
At GCSE, students progress to more complex concepts such as the Demographic Transition Model and use of the Human Development Index. At CSIA, we use the AQA exam board, which requires “a case study of one LIC (Low Income Country) or NEE (Newly-Emerging Economy)” as well as study of the UK economy. We use Nigeria as our NEE case study, focussing on the role of global conglomerates such as Shell in influencing the economy of Nigeria. At A Level, students learn about global systems and global governance, which adds further detail and context to their understanding of development and place.
Challenges in teaching development
Despite the progress that geography teaching in schools has made since the early 19th century, there are still pitfalls which exist when teaching development. While it is unquestionably positive that colonial ideologies have been largely disposed of, some educators are concerned that too heavy a focus on sustainable development has led to ‘growth scepticism’ (Lambert and Morgan, 2011). This is the notion that school geography promotes good causes ahead of economic growth - for example the AQA specification suggests that Fairtrade and aid are viable strategies to closing the development gap, while economic development and investment from multinational companies are often associated with environmental and social issues. Clearly work needs to be done in this area, and a focus on core knowledge with a balanced approach could be necessary.
Another challenge faced by educators, particularly in deprived areas of the country such as the area of Cornwall I teach in, is that students often come into their first Geography lesson without an understanding of issues that exist beyond the United Kingdom. Many students have never left Cornwall, never been on holiday, and some have never even been to the beach (despite living ten minutes away from it). As well as clear concerns around the quality of life of these students, it can be particularly difficult for them to understand nuanced differences in different countries. Compared to students from middle or high income backgrounds, who may have been on multiple holidays abroad and been exposed to many different places, low income students are at a significant disadvantage and may have trouble accessing the curriculum.
A final issue is that there can exist a significant delay between the latest thinking around development and what is taught in the classroom. The fact that schools must follow a national curriculum and subscribe to exam bodies such as AQA, means that teachers are forced to teach a curriculum that is outdated. While some core concepts in geography stay static, development is a constantly changing landscape. When students learn, for example, classifications of development, this is in direct contrast to the most up-to-date language used by the UN. The terms HIC, NEE and LIC have been replaced by the UN’s high-income, upper middle income, lower middle income and low-income, which more closely fits the global economy. A possible solution to this would be to once again move away from the emphasis put on exams, allowing for a more dynamic curriculum that can be regularly updated to reflect the latest research and thinking in geography.
Geography in schools is crucial to the understanding of development in students and helping them develop critical thinking skills and a sense of place. While school geography has come a long way from its chequered colonial past, educators must maintain constant vigilance in addressing new challenges. If this can be done, we can continue to provide an indispensable foundation upon which pupils can both discover the world around them and find their own place in the world.
Sources
Charles, M. (2019). Effective Teaching and Learning: Decolonizing the Curriculum. Journal of Black Studies, 50(8), 731-766. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934719885631
Lambert, D. and Morgan, J., 2011. Geography and Development: Development education in schools and the part played by geography teachers
Major, B. (2010) ‘Aspects of place’, Teaching Geography, Autumn
Massey, D. (1997) ‘A global sense of place’ in Barnes, T. and Gregory, D. (eds) Reading Human Geography: The poetics and politics of inquiry. London: Arnold
OWID, 2022, Value of agricultural production https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/value-of-agricultural-production
Staszak, J.F., 2008. Other/otherness. International encyclopedia of human geography, 1, pp.1-7
Van Houtum, H. and Van Naerssen, T., 2002. Bordering, ordering and othering. tijdschrift voor economische en sociale Geografie (Journal of economic & social Geography), 93(2)
Author Biography
Toby Holloway is a Second in Department in Geography at Camborne Science and International Academy. He has experience in curriculum design and is a member of the Geographical Association and the Royal Geographical Society.
