What is Radical in School Geography Today?

FORUM - ISSN 0963-8253
Volume 53 Number 1 (2011)

What is Radical in School Geography Today?
JOHN MORGAN pages 113-128
DOI: 10.2304/forum.2011.53.1.113

Abstract

This article addresses the question of what 'radical school geography' might look like in the present historical moment. It traces the history of a distinctive 'radical' tradition in school geography, most prominently associated with the work of John Huckle, who argued for the importance of understanding the content and pedagogy of school geography as linked to the requirements of capital. The article updates Huckle's analysis, suggesting that contemporary school geography is characterised by: (1) an unwillingness to focus on the question of what should be taught in schools; (2) teacher identities more concerned with the skills and competences of how to teach; and (3) a 'postmodern' mood of relativism. In the light of this, the article suggests the need for radical school geography teachers to focus explicitly on the types of knowledge that can help students understand the processes of economic production and social reproduction in contemporary capitalism. In conclusion, the article briefly discusses five substantive themes that can form the basis for geography education.

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To cite this article
JOHN MORGAN (2011) What is Radical in School Geography Today?, FORUM, 53(1), 113-128. https://doi.org/10.2304/forum.2011.53.1.113

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