Recognising and exploring children’s geographies in school geography

Abstract

This article draws on the author’s doctoral research to examine the relationships between children’s geographies in different spaces of geographical thought in England–geography in and of everyday life, geography as an academic discipline and geography as a school subject. It begins by setting out how children’s geographies have largely been omitted from school geography due to complex reasons including the impact of governmental policy on teaching and teacher education, and the public accountability of schools. Drawing on a case study of five young people’s narratives about London, the article then examines their perspectives on education–highlighting that the young people view both London, and the education system, as a space of opportunity and hope, but also of inequality and injustice. The article concludes by arguing that through drawing on the ideas and methodologies of children’s geographies as a subdiscipline, and recognising and exploring the geographies of those who are taught, school geography can be enhanced by making teachers more informed about the children they teach and providing children with opportunities to examine (their own) geographies through engaging with disciplinary thought.