A summary of the key concepts involved in the GeoCapabilities teacher training course. It addresses capabilities and Geography, Powerful Disciplinary Knowledge, curriculum making and leadership

1. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities
course summary

2. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
The aims of GeoCapabilities
GeoCapabilities aims to improve the quality of
education and training in Geography by
providing support for dealing with complex
issues in geography.
GeoCapabilities encourages us to think and
reflect on EDUCATIONAL GOALS and the value
of geographical knowledge for attaining human
potential and well-being

3. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
Four Foundations
Capabilities
Powerful Disciplinary Knowledge
Curriculum Making
Leadership

4. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
Capabilities Approach
• acquiring and developing a range of human
‘functionings’ that contribute to autonomy
and potential – in thought and action.
• GeoCapabilities suggests that without the
opportunity to acquire geographical
knowledge and develop the capacity to think
geographically our capability is deprived or
diminished

5. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities questions what sort of
geography:
• develops knowledge that empowers
individuals to identify, select and make
informed, defensible choices about how
to live (for the best) based on citizenship
and sustainability?

6. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities questions what sort of
geography:
• promotes individual autonomy, the
ability to think and reason?
• contributes to understanding self-
potential as a creative and productive
citizen in the context of the global
economy and culture?

7. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities helps you consider:
“What are your educational goals
for students?”

8. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.org
One idea that underpins GeoCapabilities is
the need to understand and value
geographical knowledge as ‘powerful
knowledge’ - or powerful disciplinary
knowledge (PDK) (Lambert, Solem and Tani, 2015).
Powerful Disciplinary Knowledge
Lambert, D., Solem, M. and Tani, S., 2015. Achieving human potential through
geography education: a capabilities approach to curriculum making in schools.
Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 105(4), pp.723-735.

9. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.org
The absence of geographical knowledge in
formal education deprives young people of
some vital perspectives, ultimately
undermining their capabilities as global
citizens

10. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
Powerful Disciplinary Knowledge
• more than the acquisition of ‘facts’
• you develop the means to understand and
interpret the world in ways that are
distinctive (eg scientifically, artistically,
historically and in the case of
GeoCapabilities, geographically).
• studies should support the development of
students to think geographically

11. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
www.geocapabilities.org
What is ‘Geo’ in Capabilities?
• a deep, descriptive ‘world
knowledge’
• a theoretically-informed relational
understanding of people and places

12. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
www.geocapabilities.org
What is ‘Geo’ in Capabilities?
• a propensity and disposition to think
about alternative social, economic
and environmental futures
• a framework for thinking about the
value of geography

13. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
Curriculum Making
• the significance of ‘curriculum’
• its conceptual distinctiveness compared to
‘pedagogy’
• teachers are tasked to produce interesting,
engaging and challenging educational
encounters for students
• need well chosen ‘curriculum artefacts’

14. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
Curriculum Artefacts
• a launchpad to a sequence of thought to
facilitate geographical thinking (Lambert 2012)
• a core artefact identifies an issue, stimulates
curiosity
• supplementary resources, bridge ‘a need to
know’ and ‘making sense through description,
explanation, analysis and interpretation’
Lambert, D. (2012) Thinking Geographically. Geography Association, Sheffield.

15. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.org
What sort of curriculum?
Young M and Lambert D (2014) Knowledge and the Future School, Bloomsbury
Future 1: knowledge that is ‘given’, static, canonical
Future 2: knowledge that is arbitrary, relative,
personalised; gives way to generic skills and
competences
“Knowledge … that allows those with access to
it to question it and the authority on which it is
based and gain the sense of freedom and
excitement that it can offer”
Future 3 Curriculum = powerful pedagogies

16. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities Course

17. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
GeoCapabilities Course Aims
• Enable critical reflection on the teaching of
geography at the level of goals and purposes.
• Develop ideas of disciplinary rigour and link this
effectively with enquiry pedagogies
• Empower in teachers the significance of their role in
‘enacting’ curriculum
• Inspire teachers to take responsibility for ‘curriculum
making’, learn from each other
• Provide examples of curriculum leadership

18. Project partners
Twycross
School
http://www.geocapabilities.orghttp://www.geocapabilities.org
Visions of Geography
GeoCapabilities implies
1. we have a vision of our subject and
2. the pathway to achieve this vision can
be articulated and presented