Geography, global learning, and ‘British values’

A perspective from the Geographical Association and the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Ofsted guidance relates the promotion of ‘British values’ in English schools to students’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development (SMSC), so that pupils can ‘participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain’ (Ofsted, 2015, p.36).

Geography and global learning have a contribution to make in the following areas:

  • developing knowledge and understanding of, and mutual respect and tolerance for, their own and other cultures in a range of places; for example by developing knowledge of diverse places and people, and understanding the geographical processes leading to change
  • investigating and understanding geographical processes that affect and inter-connect the lives of those in the community, locality and wider world
  • developing capabilities in enquiry and geographical thought; including considering different views about geographical patterns, processes and concerns, learning to argue, defend a point of view and participate in discussions and decision-making on the basis of sound evidence and understanding
  • values such as tolerance, mutual respect, liberty and responsibility are also international values, illuminated by developing global knowledge and understanding, and Britain’s engagement with the wider world has also helped shape and reaffirm our own values. Global learning helps pupils consider the place of Britain and ‘Britishness’ within international and global contexts, including the idea of multiple identities.

These areas of work all provide specific engagement with key aspects of geography and global learning particularly through gaining knowledge and understanding of developing countries, interdependence and globalisation, alongside enquiry and critical thinking.

In addition, geographers engaged in global learning might consider the extent to which ‘British’ values are also founded in international traditions (and illuminated by international understanding), and how Britain’s engagement with the wider world has also helped shape and reaffirm our values. Moreover professional experience in geography education favours values exploration as the preferred approach to geographical issues, rather than values inculcation.

Enquiry, controversial issues and values education
Many current world issues, for example, globalisation, interdependence, solutions to global poverty, and inequality and sustainable development have important geographical dimensions, and exploring them contributes to students’ geographical understanding. Many of these issues may be seen to be controversial because they can often be interpreted in different ways, sometimes contain moral or ethical considerations, and are subject to different opinions about what might or should be done.[i]

However, recognising that such areas of work are contested presents the opportunity to explore a wide range of values and perspectives. This should be explored in a way thatprotects against bias, particularly by teaching students to develop and apply the ability to think more critically on the basis of evidence and sound understanding. Key considerations include the following:

  • The view that values are best explored and understood in the context of developing knowledge and applied skills such as enquiry and critical thinking; moreover such a balanced approach is more likely to achieve understanding of complex issues than one led by values. In this respect there is the need to link investigative skills and pedagogy with developing geographical understanding and thinking, and such ‘geographical enquiry’ is considered by many geographers to be of fundamental significance in teaching and learning (see Roberts, 2013).
  • To make sense of controversial issues teachers and learners need to make value judgements;[ii] however recognising that these issues are inherently value-laden, and teaching them in a professionally careful way helps ensure the focus is educational, and guards against any risk of bias or values inculcation (Mitchell, 2013). There is a need to create opportunities for pupils to consider a range of perspectives and develop the ability to think critically, consider different points of view and explore different ideas.
  • Geographical enquiry focused on investigating and evaluating different types of evidence, is particularly valuable within global learning when the content matter can be rapidly changing, challenging or open to controversy.

In relation to values education, Fien and Slater (1981) provide the following analysis that distinguishes between:

  • values analysis (helping students assess evidence and identify different viewpoints)
  • moral reasoning (helping students consider the reasons for particular views)
  • values clarification (helping students become aware of their own values), and
  • action learning (having a set of reasons on which students might choose to take action).

Resources and support:
Examples of support for values development and SMSC through geography and global learning include the following:

  • Key Stage 2 geography resource: Just bananas (development and developing countries, interdependence and globalisation, and enquiry and critical thinking).
  • Key Stage 2/3 geography resource: ebola – a development crisis (interdependence and globalisation, enquiry and critical thinking):
  • Key Stage 3 geography-citizenship resource: Global linking - the global village
  • The following interview with geographer Dr Mary Gilmartin provides a background to the issues underpinning discussions about geography and citizenship: Citizenship and geography
  • This case study explores the issues of corruption and its international impact on development: Measuring international corruption.

Further support from the GA and RGS-IBG

  • The Primary and Secondary Geography Quality Marks use Ofsted criteria to help you identify evidence for SMSC, and also link closely with the GLP-E Whole School Audit.
  • The GA website has more detailed guidance on British values and geography.
  • The RGS-IBG website has a range of resources to supportexploring geography, citizenship and values.

References
Mitchell, D. (2013) ‘How do we deal with controversial issues in a “relevant” school geography’.In Lambert, D. and Jones, M. (eds.) Debates in Geography Education, London: Routledge.

Ofsted (2015) School Inspection Handbook, January 2015. Online. 20 January 2015).

Roberts, M. (2013) Geography through Enquiry, Sheffield: The Geographical Association.

[i] Roberts, M. (2013) Geography through Enquiry, Sheffield: The Geographical Association

[ii] Mitchell, D. (2013) ’How do we deal with controversial issues in a “relevant” school geography.’In Lambert, D. and Jones, M. (eds.) Debates in Geography Education, London: Routledge