Students' perceptions of Geography at Key Stage 3 and implications for options at GCSE a case study in a rural village college Katie Niven Masters at the University of Cambridge Bottisham Village College, Cambridgeshire GA Conference April 2012

Literature review research focus Childrens perceptions of Geography Perceptions of skills/ usefulness of Geography How do perceptions influence GCSE options choices

Research question 1. How do students report enjoyment of Geography within this school? 2. What do students perceive the usefulness of Geography to be? 3. What factors affect students choices to study GCSE Geography? 4. How useful is finding out about student subject perception to understanding options choices?

1. How do students report enjoyment of Geography within this school? Shows student responses to question 8 in the questionnaire which subjects do you enjoy? (

2. What do students perceive the usefulness of Geography to be? Students responses to the questionnaire, question 16 what sort of jobs do you think Geography would be useful for?

3. What factors affect students choices to study GCSE Geography?

Factors affecting Geography options Enjoyment Perceived usefulness Current levels of attainment People

Influences on student subject choice at age 14 (taken from Figure 2, Weeden, 2007, p68).

4. How useful is finding out about student subject perception to understanding options choices? Geography department findings have had implications for future practice Wider issues with research into perceptions being valued by students and staff Barriers such as timetabling still being fundamental, Overall the findings have been useful particularly for the Geography department but the influences of larger issues are constraining for example timetables, subject numbers.

Implications Redesigning assessment tasks so that students have more autonomy over how they present and do their work around a central title Increasing more practical lessons into Geography The need to equip students with more knowledge about the value/usefulness of subjects, Geography Should we be encouraging students to take subjects they enjoy or the most useful to them?

Ideas for future research What will the impact of the International Baccalaureate have on Geography and other options subjects? Comparing students perceptions of History Implications of Academy Status on the curriculum Dissemination of findings at a whole school level, working with MFL on similar research

Main References: Adey, K. and Biddulph, M. (2001). The influence of pupil perception on subject choice at 14+ in Geography and History. Educational Studies, 27(4), Hopwood, N. (2004). Research design and methods of data collection and analysis: researching students conceptions in a multiple-method case study, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 28(2), 347–353. Hopwood, N. (2005) Pupils conceptions of Geography: towards an improved understanding, International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 13(4), 348–361. Hopwood, N., Courtley-Green, C. & Chambers, T. (2005) Y9 students conceptions of Geography, Teaching Geography, 30(2), 91–93 Weeden, P. (2007) Students perceptions of Geography: Decisions making at age 14, Geography, 92, 62-73

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