Australian Geography Teachers Association Perspectives on Teaching, Curriculum and Geospatial Technologies in School Geography
The contents of Geographical Education Volume 35, 2022 include
- Editorial: Teacher Knowledge: Perspectives on Teaching, Curriculum and Geospatial Technologies in School Geography — Dr Jeana Kriewaldt
- A Critique of Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum: Geography for Primary Schools — Alaric Maude
- Positioning Geospatial: Classroom Benefits and Theoretical Implementation — Mick Law
- Know the Subject and How to Teach It: Using the GEOGstandards to Develop Pedagogical Practice Amongst Pre-Service Geography Teachers Before and During Professional Experience — Dr Susan Caldis, Michael Cavanagh & Professor Mary Ryan
- Tracking the Extent of Out-of-field Teaching of Geography: Issues and Implications for Advancing School Geography — Dr Jeana Kriewaldt & Shu Jun Lee
- Obituary: Donald Sidney Biddle, 12 March 1923–21 January 2022 — Nick Hutchinson
- Book Reviews
>> Download individual articles
AGTA Conference 2024
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The next AGTA Conference will be held in Darwin from 2 to 4 October 2024.
Planning is well underway for what is certain to be an outstanding professional learning event all geography teachers will not want to miss.
Save the date now!
AGTA Conference 2022
Workshop presentations at the AGTA Conference 2022 held in in Hobart are avaIable here.
Sincere thanks to the organisers, keynote speakers, workshop presenters and fieldwork leaders.
All enquiries should be sent by email to AGTA2021@gmail.com.
Geographia December 2022
The December 2022 issue of AGTA's Geographia is now available. Contents include
- From the Editor
- So, ChatGPT – tell me why geography education is more important than ever?
- AGTA Conference 2022
- Conference Sponsors
- AGTA National Conference 2024
- Morocco are the first-ever African semifinalists
- Dumbed-down curriculum
- How well does the new Australian Curriculum prepare young people for climate change?
- Affiliates Reports: NT • NSW/ACT • QLD • SA • TAS • VIC • WA
Australian Geography Competition
>> Entires are now open and will close on Friday 17 March 2023
In 2023, the Competition will be held online within schools, from Wednesday 10 May to Wednesday 24 May. The Competition consists of mainly multiple-choice questions testing geographical knowledge and skills. All participants receive results and certificates (top 1% in Australia, high distinction, distinction, credit or participation). Students will be graded at school Year levels – Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, and Year 12. Outstanding students at each Year level win prizes which include books and special certificates, and medals for first in Australia.
Australia Day Honours: Emeritus Professor Richard Howitt
Emeritus Professor Richard Howitt, will become a member of the Order of Australia for services to education and Indigenous affairs. Richie has been a major force in Australian Geography. After a career as a Primary teacher, Richie had a distinguished academic career at Sydney’s Macquarie University. Congratulations Richie!
>> See the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for photograph and associated article published on Australia Day 2023.
AGTA Careers website launched
AGTA is delighted to announce that its Careers website Go with Geo is now live. The Careers website provides information on career pathways, geography resources, study and news.
Career pathways includes environmental and economic change, natural hazards, human wellbeing, urban places, regional and rural Australia, coastal and marine environments, Asia-Pacific region and university courses.
Geography resources includes geographer profiles, video resources, digibook, presentations, handouts, posters andcareer brochures.
Study of geography provides students, and their parents/caregivers, with an overview of what is studied in Years 7-12.
News provides notice of upcoming events and initiatives.
Integrating Maps Effectively Into Geography Lessons
AGTA is proud to present this professional learning experience so that you can further your capacity to utilise maps in your lessons, and develop spatial literacy in your students. The Australian Curriculum: Geography suggests that teachers across all year levels show students how maps can help them understand the world.
Teachers in all states and territories can benefit from the materials and sharing activities in this course to build ideas for integrating maps and map skills in a multitude of ways.
This professional development course has been created by highly experienced school teachers and spatial literacy experts Dr Paul Batten and Katerina Stojanovski.
>> Further details
>> Enquiries and help
>> Join the course now
Note: Members of AGTA State and Territory associations should email agta.elearning@gmail.com to obtain the discount code to receive the $99.00 price for the course.
National Summit on Teaching Out-of-field (TOOF)
The National Summit on Teaching Out-of-field (TOOF) was attended by academics, school leaders, classroom teachers across various career stages, representatives from curriculum authorities, and representatives from professional associations. The Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA) was represented by Trish Douglas (Immediate Past Chair) and Dr Susan Caldis, (Chair).
The report titled Australian National Summit on Teaching Out-of-Field: Synthesis and Recommendations for Policy, Practice and Research is one outcome of the national summit. There are two parts to the report. Part A synthesises contributions to the Summit into key messages, actions and recommendations across five themes. Part B provides summaries of the presentations.
In response to contributions from Trish Douglas and Dr Susan Caldis, the complexities associated with out-of-field teaching in Geography are specifically explored and addressed within Theme 2 School Management and Leadership, Theme 3 Initial Teacher Education, and Theme 5, Teacher Professional Learning. A total of 22 Actions and 46 Recommendations to inform policy, practice and research have been further distilled to five Key Messages, namely definition, measurement, strategy, policy and collaboration.
Report downloads
>> Executive summary
>> Report: Part A
>> Presentation Summaries: Part B
>> Actions and recommendations
Geography: Shaping Australia’s Future
Geography: Shaping Australia’s future was prepared by the National Committee for Geographical Sciences and presents the state of play of geography as a discipline in Australia. It provides a unified vision for Australian geography over the next decade.
The plan offers a framework for engaging research, teaching and industry that aligns strategically with contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges of our region.
A key recommendation of the decadal plan is "... that the Australian governments at all levels better understand how geography as a discipline enhances complex, multi-sectoral policy decisions by integrating knowledge across natural and built environments, society and the humanities through its unique perspectives of space, place and the environment."
>> Download decadal plan summary :: Download the decadal plan
News, resources and support from member associations
Other resources
Evidence for learning and feedback resources
Effective feedback practice is shown to increase student progress by as much as an extra eight months over a year. AITSL in partnership with Evidence for Learning have developed new materials to support teachers and school leaders to enhance feedback practices with students in their context.
The resources draw upon global evidence and research-based approaches, including from AITSL’s own Board Chair and world-renowned education researcher, Professor John Hattie.
The suite of materials is free to access from the AITSL website and includes the following:
- A spotlight research summary – Reframing feedback to improve teaching and learning – to describe the underpinning research on effective feedback.
- Written and video case studies that profile effective implementation of feedback within Australian schools.
- Implementation resources, such as a readiness check, planning overview and an introductory presentation, to help schools introduce an effective feedback strategy.
Mapping out the world
"We need to give young people the opportunity to form images of the world, of the interactions between people and places that are accurate, realistic and empowering. The next generation will make their own world. We need to give them the power to do it well. Having a substantial and really engaging geography experience as part of schooling is absolutely essential if this is going to happen."
CARE’s Global Poverty: Teacher’s Toolkit
CARE Australia has developed a website which provides teachers with resources on a range of issues related to poverty and inequality. Topics include global poverty, education, health, women's empowerment, water and hygiene, food and nutrition, climate change and responding to emergencies.
The Australian Geography Teachers Association is a member of Australian Alliance of Associations in Education