The World According to Geography Textbooks: Interpretations of the English National Curriculum

Abstract

This article examines how the English Geography National Curriculum promotes the knowledge and understanding of places, and how its changing requirements have been reflected by geography textbooks. It investigates how textbooks teach the location of places, and how they select the places that pupils will study. Analysis of Geography National Curriculum textbooks reveals that it has had a powerful influence on their construction of place; however, notable differences between individual textbooks suggest that authors' decisions also play an important role. For example, there are significant variations in authors' use of maps, and deployment of material based on real places. The distribution of places in the textbooks suggests that pupils will have a particular experience of the world, and are likely to study a very limited range of countries in depth. This development of a narrow range of 'authorised' countries indicates that authors and publishers are very influential in mediating National Curriculum policy.