Abstract
Debates concerning how to engage students with economic geography have ignored the important role of field teaching. This paper argues that fieldwork must remain a key component of economic geographical teaching and that it offers a variety of advantages to overcoming student disinterest in the sub-discipline. It goes on to argue that field teaching must be developed, not neglected, in economic geography and illustrates its pedagogical advantages with reference to the example of a field class in north-east England.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to acknowledge and thank Martin Frost for his comments on the discussion in this paper and his central role in the conception and teaching of the UK north-east field course. Thanks are also offered to Henry Yeung and Neil Coe and all the contributors to the session in Denver in 2005 and to the anonymous referees who commented on the draft paper.