Ecological science fieldwork and secondary school biology in England: does a more secure future lie in Geography?

Abstract

Fieldwork has always been an important component in the teaching of ecology in England’s secondary schools where it has been delivered almost exclusively as part of the biology curriculum for nearly 70 years. However, historical evidence shows that both the quantity and quality of ecology fieldwork has been declining in recent decades at a time when the scope, complexity and interdisciplinarity of ecological science has been growing. This paper presents evidence of a continuing decline in ecology fieldwork over the past 15 years, discusses some possible causes and reviews solutions to reverse the trend. In particular, it argues that teaching scientific ecology through geography fieldwork could overcome several of the fundamental obstacles encountered in biology education. Trends in biology and geography fieldwork are compared. These show that the risks to ecology in forging a strong relationship, and increased dependency, with geography teaching are likely to be outweighed by reciprocal benefits.

Keywords:

• Field studies
• field trips
• outdoor education
• secondary school curriculum
• biology
• science
• geography

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Courses and exams usually taken during the end of secondary school education in England by students aged 17-18 years. A Levels are required for entry to most universities.

2 GCSE courses and exams are usually taken by students aged 15–16 years, and usually precede entry to A levels if students choose to enter post-16 education.

3 The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) is the government’s statutory inspector of all state schools in England. All Ofsted school reports are published and open to public scrutiny.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephen Tilling

Stephen Tilling is an Honorary Senior Research Associate in the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at UCL Institute of Education. Previously, he was Director of Communications in the Field Studies Council, UK. His research interests include the role and status of ecological fieldwork in UK schools and universities.