Subject knowledge for good geography teaching

All teachers must:

‘• have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain students’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings’
• demonstrate a critical understanding of developments in the subject and curriculum areas, and promote the value of scholarship.’
Teachers’ Standards, DfE, 2012

Topics on this page:

Subject matter is important

Teaching requires content. Students must be taught about something. Therefore the subject matter is crucial and a teacher’s subject knowledge is particularly important to teach good geography lessons.

To teach effectively, a teacher must have strong subject knowledge. If their understanding of geography is limited, their teaching will lack depth and breadth, and their communication of geographical facts, principles, and ideas may be incomplete or inaccurate. They may struggle to respond to students’ questions or address difficulties they meet. In such cases, the curriculum experienced by learners will be restricted and lack clear direction, making it more likely to be perceived as dull, uninspiring, or even irrelevant.

Influential educationalists stress the importance of teachers’ subject knowledge (see Classroom practice in geography). Professor Robert Coe et al.(2014) in What makes great teaching? wrote:

‘The most effective teachers have deep knowledge of the subjects they teach, and when teachers’ knowledge falls below a certain level it is a significant impediment to students’ learning. As well as a strong understanding of the material being taught, teachers must also understand the ways students think about the content, be able to evaluate the thinking behind students’ own methods, and identify students’ common misconceptions.’(p. 2)

Like Coe’s work, Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction recognised the importance of excellent subject knowledge. One of the defining characteristics of effective teaching he identified was the ability to provide detailed explanations of the material they were teaching. This requires secure understanding of the subject.

Forms of subject knowledge

In the opening quote to this page, the DfE sets out the subject knowledge requirements in the Teaching Standards. These cover two distinct aspects of subject knowledge, which are usually described as:

Subject content knowledge: which includes both disciplinary and substantive knowledge.
Subject knowledge for teaching or pedagogic content knowledge (PCK): the knowledge of how to teach geography.

Subject knowledge consists of both disciplinary knowledge and substantive knowledge. Disciplinary geographical knowledge includes the big concepts and conceptual frameworks that are essential to the subject, as well as a geographer’s methods, ways of thinking and approaches to working.

Substantive knowledge refers to specific content knowledge of the world around us. It includes the key factual information, concepts, vocabulary, skills and topics that make up geographical content.

Subject knowledge both disciplinary and substantive knowledge. Disciplinary geographical knowledge encompasses the key concepts and conceptual frameworks essential to the subject, as well as a geographer’s methods, ways of thinking, and approaches to working.

Substantive knowledge refers to specific content knowledge about the world around us. It includes key factual information, concepts, vocabulary, skills, and topics that form the foundation of geographical content.

Find out more about disciplinary and substantive knowledge in the context of the school geography curriculum in What is geographical subject knowledge.

A teacher without a good disciplinary understanding of geography will not be able to plan and organise their subject curriculum around appropriate geographical concepts, issues or questions. They may also find it difficult to translate subject knowledge into effective pedagogical practice.

Pedagogic content knowledge (PCK)

This is very wide ranging. It includes:

understanding how learners make progress in geography and their common misunderstandings
understanding what makes specific geographical concepts easy or difficult to learn
being aware of the preconceptions that students of different ages and backgrounds bring with them to their geographical learning
developing expertise in geography curricular knowledge, such as the way geography material is ordered, structured and assessed to support learning
understanding and developing expertise in teaching strategies specific to geography, such as geographical enquiry, fieldwork and teaching map skills
knowing the most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations and demonstrations, i.e. how to represent the subject so that it is comprehensible to their students
understanding how to assess whether geographical learning has been achieved.

It is important to understand the breadth of knowledge and understanding that is required to be a successful geography teacher. Pedagogic content knowledge is about turning geography subject knowledge into meaningful and appropriate learning activities. Teachers need both subject knowledge and PCK, as well as an understanding of how students learn.

Rawlings Smith and Kitchen (2025) discuss this further, drawing on the teacher knowledge domains developed by Shulman (1987). They remind us that teaching is inherently complex, and that new teachers of geography need time to develop both their knowledge base and classroom expertise. The authors also highlight the notion of horizon content knowledge (HCK), which refers to an awareness of how geographical topics connect across the curriculum. They argue that while non-specialists may be able to pick up specialised content knowledge relatively quickly, developing horizon content knowledge is much more challenging.

See the Teaching Geography article by Rawlings Smith and Kitchen (2025) and study Figure 1, which sets out the domains defined by Shulman.

The students must not be left out when considering ‘pedagogy’. Roberts (2024) emphasises that the term is broader than definitions which emphasise what teachers do. She believes ‘It also includes what students do and social interaction between teachers and learners and between students themselves.’

In your everyday teaching you will learn how the subject and pedagogy intersect and inform each other as the subject content is adapted and re-presented for teaching.

Geography teachers bring together both of these forms of subject knowledge, alongside students’ own experiences, through a creative process that the GA describes as ‘Curriculum making‘.

Read Biddulph et al (2021) chapter 3 about Pedagogy.

There are no short cuts for acquiring pedagogical content knowledge. Initially you will learn from mentors and tutors and by observing experienced geography practitioners. Over time you will develop greater awareness through discussions with expert teachers, reading widely and reflecting on your own and others’ practice.

You will also acquire a professional language for discussing geography teaching and you might find it helpful to refer to this glossary for some of the professional terminology related to the geography curriculum and pedagogy.

Is having a geography degree enough?

Knowing geography and having a geography degree is not enough on its own to become a geography teacher. Your degree may be quite outdated if you have spent time in another career before deciding or it may be highly specialised.

Most initial teacher training courses start by asking you to audit your geography learning and you may find that you have to re-engage with learning new developments, new material and new topics that are part of the school curriculum.

Having a degree is no guarantee that you know what to teach, to whom, in what sequence and by which methods. The challenge facing a new geography teacher is to take their geographical knowledge and present it to students so they can make sense of it and learn to think geographically.

This is what you will learn through your initial training and develop further during your induction. You will find that there is a lot of work to do transforming the subject matter you know into a form that is accessible and stimulating to young people.

Read Lambert (2011) Think Piece –The educational potential of geography.

Lambert argues that, ‘Even recent graduates have a lot of work to do transforming the subject matter into a form that is accessible and stimulating to young people.’ He discusses the ‘scholarship of teaching’ because it is an intellectual activity as much as it is practical.

He also explains that a teacher is required to know what it is about their subject that is easier or more difficult to learn and how to make it accessible. He introduces a further idea which he describes as synoptic capacity. This is about helping learners to make the links within a subject and see the ‘big picture’.

What subject content knowledge do I need?

Start by using a geography subject audit (use the one provided for your training, or this example). This is a starting point for establishing the substantive content you will need to know and gives you the ‘headlines’ of topics that you need to know about.

Regularly revisit this audit throughout your training to record how well your subject knowledge is developing in the age range you are preparing to teach. If you are aware of any shortcomings, or they are pointed out to you, you are responsible for taking steps to improve these areas through self-study before you teach that topic to your classes.

You need to know the depth and breadth of knowledge required, as it were what comes below the headlines. Without this understanding you cannot identify the key concepts to teach, plan sequential learning for lessons or select case studies and examples to use. Talking with experienced geography teachers about the content of geographical topics is the best way for you to gauge the level of knowledge you require.

Enser (2025) describes how he would apply his subject knowledge about rivers to teach a lesson on how a river changes from source to mouth:

‘I have the knowledge of how a river changes and, just as importantly, I know how to explain it. I have examples I can call on to demonstrate why a river gets wider and why meanders are commonly found in the middle course. I know to draw on examples of being a passenger in a car and being thrown to one side as the car goes around the corner to illustrate what happens to the river’s energy as the water flows around a bend.

I can also predict likely misconceptions that students will have. I know that some students will think that rivers start at the sea, and others will believe that rivers have a faster velocity near the source. I can predict the questions that students are likely to have in this lesson and so be ready with an answer.

They might ask about what happens to rainwater that soaks into the ground before it reaches the river, or they might wonder what happens if people dam the river. That’s fine. I can adapt and explain that.
Perhaps most importantly, I know why I am teaching this lesson. I understand that the goal is for students to understand the processes that shape the land and to understand how these processes act in different ways in different parts of the river.’

Geographical knowledge is not static. A geography teacher will always be learning new subject knowledge throughout their career. Don’t panic if you identify shortcomings in your subject knowledge, but methodically take steps to improve it and keep abreast of current developments and ideas in the subject.

The webpage What geography subject knowledge do I need to train as a teacher? gives suggestions to follow before your training starts.

If you are teaching post-16, refer to Rawlings Smith (2017). She points out that, ‘Many of the challenges of teaching post-16 geography, particularly for new teachers, stem from a lack of detailed knowledge of human and physical geography’ and sets out some suggestions in Figure 12 on page 274 for activities you can engage in that will refresh and develop your own subject knowledge.

How to improve and develop subject content knowledge

Be proactive in developing your subject knowledge; it is part of the ongoing professional responsibility of being a teacher. Do an honest self-audit, but do not panic if you identify some gaps; methodically take steps to improve. Draw on the experience of your geography departmental colleagues, especially for guidance on identifying the key concepts in a topic and students’ common misconceptions and confusions.

Take opportunities to discuss with them the geographical content you are teaching and ask where they source new material and how they keep up-to-date with new information and curriculum ideas. You will also have subject knowledge to pass on, perhaps from a specialism you studied at university. You can all learn from each other’s strengths.

The Geographical Association (GA) runs a Subject Knowledge Scholar Programme for those who want to embark on a geography PGCE (or similar) but who do not have a first degree in the subject. This is an eight-week online course with support from an expert GA tutor. Participants also benefit from three years membership of the GA, a free place on GA courses and the GA conference and over £250 worth of resources. Find out more about the GA Subject Knowledge Scholar Programme here. Read about the experiences of the first cohort in this download.
Outside of school there may be opportunities for you to attend some subject-specific CPD training sessions. Some schools work as part of a geography hub and pool resources for INSET of this type. You should also look for other opportunities such as CPD courses run by the GA, the PTI and examination awarding bodies, and the GA Conference. In addition, you should continue to read journal articles in Geography and Teaching Geography. Look at Time for geography (knowledge booster videos).

Refer to Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) for geography teachers for detailed guidance in how to develop, enhance and extend your subject knowledge.

Maintaining and developing disciplinary knowledge

As well as ensuring that your substantive subject knowledge is up to speed, you should try hard to stay on top of your subject knowledge throughout your career and to keep abreast of developments in academic geography in universities so you can draw from these aspects to enrich your geography teaching. A good example of how to do this is in an article about ‘place’ by Liz Taylor.

Read Taylor (2005).

Reflect on this article and consider how you could emulate what she recommends:

‘engagement with ideas at this level is empowering; the process of reading geography, thinking about it, selecting what is useful and using it to create stimulating geographical learning activities is the real stuff of professionals – geography teachers who are in touch with changes in their subject and have the confidence to create a varied and relevant curriculum for their students.’

While Liz Taylor was writing from the perspective of a geography educator working in a university, Grace Healy writes as a practising geography teacher who recognises the importance of keeping up-to-date with geography disciplinary practice. She writes:

‘As a geography teacher I know that I need to be prepared to engage with how disciplinary practices work and ensure I teach with attentiveness to the nature of geographical knowledge, so that my students can fully appreciate that geographical knowledge is not something given, but is a product of scholarly research and critique. Without this disciplinary dimension, I fear we have immediately diminished the power of geography education for all our students. This also about the intellectual endeavour – as a geographer and geography teacher, I want to remain engaged with the disciplinary resource of geography. I do not want to merely be guided by exam board specifications.’

Read Healy (2018).

You should recognise the importance of attending conferences, reading books and articles about geography and make an effort to set time aside regularly to do this.

Activities to develop your subject knowledge when in school

From the Geography National Curriculum and the KS3 curriculum in your school, list any topics of which you are unsure. Discuss these with your geography mentor and ask for guidance on reading to bring your subject knowledge up to scratch.
Look at GCSE/A level specifications and exam papers. Identify any topics in which your subject knowledge is weak or dubious. Write a model answer to an examination question. Ask your geography mentor to mark your answer.
Plan a sequence of lessons in a geography topic in which you lack confidence. Focus on developing your knowledge and understanding to do this. Ask your geography mentor to let you teach the lessons if they approve of your plans.
Co-plan or co-teach a lesson with your mentor to help develop subject knowledge and curriculum understanding.
Research for and develop resources for the department in an area in which your subject knowledge is weak.
Identify a topic that you are unsure about in geography. Research it and then teach this to other geography trainees/geography colleagues.
Attend geography meetings and conferences about topics you want to know more about.

The Teachers’ Standards require you to demonstrate that you are fully aware of the need to extend and update subject, curriculum and pedagogical knowledge and know how to employ appropriate professional development strategies to further develop these in your early career.

X (formerly Twitter) can be useful for keeping up-to-date with current events that impinge on geography. Start with @GA and @RGS_IBG and build up contacts to follow.

Read Biddulph et al (2021) 283.
Read Enser (2018), who gives sage advice to new teachers about developing their subject knowledge. He recommends planning in time for it in your schedule, joining a subject association and looking for a wider community to join.

For resources to develop, enhance and extend your subject knowledge see Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) for geography teachers.

Sources for developing subject knowledge

Not in AT’s amends list – if page amended again & not needed delete this.

The GA’s Learning to Teach Geography web materials provide many references to read on all aspects of geography subject content and geography teaching. Revisit the webpages frequently and follow up the recommended reading to develop your knowledge.
The GA’s Subject Knowledge Scholar Programme.
The GA’s Secondary Geography Handbook, especially the chapters where you know that you need to improve your subject knowledge.
The GA website and publications, including journals. There is a growing collection of videos that provide short subject updates in the Teaching Resources section. Browse the GA catalogue for professional development support or look for specific topics in the on-line shop. Geography Education Online has been recently launched to support KS4/5 students; explore the live events tab.
The Royal Geographical Society Resources for Schools web pages cover a wide range of topics including cartographic, statistical and mathematical skills.
The Royal Metrological Society’s MetLink website provides support for teachers who are less confident teaching weather and climate. There is also free access to the online CPD MOOC ‘Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather’.
Time for geography contains a range of open-access geography educational videos including ‘knowledge boosters’ covering a wide range of topics and is particularly strong for physical geography.
Refer to Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) for geography teaching for more resources.

Making the most of your subject knowledge

Do not focus solely on gaps in your knowledge. Remember that you bring considerable geographical expertise from your geographical education and experiences and from places you know and have visited. Acknowledge how your lived experience of the world has shaped your personal and professional geographies.

Do not ignore these experiences in your teaching. Explore them with the young people you teach. The best lessons often result from teachers’ own personal experiences and areas of expertise.

Clare Brooks (2009) highlights the challenge geography teachers face in translating their academic subject knowledge into content that students can understand. She uses the analogy of a bridge to visualise this process: one side represents what is to be learned while the other side represents what the student already knows.

In her research she observed teachers using three strategies to build these bridges: making connections with other geographical knowledge or experiences

tuning in to the students’ personal geographies
using their own geographical experiences as an example or a story.

Observing the use of subject knowledge

As you observe geography lessons, look at the different ways teachers ‘bridge’ their geographical knowledge to help their students to understand. Can you find examples of the three ways Brooks identified from her research? Also look for:

metaphors or analogies to help explain new geographical ideas or concepts
questions that help students to make the ‘bridge’ between prior and new knowledge
encouragement for students to consider a topic from different perspectives or viewpoints
frameworks to support analysis, such as when examining a photograph
analogies, such as using a balloon for showing differences in air pressure.

One of the skills you will have developed through your study of geography in higher education is your ‘synoptic capacity’ – the ability to synthesize different strands of knowledge to create coherence and meaning. This skill enables you to connect the known with the unknown, providing deeper insight into places and geographical processes.

As a geography teacher you know how to think geographically. You will be drawing on your synoptic skills to plan lessons and the curriculum for your students. You will also need to consider how to develop your students’ own synoptic capacity as geographers.

As you will be aware from your geography degree, there is a plurality of geographies in academic study and a broad range of traditions on thinking geographically. These different geographies are not always easy to reconcile with geography, as expressed in the National Curriculum and taught in secondary schools. This is discussed by Firth and Biddulph (2008) in their paper on Fantastic Geographies.

You should explore these ideas as an ECT and draw on your academic study as well as your own passion and enthusiasm for geography as you teach your lessons. Look at the idea for ‘Fantastic Geographies’ in Good geography teaching.

As an Early Career Teacher (ECT), you should explore these ideas further and draw on your academic study alongside your own passion and enthusiasm for geography as you teach your lessons.

Look at the idea for ‘Fantastic Geographies’ in Good geography teaching.
Try completing Task 1.3 Fantastic geographies in Biddulph et al (2021) pp. 18.

Reading

Biddulph, M., Lambert, D. and Balderstone, D. (2021) Learning to Teach Geography in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience, 4th edition. Abingdon: Routledge.
Brooks, C. (2006) Geographical Knowledge and Teaching Geography, Institute of Education, University of London.
Brooks, C. (2009) ‘Teaching living geography – making a geography curriculum’ in Mitchell, D. (ed.) Living Geography: Exciting futures for teachers and students. London: Chris Kington Publishing.
Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S. and Major, L. (2014) What makes great teaching? Review of the Underpinning Research. London: Sutton Trust.
Creaby, C. (2018) ‘Stop, collaborate and listen: How collaboration, both in and out of school, has scope to make you a better teacher’, The Profession. Chartered College of Teaching, June.
Enser, M. (2019) Making every geography lesson count, Carmarthen: Crown House Publishing.
Enser, M. (2018) ‘Maintaining your subject knowledge’, Impact. Chartered College of Teaching, June.
Enser, M (2025) Teaching outside of your subject is hard. But does it have to be? TES Magazine 3 March.
Firth, R. and Biddulph, M. (2008) Think Piece – Fantastic geographies: Geography teaching and the issue of knowledge, Geographical Association.
Healy, G. (2018) Taking (geography) curriculum seriously – subject specialists, subject communities and sustaining subject expertise. Blog post September 16.
Lambert, D. (2011) Think Piece –The educational potential of geography. Geographical Association.
Rawlings Smith, E. (2017) ‘Post-16 geography’ in Jones, M. (ed) The Handbook of Secondary Geography. Sheffield: Geographical Association, chapter 19.
Rawlings Smith, E. and Kitchen, R. (2025) ‘Making the case for high-quality, subject-specific professional learning’, Teaching Geography, Summer.
Roberts, M. (2023). Powerful pedagogies for the school geography curriculum. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 32(1).
Rosenshine, B. (2012) ‘Principles of Instruction: Research-based strategies that all teachers should know’, American Educator, 36(1), 12–20.
Taylor, L. (2005) ‘Place: an exploration’, Teaching Geography, Spring.
Tom, H. (2018) ‘“What’s a Saguaro cactus?” Why subject knowledge matters’, Team Geography. February 28 2018. Available at: (Accessed: 03.04.21).