What is ‘geography’?

In the introduction to The Handbook of Secondary Geography, Mark Jones writes: ‘If we are to consider more critically the complexities of what, and how, to teach geography we must engage with the very purpose of geography’.

A geography tutor who runs a PGCE geography course recounts that when he asks prospective geography teachers to define the discipline they are applying to teach, a surprisingly common answer is ‘geography is everything’. 

What answer would you give to this question: What is geography? Were you asked this question at interview? What answer did you give? You should have a convincing answer to this question if you are going to be a good teacher of the subject, so clarify your thoughts now. This page suggests some readings that should stimulate your thought processes.

But first, let’s consider what students do in school when they study geography, the ‘world subject’. In geography lessons, students learn how to observe, describe and seek explanations for why the world around us is as it is. They study the earth’s surface, which includes the landforms, landscapes, settlements and the peoples that live on it. They study the interactions and connections between these that affect our lives.  

Geography studies include diverse topics that range across the physical and human worlds. It is a unique subject that bridges the social and natural sciences. Geography helps students to think more intelligently about complicated and unresolved issues: global warming, international population movements, natural hazards, food security or where to build new homes. It positively encourages them to imagine possible futures. 

Ways of finding out are as important to geography as what is being studied. The subject is concerned with making sense of the world first hand, or ‘in the field’. Geographical thinking is distinctive and in geography students study real problems and are put in decision making roles. They use data, examine preferences and prejudices, argue value positions, draw and communicate conclusions: i.e. they undertake geographical enquiries. 

A very special aspect of geography is that it studies both the physical and human worlds. Gill Miller (2020) explains: ‘What makes geography special is its holistic nature. We are the only discipline to draw together all these perspectives into a coherent understanding of people and environment, Earth and society, at local, regional, national and global scales. Uniquely, geography combines depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding with analytical and practical skills.’

But back to the question ‘What is geography?’.