Lawrence Collins & Tim Bayliss
In the context of geographical fieldwork
 Improved decision making
 Clear rationale of the need for fieldwork
 Confident understanding of the benefits of
fieldwork within a department and across a
whole school
 Ability to coherently argue for the place of
fieldwork in the school curriculum
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Fieldwork is the gathering of information
about something in a real, natural
environment, rather than in a place of study
such as a laboratory or classroom (English
Collins Dictionary)
Practical work conducted by a researcher in the
field (Compact Oxford English Dictionary)
Work done or firsthand observations made in
the field as opposed to that done or observed in
a controlled environment
(TheFreeDictionary.com)
Geography is all about the interaction of people and places.
Fieldwork is central in helping us to explain this relationship and
understand more fully the environment in which we live.
Furthermore, fieldwork
 provides primary data for the core activity of coursework
and/or controlled assessments
 reinforces classroom teaching and learning
 promotes extended and open-ended writing
 encourages social skills (for example, group-work and
responsibility)
 affords practice of map work and drawing
 assists spatial reasoning and sense of place
 …is fun!
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Geography in schools is not doing enough to
help children develop a picture of climate
change, learn to lead sustainable lives and find
their feet as global citizens of the 21st century
(Geography in schools – changing practice,
Ofsted)
Geography is at a crucial period in its
development. More needs to be done to make the
subject relevant and more engaging for pupils,
particularly at Key Stage 3 (Christine Gilbert,
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector for Education,
Children's Services and Skills)
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“Enquiry-based fieldwork sharpens and
deepens learners’ understanding of geography
and the progressive development of
geographical skills”
“Well planned fieldwork in geography adds
clear value to learning in the subject as well as
providing a positive contribution to the wider
curriculum.”
“Follow up from fieldwork also provides very
good support for extended writing, numeracy
linked to the analysis of data, sketching, map
work, formulating hypotheses and thinking
skills.”
The integration and meaning of fieldwork
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 5
Purpose
Role
Continuity
Function
Relevance
For
Against
Geovisualisation
• Identification
• Ability to
dynamically assess
Awareness of
hazards
Management
of hazards
• Controlled access
• No access
• Nature of activities
• Ability to respond
appropriately
• Local knowledge
• Adequate
supervision
Experience
Pre-fieldwork
phase
Fieldwork
activity
Research
Limited
control
Analysis and
evaluation
High level
of control
Medium
control
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The Learning Outside the Classroom
Manifesto was launched by the DfES on
28th November 2006 to promote the benefits
of learning beyond the classroom.
"Learning outside the classroom is about
raising achievement through an organised,
powerful approach to learning in which
direct experience is of prime importance.
This is not only about what we learn but
importantly how and where we learn”
(www.teachernet.gov.uk).
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Geography Teaching Today (website of the Action Plan for Geography)
www.geographyteachingtoday.org.uk/fieldwork
Geographical Association
www.geography.org.uk/resources/fieldwork/
Growing Schools (Supports teachers in using the "outdoor classroom" as a
resource across the curriculum for pupils of all ages)
www.growingschools.org.uk/
Field Studies Council (an environmental education charity that runs
fieldwork and cross-curricular courses at 17 centres across the UK)
www.field-studies-council.org
Health and safety of pupils on educational visits (Departments good
practice guide (1998) and 3 part supplement (2002), including A Handbook
for Group Leaders
www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthandsafety
Prior planning and
organisation
Practicalities of primary
data collection
Organisation of the work