An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta

Department of Education and Science

  

Subject Inspection of Geography

REPORT

 

Beech Hill College

Monaghan

Roll number: 72210Q

   

Date of inspection: 3 April 2006

Date of issue of report:  26 October 2006

 

 

This Subject Inspection report

Subject Provision and Whole School Support

Planning and Preparation

Teaching and Learning

Assessment and Achievement

Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations


Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Geography

 

 

This Subject Inspection report

 

This report has been written following a subject inspection in Beech Hill College.  It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Geography and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of this subject in the school.  The evaluation was conducted over one day during which the inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning.  The inspector interacted with students and teachers, examined students’ work, and had discussions with the teachers.  The inspector reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation.  Following the evaluation visit, the inspector provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the principal and subject teachers. The board of management of the school was given the opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; the board chose to accept the report without comment.

 

 

Subject Provision and Whole School Support

 

There is very good whole school support for the organisation, teaching and learning of Geography in Beech Hill College, Monaghan as school management has provided a dedicated Geography Room and a wide range of resources to support teaching and learning in the subject.

 

At junior cycle, all first year students, except those following the Junior Certificate School’s Programme (JCSP), study Geography.  From second year, in alternate years, either Geography or History is compulsory, with the other subject being optional. The school is considering introducing the Environmental and Social Studies (ESS) syllabus to the JCSP students as a means of providing continuing geographical education for this cohort.  Geography is allocated three class periods per week in first year and four periods per week in second and third year.  Timetabling provision in the junior cycle is generally satisfactory.  Where possible, however, the provision of single, rather than double lessons would be preferable, and timetabling on successive days should be avoided.  At this level classes are banded.

 

At Leaving Certificate level Geography is an optional subject.  Students and parents receive appropriate support and guidance prior to choosing subjects for Leaving Certificate and the school provides an information evening for parents.  In its timetabling provision the school tries to cater for the requests of all its students and this is commended.  Geography is allocated five class periods per week, consisting of two double and one single class period and this is in line with syllabus requirements.  Classes at this level are of mixed ability.  The school is encouraged to seek ways to increase the participation rate of students in the study of Geography at senior cycle.

 

It was reported during the evaluation process that the school plans to introduce the Transition Year Programme (TYP) from September 2006 and that this will include a module in Geography with a possible allocation of two or three class periods per week.  The school is highly commended for this planned enhancement of curriculum provision, offering as it does an opportunity for collaborative and creative planning by the members of the Geography Department.  It is recommended that this opportunity should be used to develop students as independent learners by the use of project work, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for research and presentation and by the undertaking of a Geographical Investigation, perhaps in the local area.  Teachers will be supported in developing this plan for Geography within the TYP by reference to the document ‘Writing the Transition Year Programme’.

 

There are currently five teachers involved in the delivery of the Geography programme and they form an identifiable subject department with one teacher acting as subject co-ordinator.  A wide range of resources has been developed to support teaching and learning.  These include wall maps and charts, a collection of Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, both large and small scale, aerial photographs, weather instruments and a collection of CDs and videos.  The Geography Room has also been provided with a computer and data projector.  The school is commended for the development of these resources, particularly for the provision of ICT facilities, which can be used to support effective teaching and learning.  It is recommended that teachers should catalogue all the available resources within the school for teaching and learning in Geography; this will assist in identifying and prioritising future resource needs and will facilitate school budgeting.

 

 

Planning and Preparation

 

A Geography Department plan using a template provided under the School Development Planning Initiative (SDPI) was provided during the evaluation process.  This plan included reference to agreed curriculum plans for each year group within agreed timeframes, planned revision periods and examples of agreed common tests.  Minutes of department meetings were also included and it is noted that a review of the efficacy of common tests had taken place.  These good practices are commended.  The variety of topics for study provided for first-year students is commended and it is suggested that the study of maps and photographs might be undertaken at an early stage in first year, perhaps using large scale (1:1000) OS maps and photographs of the local area.  Skills developed at this early stage could be revisited and integrated into many areas of the teaching programme. 

 

It is recommended that teachers build on these good practices by working collaboratively to produce a more formal and comprehensive plan for the Geography Department.  Within this plan consideration could be given to a statement of learning outcomes for each year group, active learning methodologies, fieldwork policy, plans for the further integration of ICT into teaching and learning and the further development of appropriate resources.  The use of resource materials provided during the evaluation visit and the ‘Guidelines for Teachers’ relating to the Revised Leaving Certificate Geography syllabus will provide support for long term planning by the geography teaching team.  School management is commended for providing time throughout the year for subject department planning, while informal planning discussions among the Geography team also take place.

 

There was clear evidence of very effective short-term planning for all of the lessons observed.  Lessons were developed from previously taught subject matter or, alternatively, given the time of year, there was an appropriate focus on revision.  Homework was assigned and corrected regularly.  A wide variety of resources had been prepared by teachers to support student learning.  These resources included slides for use on the data projector, overhead transparencies, a globe, newspaper articles, photographs and worksheets.  These were used effectively at appropriate stages during the lessons and made a significant contribution to maintaining student interest and engagement.  The provision of handouts of the data projector slides is commended as this allowed students to focus on the content of the lesson and to make some personal notes as appropriate.  The use of newspaper articles, and the very deliberate intention of linking the study of Geography with current events, deserves to be acknowledged as very good practice.  As a means of further developing this use of current events in the study of Geography it is suggested that a GeoNews notice board be provided in the Geography Room.  Teachers and students could contribute photographs and articles from the print media for display and some of these could be developed into resources for worksheets.  The use of appropriate Internet searches could also prove to be fruitful in this regard.  This use of the notice board can help to motivate students as they see more clearly the connection between the study of topics in class and the world outside the classroom. 

 

 

Teaching and Learning

 

A visual approach to the teaching of Geography was evident in all of the classrooms visited.  This included the use of slides shown using a data projector, photographs and transparencies prepared for use with an overhead projector.  Teachers are commended for the introduction of ICT into lessons and its wider use is advocated.  This visual approach is good practice as it helps to maintain student interest and caters effectively for students whose preferred learning style is visual.  There was also a determined effort to teach the language of Geography; as new terms were introduced they were explained clearly and used frequently throughout the lessons.  It is noted that students had been provided with a booklet containing a list of key words relevant to specific topics in Geography and these were being used as a means of revision and of reinforcing the importance of using correct terminology in examinations.  Teachers are commended for providing this level of support for students as they prepare for Certificate Examinations.  The display of lists of such words and their meaning in the Geography Room could facilitate the further development of students’ literacy skills.

 

In the classrooms visited the topics being taught included: the Mezzogiorno as an example of a peripheral region, world climatic regions with a focus on the Boreal climate, location of secondary industry using an OS map and a study of the Indian Sub-Continent.  A variety of teaching methodologies was evident in the lessons observed.  These included teacher exposition of a topic, question and answer sessions between teacher and students, the use of individual learning activities focused on the completion of a worksheet or an activity provided in a workbook.  Where worksheets are included in lessons these could be used to provide opportunities for small group/pair work.  The use of a newspaper article outlining the reasons for a town being chosen as the location for a secondary industry, and then linking this with an OS map of the town and a past examination question, was particularly effective.  Students were frequently asked to reflect on their own experiences or to draw on examples from the local environment during discussions.  References to real world examples and the integration of geographic skills into lessons is very good practice and makes a significant contribution to student appreciation of geographic concepts and increases motivation.  Where students were actively engaged in the learning activity they showed greatest interest and engagement and care should be taken to ensure that teacher lead discussions do not become the prime teaching method.  The Geography teaching team should develop teaching methodologies that will more actively involve students in their own learning and some of the resource materials provided during the evaluation visit will support them is this area. 

 

In all of the lessons observed attention was paid to the development of geographic skills; these included the drawing of sketch maps, interpreting OS maps and an appropriate focus on revision and answering techniques at this stage of the school year.  Where large units of work have been completed consideration should be given to providing students with a summary of the topic, which would also enable students to see clearly the interconnections between different parts of the topic.  The further use of ‘Mind Maps’ could be particularly useful in this regard.  It was reported that students had completed a geographical investigation in Fluvial Geomorphology at a field studies centre as part of the requirements of the Revised Leaving Certificate Geography syllabus. 

 

A dedicated Geography Room provides a map-rich learning environment for students.  The display of photographs, wall maps, charts and OS maps, particularly of the local area all helped to create a stimulating learning environment for students.  The display of student project work and geographical investigations could be used to acknowledge and celebrate student effort and achievement.

 

Students in all of the lessons observed remained on task, participated in the learning activities and were challenged to offer explanations of geographic phenomena.  Encouraging students to seek causes for geographic distributions encourages the development of higher order thinking skills and is commended.  There was a mutually respectful atmosphere evident between teachers and students and students were frequently affirmed for their efforts.

 

 

Assessment and Achievement

 

A variety of forms of assessment is used in Beech Hill College.  All students sit formal tests at Christmas, while first-year, second-year and Leaving Certificate 1 students sit house examinations in the third term.  Pre-examinations are held for third and Leaving Certificate 2 students in the second term.  Parents/guardians receive reports following these tests and student progress is also reported on at formal parent teacher meetings.  Teachers are commended for the good practice of setting standard tests for year groups and also for reviewing the effectiveness of these tests at subject department meetings.  An examination of school documentation showed that separate levels (higher and ordinary) are used for examinations as early as first year.  A review of this practice is suggested as decisions relating to subject levels might be more appropriate at a later stage in the junior cycle. 

 

Student progress was also assessed during the course of the lessons observed.  Teachers frequently checked student understanding by careful questioning and students were invited to seek clarification of points discussed.  Questions were directed to named individual students or were directed to the class in general.  Students willingly engaged in discussions, sought clarification and were knowledgeable about their courses.  Worksheets were also used, in some lessons, to check student understanding.  As students completed the worksheets time was available to teachers to move around the classroom providing support to individual students.  Where students were preparing for certificate examinations clear explanations were given regarding answering techniques and this is commended.  For one class group visited small-scale projects, which had been completed by students, were used as a means of assessing student progress.  This method of assessing student progress is very highly commended and its wider use is encouraged.  It was noted that these projects provided students with the opportunity to engage in independent learning and in presenting their findings a variety of statistical diagrams were used, thus enabling students to develop and practice important geographical skills.  Class tests are held when sections of the syllabus have been completed and this provides ongoing assessment of student progress.

 

A review of student notes and copybooks indicated that some students are doing high quality work, with neatly drawn maps and diagrams while other students would benefit from a closer monitoring of their work.  Work by students had been corrected and students had, in some cases, received constructive comments by their teacher.  Assessment-for-learning principles should be further developed by the use of ‘comment only’ marking particularly when students begin to answer past examination questions.  Information relating to these principles is available on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) website, www.ncca.ie and teachers are encouraged to access this site.  In one lesson observed an imaginative approach to homework had been adopted were students were asked to write a tourist brochure using prompts provided on a worksheet and based on the lesson just completed.  This would help to reinforce the subject matter and to develop student’s literacy skills and is very good practice.

 

 

Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations

 

The following are the main strengths and areas for development identified in the evaluation:

 

 

As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following recommendations are made:

 

 

A post-evaluation meeting was held with the principal and with the teachers of Geography at the conclusion of the evaluation at which the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.