Giving younger children voice in primary geography: empowering pedagogy – a personal perspective

It is argued that children's voice can and should be enhanced in primary schooling, and particularly in geographical learning. Using examples from different aspects of geographical experience and content, four approaches to engaging children's voice are presented: children leading and developing geographical topics; children bringing their ethno-geographical expertise into the classroom; children being listened to beyond the classroom and children learning from and heeding other children's voices from around the world. Interwoven with discussion of these approaches are matters concerning the purpose of locational knowledge, identity, geographical knowledge as powerful knowledge and the value of hazards education. The case is that this strengthens the teachers’ role through its focus in empowering children's and teachers’ learning, not only in geography but more widely for the primary curriculum. This argument draws on critical pedagogy, which supports strongly children's agency in schooling. It concludes by specifying principles to enable children's voice in their learning and which empower pedagogy.