Changing Fieldwork Objectives and Constraints in Secondary Schools in England

This paper examines the changes in teachers' perspectives on the objectives of fieldwork and the constraints on fieldwork in upper secondary school geography syllabuses between 1974 and 1996. By repeating the survey undertaken by Boardman in 1974, some of the key changes in teachers' attitudes to fieldwork are identified. The objectives have changed from an emphasis on mapping skills to data collection skills and field enquiry, while the importance of safety and cost as key constraints has remained. Overall, however, the importance of fieldwork and its value to teachers is clearly demonstrated.