Numbers of geographers in Scottish education

There has been long-lasting concern that geography in Scottish education was in poor health, but it is actually now experiencing a Scottish rejuvenation. To gain a comprehensive picture of geographers in Scottish education, the numbers were gathered for those studying geography at various levels in Scottish schools and universities, those training to teach geography in Scotland, and those employed to teach geography in Scottish state schools between 2016 and 2023. Geographical education in Scotland is now booming. The numbers of geographers in Scotland are growing at school, increasingly at each successive level of public examinations, and in both undergraduate and postgraduate university study. Despite this scenario, the targets for trainee geography teachers have increased slowly, while PGDE intake figures for geography show a rapidly growing shortfall and the drop-out rate has further undermined the subject’s specialist teacher pool. The numbers of geography teachers employed in state schools in Scotland has remained virtually static while the number of geography teachers who are not subject specialists remains a concern. This lack of positive intergenerational reinforcement to inspire geographers throughout the education system may mean that the current geographer boom in Scotland will be short-lived. Positive developments are considered that could place geography more centrally in educational thinking and planning

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• The geography of geographical education in Scotland

  Ian Selmes, Alastair McConnell et al.•Scottish Geographical Journal•2022

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• The geography of geographical education in Scotland, Part 2

  Ian Selmes, Alastair McConnell et al.•Scottish Geographical Journal•2023

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