In this special sponsored episode, Cath Rule from Rayburn Tours, Dr Rob Parker from Time for Geography and Dr Rhian Meara of Swansea University join John to talk about their recent expedition to the island of Heimaey to complete a joint project around the eruption in 1973 and its impacts. They talk about the tectonics of the island, the events of J…

In this episode of GeogPod our host, John, talks to Fiona Sheriff about several different topics. From Fiona’s journey about how she first got into teaching, discussing her current projects and work-life balance to the direction of the geography curriculum, and something close to her heart - the importance of using maps and taking part in fieldwork…

John is joined by Professor Jamie Lorimer and Dr Timothy Hodgetts to talk about what it means when geography is more-than-human. In a wide-ranging discussion, they look at the crossovers between geography, environmentalism, anthropology and the sciences. They talk about the importance of multiple and situated knowledge and how geographers can think…

In this episode John’s discussions with Dr Philipp Horn include ‘Urban Informality’ and they explore terms such as ‘slums’ and ‘favelas’ which are less used in geography education these days. It is worth listening to the whole episode to understand the use of the words and how many of them have been adopted and reclaimed by some people who live in …

This episode of GeogPod was recorded live at the GA’s Annual Conference in April 2024. Our host John Lyon talked to our guest, Donald McClean, from the Sheffield Environmental Movement. In the session they discussed the importance of fieldwork, widening participation in the natural environment, supporting diverse Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic Refug…

In this episode our host, John Lyon, chats with John Hopkins, Katherine Baulcomb and Luke Hinchliffe - members of the GA's Assessment and Examinations Special Interest Group (AESIG). They discuss topics such as progression in geography, the progression and assessment guidance, sequencing, enquiry based learning and more. Resources: Progression and …

In this episode join John Lyon and Professor James Esson from Queen Mary University of London as they discuss viewing the world through a geographical lens. They cover a wide range of topics including conspicuous margins, pedagogy and voice, inequality, social economy, and improving the future. Professor James Esson will also be our keynote speaker…

In this episode of GeogPod John is joined by Paul Chatterton, Professor of Urban Futures at the University of Leeds. A few topics they discuss include Paul’s book How to save the city, the climate crisis, social inequalities and the breakdown of our natural world. Visit howtosavethecity.org to find out more about the book. Follow Paul on X (Twitter…

Join John Lyon discussing the topic of Educake with Charley Darbishire, MD and Founder of Educake, and Claire Power, Head of Geography. John, Charley and Claire discuss retrieval practice, how Educake was founded, what it is, how it can be used and the benefits for both teachers and students. Get your first month free, try Educake here. Follow Educ…

In this episode you are invited to listen in on a conversation held earlier this year as part of our Navigating EDI through geography course. Course presenters Kit Marie Rackley, Akhera Williams, Alice Hoy and Sarah Hayden sat down together to discuss their thoughts on integrating EDI into everyday geography lessons and the challenges teachers migh…

In this episode John Lyon discusses the Chalk Stream Challenge with Hazel Metcalfe and Sarah Smith. Hazel and Sarah created The Chalk Stream Challenge as part of the Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme. They discuss how the challenge began, who the challenge is suitable for, some of the activities involved, features of a Chalk…

In this episode John Lyon discussed the topic of place with Professor Richard Phillips from the University of Sheffield. Richard was joined in this podcast by Tariq Jazeel and Maddy Starzak in the first ever live recorded episode from our Annual Conference 2023. Richard Phillips, Professor of Human Geography at the University Sheffield, discusses s…

In this episode John is joined by Helen Mazalon, a GIS Technician at Alcis. They discuss many topics surrounding GIS for example: Who Alcis are and what they do, the difficulties students face getting into the entry level job market, the 30 day map challenge, the accuracy of data, and more. Visit the Alcis website here Here are Helen's top 5 sugges…

In this episode John is joined by Professor Alex Densmore, Deputy Head of Geography at Durham University. Focusing on his research in Nepal, they talk about how investigating tectonically active landscapes can reveal chains of linked hazards, and why it is important to link international humanitarian efforts with local communities. Find information…

In the 66th episode, John Speaks to Daanish Mustafa, Professor in Critical Geography at King's College London. The episode centres on what Critical Geography is and how Daanish's thinking was shaped. They also touch on the concepts of structuralism and post-structuralism before discussing the 2022 Pakistan floods and flood management. Find Gender a…

In this episode, John speaks to Chris Winter and Dan Whittall, both Research Engagement Leads at the GA. Their conversation centres on the projects in which they are currently involved and their hopes for the future of research within geography education. They also touch on areas such as Diversity & Inclusion and de-colonising the curriculum. Find …

In this episode, John speaks to Professor Dave Petley, the new Vice-Chancellor at the University of Hull. Their conversation centres of Dave's work on landslides, their relationship to earthquakes, the evolution of slopes and how they can be better taught in the classroom. Dave has a wealth of knowledge, recounting his work in Taiwan as well as dis…

In the first episode of Series 11, John speaks with Clarry Simpson, a geography teacher and ECT Induction Lead in Brinsworth. Their discussion centres on the NQT & ECT programs, the problems affecting new teachers, how the programs have changed and the importance of subject and curriculum knowledge. Follow Clarry on Twitter. Series 11 of GeogPod is…

This week, John speaks to Richard Bustin, Alice Matthews & Charlotte Milner to discuss getting involved with Teaching Geography and how to write your first article for Teaching Geography. Find out more about writing for the GA at https://www.geography.org.uk/Write-for-GA Series 10 of GeogPod is kindly sponsored by AQA. Everyone has the potential to…

This week John speaks with Ilan Kelman, to discuss why disasters aren't natural, and why it is up to us to make the positive changes so that diplomacy can work for everyone. Links from the pod: Follow Ilan on Twitter or Instagram Read Disaster by Choice Read his papers: Axioms and actions for preventing disasters and Does Nature Play Disaster Games…

In this special, 60th episode of GeogPod, we hand over the guest seat to our stalwart presenter, John Lyon. As a longstanding member of the GA community, he answers questions sent in by staff and members about his experiences, and about what makes him passionate about geography. Follow John at https://twitter.com/GAGeogger Series 10 of GeogPod is k…

The guest for this week's podcast is Gemma Sou, Vice Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow at RMIT University in Australia. Gemma and John talk about the human geography of the climate crisis, and how she uses graphic novels to represent her research into human-environment relationships and the gendered impacts of climate change. They look into…

In this episode, John chats with Narinder Mann: lecturer of Geography and Humanities Education at the University of Manchester. Their conversation centres on what makes a good geography teacher and what a good geography curriculum looks like. Series 10 of GeogPod is kindly sponsored by AQA. Everyone has the potential to achieve, so we make sure tha…

In the first episode of Series 10, John catches up with David Lambert, Honorary Professor of Geography Education at the UCL Institute of Education and former GA Chief Executive. They look back together at the recent history of the GA, and key concepts which helped to build its manifesto for geography: A Different View. Their discussion looks closel…

Listen in to the final episode of Series 9 to hear Ryan Ing, current GA postgraduate intern, talk to us about what geography means to him and how he progressed from A levels in physics and geography to a research career in glaciology. John and Ryan discuss the transition from A level to University and beyond, the future of glaciers in Greenland and…

Joe Usher is Assistant Professor in Primary Geography Education and Social, Environmental and Scientific Education at Dublin City University. He joins John this week to talk about how to get teachers and pupils to recognise the threads of geography running through everyday spaces and places, and how to implement tools like Minecraft to get them to …

In this episode, John chats with Dawn Gessey-Jones: teacher and geography co-ordinator at Two Rivers School, a special school providing for pupils and students with a wide range of educational needs and recipient of the Gold Primary Geography Quality Mark from 2009-2021. They talk about the school's approaches to making the subject relevant and inc…

In this week's podcast, John speaks with Alan Parkinson, President of the Geographical Association 2021-22, and Paula Richardson, of the GA Fieldwork and Outdoor Learning Special Interest Group, as we head into National Fieldwork Week. They look at all aspects of fieldwork: why it is necessary, what teachers can do to get pupils and students involv…

In this episode, John speaks with Gill Miller, Senior Lecturer Emerita at University of Chester. They talk about Gill's history in the field of geography education, from examining to assessment and specification development, and look into geography's potential to widen perspectives and inspire pupils to become informed, concerned and ethical citize…

In this episode, John talks to Dr Sarah Greene, Associate Professor of Palaeoclimates at the University of Birmingham. Their discussion covers the importance of field teaching across schools and universities, and working to make fieldwork practices inclusive and accessible. They also look at Sarah's research into the carbon cycle, and how looking t…

In this episode, John is joined by Dr Natasha Dowey - Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at Sheffield Hallam University specialising in Volcanology and the editor of Geoscience for the Future. Their discussion centres on geoscience, its decline at A level and equity in geoscience. Twitter: @DrNatashaDowey Geoscience for the Future Geology for gl…

This week, John is joined by educational consultant and author, David Gardner. Their conversation includes topics such as the intricacies of geography curriculum planning and the importance of sequencing; how teaching has changed through the years as the result of technology; climate change and COP26. Some of the resources mentioned are linked belo…

This week, John is joined by Dr Sylvia Knight, Head of Education at the Royal Meteorological Society. Their conversation centres on the COP26, climate change, the IPCC and some of the resources teachers can use in the classroom. For some of the resources mentioned, they are linked below: https://www.metlink.org/weather-and-climate-teachers-guide/ h…

This week, John is joined by Dr Tim Daley, Association Professor of Physical Geography at School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at Plymouth University and Kate Stockings, Head of Geography at Hampstead School. Their discussion centres on climate change and the climate crisis, touching on their work on a soon to be released Top Spec …

In the second episode of Series 8 of GeogPod, John speaks to Shenona Mitra, who is a climate activist and vice-chair of the Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA) Wales, to discuss climate change and what it feels like to be a youth activist and how young people can change the world of climate activism. Series 8 of GeogPod is kindly sponsored by Hodder Ed…

In the first episode of Series 8 of GeogPod, John speaks to Michila Critchley, Associate and Programme Coordinator for InterClimate Network, which is a registered charity with a mission to inspire young people in the UK to become leaders and advocates for action on climate change. Series 8 of GeogPod is kindly sponsored by Hodder Education. Hodder …

For the final episode of series 7 of GeogPod, John spoke to Kirstin Coughtrie, founder of Gaia Learning about the use of technology and AI in teaching, the advantages and challenges of home-schooling, and how Britannica's resources can help pin a home school programme to the specification. Series 7 of GeogPod is kindly sponsored by Britannica. Take…

David Alcock, is a geography teacher, teaching and learning champion at Bradford Grammar school as well as a writer and presenter. David joined John to discuss, among other things, his concept of 'Hopeful geography', which he has developed over a number years of work of and reflection. Series 7 of GeogPod is kindly sponsored by Britannica. Take Bri…

This week John sat down with Caiti Walter to discuss her route into geography teaching and to explore her views and strategies when it comes to designing a geography curriculum (plus much more). Series 7 of GeogPod is kindly sponsored by Britannica. Take Britannica's LaunchPacks GCSE for a spin with history and geography lessons, built with Shirela…

This week, John spoke to Dr Simon Carr. Simon is Associate Professor of Geography and the University of Cumbria, specialising in geomorphology and climate change. Much ground was covered in the pod, including Simon's work in geomorphology, the Anthropocene, what constitutes a truly natural environment and the importance of getting out and seeing a …

This week John was joined by Dr Amber Murrey. Amber is an Associate Professor in Human Geography, Fellow and Tutor at Mansfield College, Oxford University. John and Amber touched on many issues in their chat, including confronting the silence on racism in school geography, what an anti-racist curriculum could look like, the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeli…

Ben Hennig is Professor of Geography at the University of Iceland, an honorary research associate at the University of Oxford and also the founder of Worldmapper. Ben sat down with John to talk about his career to date, his work at the University of Iceland, the origins of the Worldmapper project, Trump tweets and much more. Series 7 of GeogPod is …

This week John spoke to Professor Jamie Woodward from the University of Manchester about two key global issues; our developing understanding of climate change during the Quaternary and microplastic transport and storage in river catchments. Both are major examples of how physical geography research has impacted on national and global policy. Jamie’…

This week John spoke to Dr Stephen Scoffham, former GA President, Visiting Reader in Sustainability and Education at Canterbury Christ Church University and author of atlases, text books and much more besides. John and Stephen covered a lot of ground, including why geography matters, what makes good quality geography teaching, tackling controversia…

In this week's episode, John spoke to Rachel Kay about how to prepare your department for a deep dive visit from Ofsted. Rachel is Head of Geography and Lead Practitioner at Yorkshire school as well as being a member of the GA's Secondary Phase Committee. Rachel's articles in Teaching Geography: 'The deep dive geography experience: intent, implemen…

This week John was joined by Professor Tamsin Mather from Oxford University. Tamsin is professor of Earth Sciences and her research centres around volcanoes and volcanic behaviour. Thanks to Collins for sponsoring series 6 of GeogPod. Links from the pod Public Lecture: Volcanoes and past climate: adventures with deep carbon Blog about Masaya and vo…

This week John was joined by Professor Johanna Waters from University College London and Dr Maggi Leung from Utrecht University to discuss examples of students travelling across borders for education. The conversation focuses mainly on the China/Hong Kong border but also cited other examples of this phenomenon and various push and pull factors rela…

In this week's episode John spoke to Alistair Hamill, Geography teacher by day, astrophotographer by night. Alistair talked about how to use GIS in the classroom and how Alistair used it to bring divided communities in Northern Ireland together. John and Alistair also talked about plate tectonics and Alistair's photography. Thanks to Collins for sp…

This week our GeogPod guest was the GA's very own Chief Executive, Alan Kinder. Alan spoke to John about his path to becoming the GA's Chief Executive as well his reflections on the Association's work and upcoming priorities. Many thanks to Edquas for sponsoring season 5 of GeogPod. Book for GA Conference 2021 Get Involved in the GA…

This week John spoke to Iain Freeland, Her Majesty's Inspector and National Lead for Geography. Iain talked us through his career path so far and some of things Ofsted are looking for in terms of ' good geography' with some key takeaways for teachers. Many thanks to Edquas for sponsoring season 5 of GeogPod. Links from the pod Iain's article for Pr…