What Is Powerful Knowledge and Can It Be Found in the Australian Geography Curriculum?

• Published in: Geographical education Vol. 28; pp. 18 - 26
• Main Author: Maude, Alaric
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australian Geography Teachers' Association 2015
• Subjects: Australia; Cognitive Processes; Foreign Countries; Geography Instruction; Individual Power; Knowledge Level; National Curriculum; Units of Study; Australia
• ISSN: 0085-0969

The concept of powerful knowledge was introduced into educational debates nearly a decade ago by Michael Young, a British sociologist of education. Young describes powerful knowledge as knowledge that enables young people to go beyond the limits of their own experience; better explain and understand the world; think about alternative futures and how to influence them; learn new ways of thinking; and follow and participate in current debates of local, national or global significance. These are all types of knowledge that give young people intellectual abilities that they are unlikely to learn from their everyday lives, and are therefore the knowledge that schools should be teaching. The concept of powerful knowledge has been debated by British geography educators for several years (Catling, 2014; Catling & Martin, 2011; Lambert, 2014a; Lambert, 2014b; Morgan, 2011; Roberts, 2014). However, the debate has been mostly about philosophy and pedagogy, and little has been written about what powerful geographical knowledge might actually look like. In this article the author explains the concept, interprets what it might mean in geography, and discusses examples from the Australian curriculum that represent powerful knowledge.