Margaret Roberts

Before working as a geography PGCE tutor at the University of Sheffield from 1982-2006, I taught in comprehensive schools in London, Leicestershire and Sheffield and was a member of the Nuffield Foundation Resources for Learning Project. My research interests and publications have focused on the geography curriculum, classroom practice and learning through enquiry. I have been interested in how academic and school geography are influenced by the nature of the questions asked, by the data used to investigate them and in how geographical understanding can be developed through the critical and reflective study of data as evidence. I have explored ways in which students can, with teacher guidance, take an active part in investigating geographical questions and issues, through challenging activities and the use of classroom talk including small group work. I have also examined the extent to which policy documents have influenced classroom practice or could promote enquiry-based learning.  Since my retirement in 2006 I have run courses for geography teachers on ‘Inquiry’ in Singapore, in Hong Kong and in the Netherlands and have been involved in courses in the UK for Eduqas, the Princes Trust, Teach First and a MAT. I have presented my work at conferences in the UK and at International Conferences in Africa, Asia, Australia and many countries in Europe. I have chapters published in German and Italian in handbooks for geography teachers. 

Recent publications

Roberts, M. (2020) ‘Geographical sources in the digital world: disinformation, representation and reliability’, in Walshe, N. and Healey, G. (Eds.) Geographical Education in the digital world: linking theory and practice.  Abingdon: Routledge.

Roberts, M. (2017) ‘Geographical Education is powerful if…’, Teaching Geography, 42(1), 6-9.

Roberts, M. (2015) ‘Critical Thinking and Global Learning’, Teaching Geography, 40(2), 55-59.

Roberts, M. (2014) ‘Powerful knowledge and geographical education’, The Curriculum Journal, 25(2), 187-209.

Roberts, M. (2013) Geography through enquiry. Sheffield: Geographical Association. (also translated into and published in Korean in 2016)