Personal Info

E-mail: roger.firth(at)education.ox.ac.uk

Tel: 01865 274003

Academic Background:

BEd in Geography and Education (Lancaster University, 1975), MEd in Education (Birmingham University, 1991), PhD (Nottingham University, 2001), Taught geography and environmental education and a Head of Department in secondary schools in the UK. Previous academic appointments at the University of Plymouth, The Open University and Nottingham University. Joined Oxford and St Anne’s September 2010.

Teaching Interests:

Graduate: Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (Initial teacher education), MSc Learning and Teaching

Research Interests:

Curriculum and pedagogy in Geography and Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development; subject knowledge and its impact on curriculum and pedagogy; curriculum theory, policy and change, teacher professional development, conceptualisation of youth and their agency in educational contexts.

Selected Publications:

Roger Firth, 'Debates about knowledge and the curriculum: some implications
for geography education', in G. Butt (ed.), Geography, Education and the Future, Continuum, in press, January 2011

Roger Firth, 'Ideas of social and epistemic agency and curriculum development: perspectives from geography', The Curriculum Journal, 22, No 3, Special Issue on Geographical Education (forthcoming)

Roger Firth, 'The Nature of environmental education: some thoughts and questions', Teaching Geography, Autumn 2010 (forthcoming)

Roger Firth and J. Morgan, 'What is the place of radical/critical research in Geography Education', International Research in Geography and Environmental Education, 19(2): 109-13 (2010)

J. Morgan and Roger Firth, 'What’s the point of theory? The role of theory in geography education research', International Research in Geography and Environmental Education, 19(2): 87-90 (2010)

Roger Firth, M. Biddulph, H. Riley, I. Gaunt, and C. Buxton, 'How can young people take an active role in the geography curriculum?' Teaching Geography, 35(2), 9-11 (2010)

G. Joyes, Roger Firth and T. Fisher, 'The nature of a successful online professional doctorate', in K.P.H. Sullivan, P.E. Czigler and J. Sullivan, Cases on Professional Distance Education Degree Programs and Practices: Successes, Challenges and Issues, IGI Global Publishing (2010)

Roger Firth and M. Biddulph, 'Young People’s Geographies and School Geography', Teaching Geography, 34(1) Spring, 32-34 (2009)

Roger Firth and M. Biddulph, 'Whose life is it anyway? Young people’s geographies', in D. Mitchell (ed.), Living Geography: Exciting Futures for Teachers and Students, London: Optimus Education (2009)

Roger Firth and M. Biddulph, 'Think Piece: Fantastic Geographies: Geography Teaching and the issue of knowledge', Sheffield: Geographical Association,
http://www.geography.org.uk/gtip/thinkpieces/fantasticgeographies (2008)

Roger Firth, Geography Teachers, Teaching and the Issue of Knowledge, Nottingham: Nottingham Jubilee Press (2007)

Roger Firth and C. Winter, 'Constructing education for sustainable development: the secondary school geography curriculum and initial teacher training', Environmental Education Research, 13(5), 599-619 (2007)

C. Winter and Roger Firth, 'Knowledge about education for sustainable development: four case studies of student teachers in English secondary schools', Journal of Education for Teaching, 33(3), 341-58 (2007)