Applying the Concept of Powerful Knowledge to School Geography

This chapter seeks to address the theme of The Power of Geographical Thinking by investigating the concept of powerful knowledge, and how it can be used to identify geographical knowledge and thinking that could be considered powerful. The debate about powerful knowledge within geography education is advanced in two ways: first, by creating a typology of powerful geographical knowledge and second, by illustrating each type with examples that may make the concept clearer to geography educators. Five types of powerful knowledge in geography are identified. The strength of the argument developed here is in part tested by conducting a review of some of the criticisms of the concept of powerful knowledge advanced by geography educators.