Conference Agenda

The manifesto for fieldwork is a participatory project that issues a call to attention and creates spaces for collaboration around a vision for the future of fieldwork in geography. The manifesto is an ongoing project that is growing out of our shared interests in the pedagogies and practices of teaching and learning in the field. The manifesto offers an invitation to engage in pedagogic discussions that seek to articulate visions for the future of inclusive and ethical fieldwork. It is motivated by a Fieldwork has long been a signature pedagogy in geography, but the place of fieldwork in curricula is changing. At the same time when curriculum projects in many universities are advocating for more experiential learning in authentic and real-world context, the climate and nature crises, pandemics, financial pressures, technology, and the importance of addressing inclusivity and accessibility are remaking field teaching. In place of a talk our intention is to offer provocative statements as a starting point to prompt discussion and then use activities to make a space for co-creating visions for the future of fieldwork. Our hope is that the talk is part of ongoing conversations that can articulate a renewed and robust vision for the place and importance of fieldwork in geography education, as well as promote accountability in the design and practice of fieldwork.

Within geography in higher education there is a growing emphasis on the importance of inclusive practices, not just in the classroom and curriculum, but specifically in outdoor learning. The literature highlights that fieldwork can exclude students based on factors such as ability, race, class, gender and sexuality. Educators often address these issues reactively through requests from individual students, but what are broader student perceptions on the inclusivity of fieldwork? The use of pre and post hoc surveys to capture students lived experiences of fieldwork has proved a useful method to improve engagement and participation in fieldwork (Peasland et al., 2021; Scott et al., 2019). However, uncovering student experiences in the field has received less attention in regards to explicitly improving inclusivity, particularly within human geography (Hughes, 2016). This presentation discusses student experiences of a human geography fieldwork, addressing a range of potential exclusive factors, the mechanisms therein, and the variety among both students and experiences.

We will present the results of pre and post fieldwork surveys given to students within the Human Geography and Spatial Planning department of Utrecht University, the Netherlands. We aim specifically to gain a deeper understanding into student perceptions of the inclusivity of fieldwork using a lens of intersectionality, which recognises that multiple marginalising factors may affect ones lived experience. Drawing from Hughes’ (2016) study of Black and Ethnic Minority students’ experiences in the field, we expand on her instrument to include intersectional barriers such as socioeconomic status, physical ability and at-home duties. These insights will help us to address the inclusivity of a mandatory year 1 course with residential fieldwork in European border regions. Preliminary results demonstrate a need to inform students in greater detail about the realities of fieldwork beforehand. While fieldwork is integral to human geography education, a priori students have little understanding of what a day in the field looks like. This survey comprises the initial stages of a larger project addressing barriers to inclusive fieldwork in human geography in Dutch tertiary education. This presentation shares outcomes of our study, and invites educators and researchers to collectively generate insights for developing inclusive practices.

References:

Hughes, A. (2016). Exploring normative whiteness: Ensuring inclusive pedagogic practice in undergraduate fieldwork teaching and learning. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 40(3), 460–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2016.1155206

Peasland, E. L., Henri, D. C., Morrell, L. J., & Scott, G. W. (2021). Why do some students opt out of fieldwork? Using expectancy-value theory to explore the hidden voices of non-participants. International Journal of Science Education, 43(10), 1576–1599. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1923080

Scott, G. W., Humphries, S., & Henri, D. C. (2019). Expectation, motivation, engagement and ownership: Using student reflections in the conative and affective domains to enhance residential field courses. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 43(3), 280–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1608516

All kinds of digital tools, VR, big data and AI, have diversified the ways in which research in social sciences can be done. Nevertheless, fieldwork activities in Human Geography programmes are still very much rooted in direct experiences and observations of a place and face-to-face interactions through interviewing or surveying. The ethics, outcomes and the universality of these fieldwork experiences are, however increasingly challenged. Scholars stress that reflective practice and creative resources are crucial to engage students in experiential and substantive reflection on ethical challenges. This project aims to design an evidence based tool to guide inclusive and effective fieldwork activities in human geography programmes.

For this project students fieldwork diaries were thematically analysed generating valuable insights into the diversity of students’ fieldwork experiences (eg. accounts of racism, anxiety) and what ethical aspects tend to be ignored or missed, providing input for guidelines to improve fieldwork activities. A survey amongst students (n=50) and additional interviews with students (n=10) and teachers (n=10) show a wide variety of perspectives on ethics, the value of fieldwork and a lack of coherence throughout courses and fieldwork activities. The outcomes raise important and challenging questions about the design and guidelines for future large scale fieldwork courses.

This conference contribution presents The Ethics Conversation Tool, aiming to align fieldwork activities and stimulating ongoing conversations and ethical competences throughout the bachelor programme. The tool is developed based on the student and teacher perspectives on ethics in fieldwork activities and my personal experience of teaching a large scale fieldwork course (90 students) on a sensitive topic (attitudes towards asylum seeker centres in small towns) for over 10 years.

Fieldwork is a core pedagogy in geography education (France & Haigh 2018). However, many standard practices within fieldwork pose challenges related to accessibility and inclusion. Educators often address these issues reactively, responding to individual requests for amendments. As not all students self-disclose their need for accommodations, this approach results in unaddressed barriers to participation in fieldwork (Hall & Healey, 2005). These barriers can be manifold and intersectional, including socio-economic status, physical ability or involvement in caring duties. Fieldwork thus requires a proactive approach by educators that starts at the design stages to allow all students the opportunity to be and feel appropriately included. Examples of such an approach are scarce in the literature beyond Lawrence and Dowey’s (2022) six design principles that focus on both the planning stages and the actual time in the field and the need for a conversation between staff and students.

In this storytelling inspired presentation we will discuss the development of a multiday fieldwork designed for first year human geography students at Utrecht University (Netherlands). The redesign of this fieldwork takes a proactive approach to inclusivity and draws upon the framework of Universal Design for Learning to more effectively anticipate for potential barriers students might meet and that prevent their full participation in fieldwork activities (Higgins & Maxwell, 2021). This framework suggests providing flexibility and multiplicity in learning regarding modes of engagement, representation and expression.

In this presentation we will take you along on our journey towards more inclusive fieldwork and present the rationale for our trip, it’s highlights, the hurdles we encountered, and the lessons learned. We hope this journey inspires others to join us on the same path towards inclusive fieldwork for all.

References:

Lawrence, A. & Dowey, N. (2022) Six simple steps towards making GEES fieldwork more accessible and inclusive, Area (54(1), 52-59

France, D. & Haigh, M. (2018) Fieldwork @40: fieldwork in geography higher education, Journal of Geography in Higher Education 42(4), 498-514

Hall, T., & Healey, M. (2005). Disabled Students’ Experiences of Fieldwork. Area, 37(4), 446–449.

Higgins, A. K., & Maxwell, A. E. (2021). Universal Design for Learning in the Geosciences for Access and Equity in Our Classrooms. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 10(1), 69–83. https://doi.org/10.59668/223.3752