Interested and influential: the role of a professional association in the development of the Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum : Geography

The Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA) represents the views of Australian geography teachers on educational matters. AGTA also seeks to improve the capacity of geography teachers to respond to a changing teaching and learning landscape. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is an independent authority operating in a national education context. It was established as a result of political decision-making and charged with developing a world-class national curriculum. Between 2009 and 2013, AGTA Board members and their nominees were extensively involved in the ACARA curriculum development process for the Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum: Geography, and the Senior Secondary Australian Curriculum: Geography. A common question asked by key stakeholders has been how much influence did AGTA actually have? To respond to this question, the Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience (TSIS) is applied first, to identify the attributes of AGTA as a key interest group and second, to analyse the extent of AGTA's influence in shaping Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum: Geography content within ACARA's curriculum development process.