The power of geography meets powerful geography with pre-service teachers in Australia: powerful geography in Australia

In Australia, understanding about the power of geography is more prevalent in discourse and practice compared to Powerful Geography. Scholarship around the power of geography focuses on concepts and teaching standards; such emphasis relates to the introduction of a national curriculum and need to support its implementation. A range of challenges face geography as a subject within Australian schools, as a specialisation within initial teacher education programs, and as a viable further study and career pathway. Often, the voice of pre-service geography teachers is overlooked and professional geographers are hard to identify. Against such a backdrop, this chapter aims to understand how a lifelong interest in geography develops by exploring what pre-service teachers and a professional geographer deem to be powerful about geography and how these beliefs feature in their practice within and beyond the classroom. Responses are considered through two lenses: the power of geography and Powerful Geography. Additionally, a theoretical framing of reflexivity theory helps to understand the influences that enable or constrain thought and action about geography and geography teaching. The group of pre-service teachers and a professional geographer can clearly articulate the value of geography which connects into aspirations for their geography career and their teaching practice. The chapter ends with a proposition that in Australia, the power of geography is understood by pre-service teachers and a professional geographer manifest in a CROWN (Conviction, Responsiveness, ability of Overcome hurdles, being Willing to learn, remembering to Nourish self). It is this CROWN which offers a research possibility to envision a Powerful Geography future in Australia.