Exploring the gap between academic geography and school geography: knowledge transformation of the competencies-based curriculum making in China

ABSTRACT The gap between academic geography and school geography is of ongoing interest in geography education. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the gap, this article describes how a framework of knowledge transformation was applied and validated in China. A total of 182 individuals involved in geography education took part in this study; these included geographers, pre- and in-service geography teachers, and geography teacher educators. Though geographical knowledge is seen as important at the societal level, this research found substantial discrepancies between academic and school geography at the institutional and classroom levels of knowledge transformation. Insufficient engagement in disciplinary development and a lack of support from the academic community are two major reasons for the gap. Finally, future progress in addressing the gap in order to generate powerful geographical knowledge in the competencies-based curricula is highlighted.