ABSTRACT
The differences between the departments show teacher agency in curriculum enactment. Some geography teachers, especially the Heads of Department, portray a concern for curriculum making, in particular by giving attention to the school subject and the discipline of geography as well as the experiences of the child and their choices. ‘Arnwell High’ is an inner-city school with many students in challenging socio-economic circumstances. A key aspect of curriculum enactment here is a link between student behaviour, the perceived ‘relevance’ of curriculum content, and the development of ‘learning skills’. The school context helps to explain the teacher’s emphasis on behaviour and engagement through ‘relevance’ and the whole school emphasis on cross-curricular skills and depth of content, which restricts teacher agency to make subject-led curriculum choices.
