Interview with 24/25 GeogEd Dissertation Winner: Anna Williams Moura Costa

Dissertation Title: The West and all the Other Parts: Representations of Global South Development in Geography GCSEs.

What inspired you to choose your dissertation topic and how did you narrow down your focus?

The motivations behind my dissertation topic combined the theoretical and the personal. Primarily, I’m fascinated by how representations can influence reality. This is particularly clear in the Development sector, where incomplete narratives are traceable across policies, adverts and lessons, shaping the way that we address aid and international work. I believe this acts as a barrier to meaningful outcomes, not due to actual opposition, but in a sense more frustratingly because of out-of-date attitudes. This interest fixed Development as a theoretical basis for my work. The schoolbook was the perfect lens to study, being generally overlooked discourse, and yet many people’s first (and only) real study of geopolitics.

I was also motivated by my experiences as a teenager doing Geography GCSE- speaking as a British Brazilian, the modules on Rio don’t necessarily cover the whole picture! I was extremely lucky to have teachers who really engaged with nuance beyond the curriculum, but it remains clear to me that we are teaching people about a world that doesn’t exist- or perhaps only revealing a very small part of the one that does. 

Narrowing the focus happened through the research process, something most of my cohort also found; originally, I planned to cover more of the textbook, but the depth of study of each chapter plus the richness of the Development topics alone made it an easy choice to focus the remit of study. I tried to work with rather than against setbacks- they allowed me to narrow focus, choose specific forms of data collection, and include image analysis into my work.

How did you find the dissertation experience? What were the highs and lows (challenges and rewards)?

The dissertation experience was in many ways the best part of the geography course, though of course there were times where it lagged!

Research and fieldwork with schools is so rewarding, and I am so grateful to the teachers and students who gave me their time. I also found the theory reading far more enjoyable than I expected- realising how little you knew and having the knowledge to remedy that is deeply satisfying!

Some of the data processing became a bit of a slog, but having little highlights (using a fun new software, colour coding thoughts) helped make it engaging even when it was a bit repetitive. I would say the hardest part is absolutely writing a first draft- once you have words on the page, editing is both easier and far more fun! It’s important to trust the process, and remember that what you start with will rarely make it all the way to the end (I had thirteen drafts of each chapter).

What advice would you give other undergraduate students undertaking a (Geography and Education) dissertation?

Firstly, choose a niche you’re really enthused about! You’re going to become a semi-expert on something by the end, and making sure it’s something you find interesting really matters.

Secondly, and more prosaically- be organised. That sounds obvious, but if you want to work with schools or young people in general, you need a fair amount of paperwork, so apply for that as soon as possible.

Thirdly, I tried to write all the time like the least convinced, most nit-picky person was reading over my shoulder. Whenever I felt that there was a flaw in my argument, or a weak assumption, I tried to imagine how this person would react and pre-empt it with explanation or editing. This is tiring, but I do think it made the result far more robust.

Finally, remember how important this work is. Education is at the root of everything we know and everything we do- understanding it better empowers us enormously to make changes for good. I found it so intellectually exciting to crack open “Geography”; allow yourself to feel assured that you can comment on, critique and change the way that people learn.