Environmental risk in Geography schooling in Namibia: Curriculum and classroom representations

Abstract

This paper examines how environmental risks are presented in the Namibian Grade 9 Geography syllabus and represented by teachers’ perceptions in classroom practice. Guided by an interpretive qualitative approach and informed by Beck’s theory of risk society, the study focuses on socioecological framings, scientific and social rationality, and the treatment of local-to-global environmental issues. Data were generated through syllabus document analysis, focus group discussions with three Geography teachers, and classroom observations. Results indicate that while environmental risks are clearly identified in both curriculum and teaching practice, they are frequently represented through simplified cause-and-effect explanations that privilege generalised scientific explanations and factual recall. Social dimensions of risk and global interconnections tend to remain implicit, and classroom representations may involve conceptual inaccuracies or limited opportunities for critical engagement. This paper argues that these patterns reflect how environmental risk is pedagogically represented within practical demands of curriculum coverage and classroom teaching.