Skip to main content

Cardiff Case Studies

We have developed the Cardiff Case Studies initiative to help our contemporary research inform and inspire the teaching of geography in classrooms across the UK.

Developed together with the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, these short research summaries undertaken by our academics are designed to be relevant to school syllabi and can be downloaded by geography teachers and students free of charge.

Topics

Ask a geographer

Ask a question about anything connected to the geography curriculum or geography at university.

Human geography

Explore case studies on cultural, development, economic and social geography, as well as sustainability and the environment.

Physical geography

Discover physical geography with case studies covering issues such as climate change and coastal management.

Research methods

Learn about various research methods used in the field of geography.

Aims

Initially supported by the Higher Education Academy Learning and Teaching Enhancement Fund, the initiative has the following aims:

  • to provide a free resource for school teachers to download and use as examples to support their teaching
  • to provide School-age students with a free resource to download and use as examples in their coursework and exams
  • to improve student awareness of basic university-level skills such as referencing and research method
  • to encourage links between Cardiff University and FE schools
  • to raise awareness of the types of issues covered at university level
  • to increase interest amongst students who have not previously considered studying at university
  • to improve awareness of potential differences in the material covered at A level and in university, therefore supporting a smoother transition into higher education

Using the Cardiff Case Studies

The case studies initiative has been running for several years and our discussions with teachers have revealed that case studies are now being used in numerous ways:

  • illustrating a point or a process and sometimes to provide an alternative perspective
  • starting debates and encouraging critical thinking
  • as additional reading material for interested or more able students
  • stimulating interest in geography
  • learning about research processes, research methods and reporting research
  • informing independent investigation choices
  • practicing referencing skills

We have case studies on topics as diverse as ‘the environmental impacts of major sporting events’ to ‘slum upgrading in the developing world’. In addition to our online resource, in June each year we hold a Case Studies conference for teachers.

Contact

For further inquiries please contact our Student Services team.

School of Geography and Planning