| Summary: | In the U.S., educators and policy-makers (both federal and state) view the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) programme as a measure of educational excellence. State and federal subsidies and the use of AP examinations scores as an admissions 'tool' by U.S. universities have aided the programme's growth. However, growing scepticism and questions regarding the 'integrity' of the programme, suggest that much of the 'AP experience' maybe superficial, lacking in depth and scope. In Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG), teaching and learning 'covers' definitions of terms, the vocabulary of the topics and case studies. My research focuses on a portrayal of APHG and in particular attempts to understand the knowledge constructed and produced by the teachers and students. Through this study, teaching and learning in three APHG classrooms are revealed. It sheds light on the experiences of three teachers and their students in their contextual situations. The study addresses the research questions: what and how is knowledge constructed and produced in APHG lessons? The data, obtained using qualitative-interpretive approaches, is based on interviews, lesson observations, video recorded lessons, questionnaire completion and journal entries. The data strongly suggest that a single textbook defines the scope and limits of geographical knowledge transacted for much of the APHG experience. Additionally, the data suggest that the textbook supersedes the experiential knowledge of the students and the impact of the teachers, who also rely heavily on the authorised knowledge of the textbook. My research data, interpreted through the 'lens' of critical pedagogy, re-visits the debate on power and knowledge. My study takes a fresh look at the authentic classroom experience and provides new and deeper understanding of APHG.
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