Teaching geography to non-traditional students: inducting, nurturing and retaining them

The Department of Environmental and Biological Studies at Liverpool Hope Un iversity College recruits an above-average number of students who could be classified as 'non-traditional'. Many are mature and many have gained entry to higher education via routes other than A level [1]. In addition, and in creasingly, many have selected or been allocated to the first-year geograph y modules with little or no experience of geography education. These studen ts undertake a carefully structured programme of small-group teaching, desi gned to induct and train them in the practices of higher education and thro ugh which they are introduced to key geographical concepts. This paper high lights some of the issues arising from teaching non-traditional students an d identifies as case studies elements of the programme, which support the d evelopment of students' skills and geographical understanding.