This chapter concerns the views of knowledge adopted in the Swedish curriculum for state schools in an international context. It addresses how geographical and spatial thinking are expressed with regard to the subject specific abilities expected of students who learn geography. The introductory section highlights the current view of knowledge in the Swedish curriculum, explains how subject specific abilities for geography have been defined and used in the Swedish context, and describes their application in state schools. Importantly, these subject abilities are considered in relation to thinking both geographically and spatially. The research that underpins this chapter was conducted using a variety of qualitative methods: specifically, interviews with key people involved in the process of drafting education policy documents and analysis of such documents used in the making of the state curriculum. Interviews have been conducted with one of the authors of the curriculum, and with others responsible for curriculum development at the National Agency for Education. Policy documents from the Swedish Ministry of Education, from the National Agency for Education, and from curriculum developers have also been analysed. This chapter includes research findings based on the analysis of such material and reflections about how these sources of evidence can increase our knowledge of thinking geographically and spatially.

Geography as a school subject varies in different nations. This comparative study is based on legitimation code analysis of the two countries’ Geography National Curriculum in compulsory secondary education (Year7-9) respectively. It follows with a school case study on Chinese and Swedish teachers' interpretation about development topic in their teaching, which is the process of re-contextualisation in practical classroom when transforming the idea on the paper to action in teaching. The main outcomes show how knowledge is described in the curriculum standards, and the teachers' case study gives insight in how and in what ways we could transform the hypothesis to practice, thus enhance the view of knowledge in the curriculum.

The Swedish school system comprises three school types: preschool, compulsory school (9 years) and secondary school (3 years). The latest curriculum reform was completed in 2011, updating policy documents and restructuring syllabuses, clarifying subject specific abilities and knowledge requirements. In 2012, national tests in geography were instituted for years 6 and 9, yielding support for equal and fair assessment, and concretizing curriculum and syllabus. National tests have proved to be the single most important factor for accomplishing a change of teachers’ teaching. The purpose of this article is to discuss teaching, progression and assessing pupils’ knowledge in the geography subject. Three didactic issues in teaching and knowledge assessment, purpose, content, and method, are furthermore highlighted.