Government and Politics Autumn CPD 2012 GP1 and GP2

Skills issues at AS level Better time management/ sustained responses across 2 whole questions Little evidence of planning (esp part (c)) Handwriting issues – illegibility and informality Careless usage of terminology Accuracy issues

Part (a) – many candidates earn 4 or 5 marks. –Better on GP2 than GP1 (slightly) Advice remains: –Define –Develop –Fact or example About 4-5 lines in total Skills issues at AS level

Part (b) Main problems: –Lack of range (only one point made) –Essay response (too long) –Descriptive response (explanation is needed) –Lists without development –Insufficient use of extract Skills issues at AS level

Part (b) advice remains: –3 factors or reasons is about right (3 paragraphs) –At least 1 will be in the extract –Need to explain not just describe PEEL formula, ‘explain’ words (see Teacher Guide) –No requirement for an introduction and conclusion Skills issues at AS level

Part (c) – improving slowly! Too many candidates with good knowledge stuck at level 2 Too many essays that are a list of points; no indication of how they answer the question set Too much description; not enough focus and analysis Incorrect assertions/ generalisations Skills issues at AS level

What ensures candidates reach level 3 for part (c)? –Deal with the view in the question first – range, arguments, focus/ structure –Deal with counter-arguments next – range, arguments, focus/structure –Cover most/ all of the topic area in the spec - range –Relevant example for each paragraph – range and depth –Apply K&U to specific question set (PEEL), no ‘model answers’ – depth, arguments, focus –Brief introduction, conclusion that sums up overall answer to question set – arguments, focus/structure AO1 AO2 AO3 Skills issues at AS level

Implications for teaching: –Balance of content teaching to skills teaching –Progressive development of skills –Skills practice/ use of scripts –Clarity about what is examined in each topic area (Teacher Guide) –Need to build in identification of examples –Balance of range to depth: candidates need to be able to adapt and use the range of knowledge they have, and develop it Skills issues at AS level

Issues of content – GP1 Topic 1 – models of voting behaviour, importance of partisan alignment today, knowledge of core voting for major and minor parties Topic 2 – focus on systems in the specification: FPTP, AMS, STV, AV is not there (and not in use in UK). Accuracy of knowledge of how they work. Referendums are not an electoral system (see Teacher Guide)

Topic 3 – detailed knowledge across a range of parties, factions, examples of parties’ impact, Wales Topic 4 – examples of pressure group success (case studies?), New Social Movements Issues of content – GP1

Topic 1 – the judiciary, range of arguments about whether the UK needs a written constitution, how the British Constitution works in practice Topic 2 – detailed K&U of the 3 functions in the specification for both Westminster and Wales: how they work, and how effective they are Issues of content – GP2

Topic 3 – the dynamism and interdependence of the institutions of the Core Executive, recent developments, examples of special advisors at Westminster and Wales levels Topic 4 – local government Issues of content – GP2