1. An individual investigation: How to get it right
Preparing for independent individual enquiry

2. What we’re covering in today’s workshop
Focus on Key Stage 3 onwards.
Progressive development of fieldwork
Requirements of new A-Level and antecedents

3. What we’re not covering today
Fieldwork at reception and Key Stage 2 (though the session’s resources may still be of interest)
The argument for fieldwork – we’ve provided papers in the session resources that delineate this if you need to convince SLT.
How to overcome school-specific problems – we’ve provided suggestions for overcoming constrained staffing, money, location, experience and curriculum time.
Assessment – we’ve provided GA information on progression and assessment.

4. Terminology
NEA (Non-examination assessment) Individual investigation Coursework All relate – to different extents – to independent fieldwork

5. Fieldwork in the new curriculumAS
2 days fieldwork from CORE
1 Physical/1 Human
Assessed by exam
A-Level
4 days fieldwork
Physical and Human
NEA: any part of the A-Level
words
20% of A-Level
GCSE
Two contrasting environments
Two separate occasions
Assessed by exam
Will assess at least 2 of the 6 stages identified in the enquiry process
15% of GCSE

6. Independent Investigation
The purpose of this coursework is to test students’ skills in independent investigation.
Students are required to undertake an independent investigation that involves (but which need not be restricted to) fieldwork.
Students are required to complete a minimum of four days of fieldwork.
This fieldwork must relate to processes in both physical and human geography.
It must also provide an introduction to the nature and process of a high- quality geographical enquiry.

7. The ideal student
Is confident and experienced; able to cope with unexpected results and failure(s). Is capable of identifying questions for a given fieldwork location and subsequently formulating a testable (null) hypothesis Possess the specific specialist vocabulary to coherently describe locations, deconstruct them and describe possible investigations Understands appropriate statistical tests, including confidence levels, and the data required for their use. Analyses effectively, synthesising knowledge, data and statistics. Critically evaluates all stages of their investigation.

8. Resilience. Confidence. Experience
Curriculum changes offer a generational opportunity to integrate fieldwork and develop fundamental skills.
Powerful argument for progressive fieldwork experiences – A-Level rigour requires progressive prior experiences
Opportunities to build learner and teacher experience
Novelty / ‘Risky fieldwork’

9. Activity Choose a stimulus photograph (3 difficulty levels provided):
Identify questions
Determine a testable hypothesis
Outline data you’d collect
Describe statistical tests you’d utilise to analyse data
Anticipate problems
What aspects are most challenging for your table?
Which would most challenge your students?

10. The New A-Level. Rigour and autonomy.
Many current students will find the increased independence and rigour of the A- level daunting. It will be difficult for students unless they have the prior experience necessary to have developed the skills required.

11. Allowed Provide advice about Health & Safety, and ethical issues.
Check student’ titles and tell them whether or not it is likely to meet the assessment criteria.
Encourage collaboration to plan methodologies and sampling strategies.
Providing students with a theme (or list of themes) for them to choose for their independent investigation.
Students can work in small groups to collect primary data.
Students can take their work home (but must be reminded that external help is malpractice).
Time – there is not specified limit.
Sharing of resources.
Students may have exactly the same titles.

12. Not allowed
Creating a resource booklet for students which includes model answers and templates.
Marking draft work and providing specific and individual guidance.
Students working in small groups to collect secondary data.
Creating a list of titles from which students select their title.
Students working in small groups to present, interpret or draw conclusions from their data.

13. Preparing pupils - make a plan
The new KS3 curriculum describes routine fieldwork incorporating map work and GIS in contrasting locations.
It describes increasing complexity, and that pupils should become comfortable finding and using multiple sources of information.
There is natural progression to the requirements of the new GCSEs, and subsequently the new AS and A-Level.
Plan for the medium-term, and support pupils as well as you can in the interim.

14. Complete an audit

15. Plan progression (Closed | Framed | Negotiated)

16. Things to consider
There are lots of opportunities to develop fieldwork skills. Incorporating them regularly is less onerous and more effective.
Students need fieldwork skills flagged and clear feedback about their achievements and progression.
Learning theory suggests best practices for progression.

17. Social Constructivism
We learn about the world only through actively making sense of it outselves
Each individual sees and understands the world separately
We don’t ‘add’ knowledge, we incorporate new understanding and reconstruct our view of the world
Emphasis on role of other people in helping us make sense of the world – interactions, participation, sharing, discussing, debating.

18. Social Constructivism - implications
You must consider existing knowledge and ways of understanding when planning fieldwork
You must allow time to explore new information nand relate it to existing knowledge, providing opportunities to reshape and reconstruct understanding.
Pupils should be made aware of the way they see the world and that all knowledge has been constructed.

19. Vygotsky – Zone of Proximal Development
Students can achieve beyond their abilities if supported in their ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD).
The ZPD is limited though varies between learners.
Conceptual learning is developed in collaboration, whether with a teacher (scaffolding) or a peer.
Co-operation today improves independence tomorrow.

20. Vygotsky – implications
Fieldwork enquiry should begin with what pupils can already do.
They will make faster progress if supported in their ZPD
Delivery must account for different abilities, ZsPD, and that pupils will be unable to exceed their ZPD (tasks should be scoffolded by the teacher to prevent a hard landing).

21. What does fieldwork scaffolding look like?
Reduce the number of steps
Maintain pursuit of the goal – risk the next step!
Notice inconsistencies
Control frustration and risk
Demonstrate idealised outcomes
Get children involved and represent tasks in terms they understand
Adapt and develop concepts
Externalise learning (explain how they’re doing something)
Reviewing process of learning and its worth

22. Complex interactions Scaffolding incorporates complex interactions.
Teachers need precise knowledge of the characteristics and existing knowledge of learners, and secure knowledge of fieldwork.
The greatest effect on attainment is created by teacher expectations, early interventions, formative evaluation, and opportunities for discussion (both in the field and in the classroom before and after fieldwork)

23. Ideas

24. Top Trumps Used to develop understanding of locations and environments
Application of understanding
Development of sampling strategies

25. Taunton Minehead Bishops Lydeard Watchet Williton Wiveliscombe
Population:
58241
Population:
11699
Population:
1975
Population:
3710
People per hectare:
People per hectare:
People per hectare:
People per hectare:
35.04
30.00
37.98
40.33
Mean age: 38
Mean age: 47
Mean age: 42
Mean age: 41
% homes owned outright:
% homes owned outright:
% homes owned outright:
% homes owned outright:
70.48
53.65
68.94
61.53
Williton
Wiveliscombe
Carhampton
Dunster
Population:
2599
Population:
2084
Population:
780
Population:
489
People per hectare:
People per hectare:
People per hectare:
People per hectare:
27.36
35.32
29.17
21.03
Mean age: 48
Mean age: 42
Mean age: 44
Mean age: 49
% homes owned outright:
% homes owned outright:
% homes owned outright:
% homes owned outright:
59.41
67.07
38.37
43.27

28. Interception Evapo-transpiration Dew point Stem-flow Run-off
Condensation
Stem-flow
Run-off
Infiltration
Through-flow
Saturation

29. Interception Evapo-transpiration Dew point Stem-flow Run-off
Condensation
Stem-flow
Run-off
Infiltration
Through-flow
Saturation

30. Observation skills Verbal field sketches ‘Geography Parrot’
Breaking News

31. Verbal field sketches In pairs facing each other
Person A describes. Person B marks according to a predefined mark scheme
The twist..... Person A is describing the landscape behind them, without looking.

32. So what? ‘Geography Parrot’ Only ever says one sentence...
Encourages next steps on from
labels in field sketches
Begins to consider
Processes
Consequences
Implications
Future scenarions

33. ‘Breaking News’ Brief summary Information (including details/facts)
Either as preparation to the study or on-site
News Headlines
Brief summary
Information (including details/facts)
Analysis
Letters to the Editor

34. Developing Questions Questions are generated through observation
Best done prior to fieldwork to enable ‘whole enquiry’ approach
In-situ questioning allows ‘anomalies’ to de identified

35. My best fieldwork Each of you has a best fieldwork experience.
Discuss these and write a sentence that describes the qualities of a best experience. Consider:
Location
Duration
Age
Skills
Long-term effects