Promoting enquiry within
fieldwork
This presentation was developed
jointly by WJEC and FSC and first
given at the GA annual conference
2014
Presentation aims
1. Get students thinking geographically
throughout the enquiry process with a view to
improving current and future assessment
outcomes
2. Explore strategies for engaging students in
fieldwork enquiry
3. Analyse Assessment Objective (AO) weightings
and consider what these tell us about possible
future models of assessment of fieldwork
What is fieldwork for?
1 awe and wonder
Provoke and raise curiosity
Respect for nature and care
for the state of the planet
What is fieldwork for?
2 collaborative working
Enable learners to co-operate, participate and take responsibility
What is fieldwork for?
3 enactive learning
Enable learners to engage with understanding of broad scientific
principles such as spatial patterns, change, and sustainability
What is fieldwork for?
4 learning to think like a geographer
Engaging learners in the enquiry process
A deficit model of fieldwork?
Question
Plan
Observe
Review
Collect
Record
Apply
Represent
Analyse
In some cases
learners have one
opportunity to get
this right
Transmission > tasks
Work scientifically >
think geographically
Question
Plan
Observe
Review
Collect
Record
Apply
Represent
Analyse
Acknowledgement: Margaret Roberts
Creating a need to know
Using data
Asking questions to:
Using primary & secondary data to:

Identify issues / problems

Locate / contextualise the enquiry

Be creative

Collect evidence

Hypothesise

Select evidence

Make links with existing
geographical knowledge

Represent the evidence
Reflecting on learning
Making sense
To be critical in relation to:
Query the evidence to:

Data sources

Analyse

Techniques used / sampling
strategies

Recognise relationships

Reach conclusions

Stakeholder views

Make decisions / solve problems

How the enquiry could be improved

Relate findings to existing knowledge

The value of what was learnt
Closed task
Framed enquiry
Independent
enquiry
Decisions about
fieldwork procedure
are made by teachers.
Data is presented as
authoritative evidence.
Decisions about fieldwork
procedure are made
largely by teachers. Data is
presented as information to
be interpreted.
Students are involved in
key decisions about
fieldwork procedure and
data sources.
Activities devised by
teacher to achieve predetermined objectives.
Students follow
instructions.
Methods of representation
are open to discussion and
choice. Analysis is
independent.
Students independently
analyse evidence and
make decisions / reach
conclusions.
Reflection
Predictable outcomes.
Students discuss what they Students consider the
have learnt; different
validity of evidence /
outcomes.
reliability of data and
methods.
Data
Enquiry questions are
Students decide enquiry
selected by teacher but are questions, framed by
explicit.
teacher input.
Making sense
Questions
A task is presented.
Questions are not
explicit.
Acknowledgement: Margaret Roberts
Acknowledgement: Margaret Roberts
Creating a need to know
Using data
Asking questions to:
Using primary & secondary data to:

Identify issues / problems

Locate / contextualise the enquiry

Be creative

Collect evidence

Hypothesise

Select evidence

Make links with existing
geographical knowledge

Represent the evidence
Does assessment of AO3
focus our attention on a
Reflecting on learning sub-set of fieldwork
Making sense
skills?
To be critical in relation to:
Query the evidence to:


Analyse

Recognise relationships

Reach conclusions

Make decisions / solve problems

Relate findings to existing knowledge
Data sources

Could we assess this sub-set
Techniques used / sampling
of skills using other
strategies
assessment
models?
Stakeholder
views

How the enquiry could be improved

The value of what was learnt

Acknowledgement: Margaret Roberts
Creating a need to know
Using data
Asking questions to:
Using primary & secondary data to:

Identify issues / problems

Locate / contextualise the enquiry

Be creative

Collect evidence

Hypothesise

Make links with existing
geographical knowledge

Reach conclusions
Reflecting on learning
To be critical in relation to:

Data sources

Techniques used / sampling
strategies
Do we provide
Select evidence
opportunities
forthe evidence
 Represent
students to demonstrate
that they can apply their
wider Making
geographical
sense
understanding
to the
Query the evidence to:
study area
– what we
Analyse
currently
term AO2?
 Recognise relationships

Stakeholder views


Make decisions / solve problems
How the enquiry could be improved


Relate findings to existing knowledge
The value of what was learnt
Start with the application (AO2)
What are the wider
geographical issues,
concepts or processes
that underpin the
enquiry in this specific
place?
Inner urban regeneration
Quality of life
Sphere of influence
Gentrification
Positive and negative externalities
Significant changes to AO
weightings in fieldwork
GCSE WJEC CA weightings
reformed GCSE Fieldwork
AOs
What are the
implications when
the weighting for
Application is
increased and
skills decreased?
15% of all assessment
25% of all assessment
Knowledge & understanding
Application
Geographical skills