Professional Focus Paper
Course: Modern Studies
1.
Level: National 3
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Modern Studies National 3.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning from 3–18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on attributes and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and
knowledge and understanding. These are delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad
General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE leading to
qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is
likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and
progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on highquality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level, whereas others may enable learners to
work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter. This paper, then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection
and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning which are enhanced or different from
previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the BGE, to meet the needs of learners?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Modern Studies National 3 consists of three Units, providing learners with the opportunity to develop their
knowledge and understanding of contemporary political and social issues in local, Scottish, UK and international
contexts. Learners will develop an awareness of the social and political issues they will meet in their lives.
 Democracy in Scotland and the United Kingdom
 Social Issues in the United Kingdom
 International Issues
MODERN STUDIES
To achieve Modern Studies National 3, learners must pass all of the required Units.
Key aspects of Modern Studies National 3
Modern Studies National 3 builds on the social studies principles and practice advice in addition to the experiences
and outcomes within the People in Society, Economy and Business organiser of the social studies curriculum area.
Integrated approach to skills development
Learners, through a wide range of learning experiences, can develop a range of transferable skills. These include:
identifying and explaining exaggeration; making and justifying decisions; drawing and supporting conclusions and
research and investigation skills. While each skill-set has been allocated to a Unit for assessment purposes, staff
should use imaginative approaches to learning and teaching that embed the development of the skills across all of
the respective Units. Learners will develop a breadth of knowledge across the Unit areas covered within a local,
Scottish, UK or international context. Higher-order thinking skills can be promoted effectively as learners are
encouraged to synthesise information and make reasoned judgments including, for example, in the context of
sources presented on a topical issue.
Personalisation and choice is readily facilitated by study in the Social and International Issues Units as learners
may select topics of most interest to them. For example, this could be undertaken either individually or by groups of
learners as they consider different global issues. Real-life contexts should be used by staff regularly to embed
learners’ understanding of the changing nature of political systems. This is particularly relevant in Modern Studies
with regard to the study of Democracy in Scotland and the UK.
Wider range of evidence of learning
There is a new emphasis on learning that will give rise to naturally occurring evidence and combined assessments.
Staff can make use of a wider range of forms of learning that will lead to this evidence including, for example,
digital or oral presentations; recorded DVD/vide; written work; podcasts and wall displays. Staff should consider
imaginative approaches to learning and teaching that will best reflect the depth and application of learning, thereby
ensuring that the richness of learning experiences leads naturally to the evidence required to meet the respective
outcome and assessment standards.
Hierarchy of Units
Programmes of learning should be planned to encourage learners to aim for the highest level of achievement they
can. The hierarchy of Units in Modern Studies allows staff to adopt flexible approaches, ensuring experiences are
well suited to individual learners. Careful planning will be required for any movement between National 3 and
National 4 so that learners complete all of the necessary outcomes and assessment standards.
Key features of learning in Modern Studies National 3
Active learning
In Modern Studies National 3, learners are encouraged to think independently and apply their opinions and views
to real-life contexts and topical issues. These issues might range, for example, from the conflict in the Middle East
to the prevalence of poverty and inequality in Scotland. Staff should work closely with learners in devising
stimulating programmes of work that allow for personalisation and choice at all levels. Learners can be actively
involved in this process through class debates, staff-led questioning, peer assessment and co-operative learning
strategies.
How will you plan opportunities for learners to take an active role in their learning?
MODERN STUDIES
Learning independently
Learning experiences will enable all learners to continue to develop skills in learning independently, either working
individually or in groups. Learners can develop confidence and self-motivation through activities that offer a choice
of approaches which promote independence. Undertaking independent social research will require learners to be
clear about their own learning needs. An element of self-reliance will be implicit in this process as learners engage
with external organisations, for example, by arranging an interview with an expert in their field of study, such as a
relevant academic.
How will you ensure that learners have opportunities to engage with a broad and challenging range of sources of
evidence?
Responsibility for learning
In Modern Studies, learners are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Staff can promote this by
regularly asking learners to engage with understanding outside of the classroom including, for example, by asking
their parents or carers about any involvement they may have had in a trade union. Furthermore, Modern Studies
allows learners to develop an increased awareness of themselves as learners by promoting personalisation and
choice, particularly so, in the assignment where learners have a broad choice in the area they select for
independent study. Effective teaching will ensure learners are encouraged to take on challenges. For example, a
critical skills-based approach to the global issue of terrorism could provide challenge for all learners. Learning
experiences will also help them to make informed choices through reasoned debate and discussion. Learners
should be involved at all stages in monitoring their own progress including, for example, by maintaining their own
learning logs.
How will you support learners to take responsibility for, and plan, their own learning?
Collaborative learning
Staff should promote collaborative working, independent thinking and learning through interdisciplinary links,
building on those from the BGE. Teamwork approaches readily lend themselves to learning and teaching
approaches in Modern Studies. For example, a role-play exercise on the Children’s Hearing system, a news report
presentation on the main features in a democratic society, or factual displays on responses to international
disputes could provide evidence of effective collaborative working practices. Staff should look to embed roles and
responsibilities for learners within the lessons they create. This could be done, for example, by adopting cooperative learning practices or a critical skills approach that require every learner to be involved.
Ensuring that responsibility is a shared process across the learning will help learners to develop a willingness to
address challenges set by staff collaboratively, while also fostering progression in their interpersonal skills.
How will you ensure that learners have the confidence to take on appropriate roles and responsibilities in
collaborative tasks?
Applying learning
Staff should look to embed thematic approaches to learning and teaching wherever possible to promote effective
learning and skills development across the areas studied. This could be done with regard to rights and
responsibilities, for example, which is an area of learning in the Democracy in Scotland and the UK Unit as well as
in the International Issues Unit.
Extended writing is promoted and credited highly in Modern Studies National 3, so it is important for learners to
have the opportunity to engage in this type of activity in a range of contexts. Exposing learners to a diverse mixture
MODERN STUDIES
of texts will further enable them to develop their critical thinking skills. They might do this by questioning, for
example, the reliability of information presented from a broadsheet and a tabloid newspaper. Learners will become
familiar with statistical information in a range of different formats, such as immigration statistics in the USA or public
opinion surveys on crime in Scotland. This information will be dealt with in a critical manner to prompt learners to
draw conclusions, detect exaggeration and to make a decision based on the evidence presented.
Links with a range of curriculum areas such as mathematics, English and other social subjects are essential to help
learners apply and make connections in their learning. This will help to ensure that their skills are reinforced and
transferrable.
How will you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in different curriculum areas?
MODERN STUDIES
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides practitioners with the following documentation:
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Course Specification
Unit Specification
Course & Unit Support Notes
Unit Assessment Support
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Modern Studies National 3: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/48600.html
4.
What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/curriculumareas/socialstudies/principlesandp
ractice/index.asp
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nationalqualifications/subjects/modernstudies.asp
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2012
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