Section B: Fieldwork Skills And Section C: Individual
Overview
Every candidate for this qualification must carry out an individual fieldwork enquiry, and will be examined on it. Not on a coursework folder, not on a write up: on a written paper, in an exam hall, months later, with nothing in front of you but the questions. Paper 3 asks you to name your own enquiry title and then to justify the choices you made, assess the limitations of what you collected, and say how far your conclusions really supported your aim.
That changes how you should treat fieldwork. The marks are not for having good results. They are for understanding what you did and being honest about it, which is why the highest tariff questions on Paper 3 are about limitations and reliability rather than about findings. This lesson takes you through the whole enquiry process, from choosing a question and assessing the risks, through sampling and recording, presenting and analysing, to conclusions and evaluation. It also prepares you for Section B, where the same process is tested on somebody else's fieldwork in a context you have never seen.
Objectives
- All students completing this qualification must engage in an individual fieldwork enquiry, and will be assessed on it through examination in Paper 3.
- Planning the enquiry, defining the aims, deciding on a location for study, setting up a hypothesis or enquiry question and considering the most appropriate methods of data collection.
- Researching the background to the enquiry from secondary sources, including the internet, before embarking on any data collection.
- Considering health and safety aspects of the enquiry.
- Collecting data, from both primary and secondary sources, which must include some element of individual or group research beyond the use of data provided by the teacher.
- Presenting data, using maps, graphs, photographs, field sketches, tables and quotations from interviews as appropriate to the enquiry.
- Analysing the data, using statistical techniques where appropriate.
- Drawing conclusions, with reference to the aims of the enquiry, and showing how the student has developed an increased understanding of the place studied and of the geographical ideas forming the basis of the study.
- Presenting a bibliography, listing sources consulted at the beginning of the enquiry and all sources of data used to supplement the data collected by the student.
- Evaluating all stages of the enquiry process and suggesting how the enquiry could have been improved, and considering how the enquiry could be used or taken forward in the future.
- Strand 1, suitable question for geographical enquiry: the factors that need to be considered when selecting suitable questions or hypotheses; the geographical theory or concept underpinning the enquiry; appropriate sources of primary and secondary evidence, including locations for fieldwork; the potential risks of both human and physical fieldwork and how these risks might be reduced.
- Strand 2, selecting, measuring and recording data appropriate to the chosen enquiry: difference between primary and secondary data; identification and selection of appropriate physical and human data; measuring and recording data using different sampling methods; description and justification of data collection methods.
- Strand 3, selecting appropriate ways of processing and presenting fieldwork data: appreciation that a range of visual, graphical and cartographic methods is available; selection and accurate use of appropriate presentation methods; description, explanation and adaptation of presentation methods.
- Strand 4, describing, analysing and explaining fieldwork data: description, analysis and explanation of the results of fieldwork data; establishment of links between data sets; use appropriate statistical techniques; identification of anomalies in fieldwork data.
- Strand 5, reaching conclusions: draw evidenced conclusions in relation to original aims of the enquiry.
- Strand 6, evaluation of geographical enquiry: identification of problems of data collection methods; identification of limitations of data collected; suggestions for other data that might be useful; extent to which conclusions were reliable.
- Section B of Paper 3 assesses understanding of the enquiry process based on fieldwork in unfamiliar contexts. Section C assesses the individual fieldwork enquiry, for which the title of the enquiry must be identified.
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on Section B: Fieldwork Skills And Section C: Individual. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Which sampling method chooses sites at a regular fixed interval along a transect? A. Random B. Systematic C. Stratified D. Opportunistic Answer: B
- Which of the following is primary data? A. A census table downloaded before the fieldwork B. A published tide table C. Pebble measurements taken by the student on the beach D. A map extract of the study area Answer: C
- What does reliability mean in fieldwork? A. How close a measurement is to the true value B. Whether repeating the method would give the same result C. Whether the data supports the hypothesis D. Whether the equipment was expensive Answer: B
- Which presentation method shows both the value recorded and the place it was recorded? A. A dispersion graph B. A histogram C. Located bar charts on a base map D. A cumulative frequency curve Answer: C
- A student identifies a survey site whose score does not fit the trend of the others. What should be done with it? A. Remove it from the results B. Identify it as an anomaly and suggest a local reason for it C. Change the line of best fit to pass through it D. Ignore it in the conclusion Answer: B
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