OCR GCE Geography

AS level (H081)

Fieldwork skills will be assessed within Landscape and Place.

Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 2 days including both human and physical geography.

A Level (H481)

Assessment of fieldwork skills will be within Investigative Geography component.

Fieldwork is required to be undertaken for at least 4 days including both human and physical geography.

AS Level Geography requires learners to:
a) identify appropriate field research questions, based on their knowledge and understanding of relevant aspects of physical and human geography
b) understand how to observe and record phenomena in the field and be able to devise and justify practical approaches taken in the field, (including frequency/timing of observation, sampling, and data collection approaches)
c) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to undertake practical field methodologies appropriate to the investigation of core human and physical processes
d) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of implementing chosen methodologies to collect data/information of good quality that is relevant to the topic under investigation
e) apply existing knowledge and concepts to identify, order and understand field observations
f) show the ability to write a coherent analysis of fieldwork findings and results in order to answer a specific geographical question and to justify conclusions
g) evaluate and reflect on fieldwork investigations.

A Level Geography requires learners to:
a) define the research questions which underpin field investigations
b) research relevant literature sources and understand and write up the theoretical or comparative context for a research question
c) observe and record phenomena in the field and devise and justify practical approaches taken in the field including frequency/timing of observation, sampling, and data collection approaches
d) demonstrate practical knowledge and understanding of appropriate field methodologies
e) implement chosen methodologies to collect data/information of good quality and relevant to the topic under investigation
f) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the techniques appropriate for analysing field data and information and for representing results, and show ability to select suitable quantitative or qualitative approaches and to apply them
g) demonstrate the ability to interrogate and critically examine field data in order to comment on its accuracy and/or the extent to which it is representative, and use the experience to extend geographical understanding
h) apply existing knowledge, theory and concepts to order and understand field observations
i) show the ability to write up field results clearly and logically, using a range of presentation methods
j) evaluate and reflect on fieldwork investigations, explain how the results relate to the wider context and show an understanding of the ethical dimensions of field research
k) demonstrate the ability to write a coherent analysis of fieldwork findings in order to answer a specific geographical question and to do this drawing effectively on evidence and theory to make a well-argued case.