Making an Impact with Fieldwork Expeditions

1. Making an Impact with FieldworkExpeditions Paul Baker Chair of GA ISSIG MANCHESTER 2015

2. Making an Impact • As Mark Higginbottom , our President, has as a Conference Theme ‘What impact does geography as a subject and academic discipline, have on young people?’ • This lecture followed by the Workshop with Peter Price and Howard Collison will cover impacts of ‘FIELDWORK’ on the Geography of young people and allow you to talk with others about how you are going to plan for the new GCSE and A Level Fieldwork requirements.

3. Why me • Taught Geography for 38 years before retiring in 2008. • 30 of these years as Head of Geography Department in 3 Schools. • Since 1970 I have taken thousands of pupils to locations in UK or abroad on fieldwork expeditions. Locations have included Arran , Snowdonia, the Lake District, Dorset, Oxford and overseas in France, Morocco, Brazil, Japan, Kenya and Borneo. • Since retiring from the classroom I have lead 4 teams of Year 12 and 13 students into the Danum Valley Rainforest in Sabah on Earthwatch Expeditions working with University Scientists on Rainforests and Climate Change. Also my work with the GA, as a member of theRGS Education Committee as a Council member and part of the Education team (as a volunteer) at Earthwatch has kelp me busy • I organise and lead teams of Year 12 and 13 students on Geography Scientific Expeditions in Borneo, South Africa an the Caribbean. (Earthwatch will be extending their programme for Year 12 and 13 Students in 2016)

4. PLAN • Very briefly some general impacts such as Health and Safety and Planning and some wider impacts for learning • Then Impacts on The Students Schools Scenery/ location • The impact of the new GCSE fieldwork and the AS/A level fieldwork project • Finally some questions and thoughts I hope from you.

5. Human Impact!

6. Planning Impact !

7. Un-foreseen Impact!

8. Also • I want to talk about Learning. • But not as Carl Rogers once called lifeless, sterile, futile, quickly forgotten stuff that is crammed into mind of the poor helpless individual tied into his seat by ironclad bonds of conformity • I am talking about LEARNING in the outdoors, that is FIELDWORK !

9. The Wider Impact on students Co-operation New experiences

10. The Impact of the Scenery on the Students Amazing scenery further away or nearer to home

11. SPECTACULAR LEARNING

12. The possible Impact of the New Fieldwork in Exams. TEACHERS SCHOOLS New A Level &GCSE ( 2 GCSE days contrasting studies and 4 days A Level (2 AS and 2 A2) for Fieldwork- how do we arrange this around other commitments. How long is a day? Time Workload Where you take your Fieldwork Expeditions Planning of Groups Costs Assessment

13. Different Approaches to fieldwork Field Excursion Hypothesis Testing

14. And Discovery Fieldwork Earth Fieldwork -Sensory

15. Some of the Impacts on Students that are often quoted • Increased motivation and enthusiasm for the subject • Improve their range of field and data handling skills • Opportunity to relate to peers and teachers in new physical and social setting • Creation of both physical and intellectual challenges • Contribution to personal and social development • Growth in self -confidence and self –esteem • Growth in respect for others and emphasis on collaboration rather than competition

16. IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING OF GEOGRAPHY (adapted from Kinder 2013,Caton 2010,Job1996 and Dfes 2006) Aim Outcome Conceptual- developing knowledge and understanding Skills related to allow data collection, presentation and analysis with real data Aesthetic allowing sensitivity to and appreciation of built and natural environments. Values related so developing empathy with views of others and care for and about the environment Social and personal development so allowing personal learning and thinking skills. Independent Enquiry. Critical thinking, decision making and team work Improve academic achievement and a bridge to higher order learning often through informal learning Skills and independence in different environments, and the ability to Simulation, inspiration and improved motivation. Nurturing creativity Development of active citizens and stewardship This allows engagement and relevancy for learners, it challenges and gives them opportunity to take acceptable risks. Improves attitudes to learning and often encourages students to take the subject.

17. Photograph 1 FUN AND LEARNING

18. Photograph 2 GIVING STUDENTS CONTRASTING ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCES

19. AND EXPERIENCE AWE AND WONDER

20. Impact on Schools - progression Key Stage 3 NEW GCSE Requirements Use of GIS Need for Fieldwork in contrasting localities to collect, analyse and draw conclusions from geographical data Need to use multiple sources of increasingly complex information Start to learn how to develop Fieldwork questions/hypothesis students must be offered “different approaches to fieldwork undertaken in at least two contrasting environments” and schools must confirm that they have offered all students these opportunities.

21. What will be required with the new A Level Fieldwork AS A level physical and human geography field research questions observe and record phenomena devise and justify practical approaches apply existing knowledge and concepts to the field coherent analysis of findings independent investigation may be any focus question or issue defined and developed by the student data collected individually or in groups draw on the student's own research and/or secondary data independently contextualise, analyse and draw conclusions

22. Rich Process of Learning from Fieldwork prior to GCSE and Post 16 Exams As Alan Kinder recently wrote about Fieldwork • What is needed is developing investigative skills, so teaching the boys and girls to become geographers or scientists rather than just teaching them about the subject. This may go right back to KS 3 but needs to be progressively taught before GCSE. • Experience the ‘messy’ world by observing phenomena in context and begin to make sense of this complexity, initially through careful observation and primary data collection.

23. Geographical skills that will be needed • Different types of geographical information, including qualitative and quantitative • Well-evidenced conclusions and extended written argument • Interviews, coding, sampling and ethical issues • Digital, geo-located data • Descriptive & inferential statistics & correlation • Sampling, measurement and errors • The need to develop individual Fieldwork questions/hypothesis

24. A Level Fieldwork • A level specifications must ensure that the fieldwork knowledge, understanding and skills are assessed (a) within one independent student investigation involving (but not restricted to) fieldwork and (b) within appropriate examinations questions. The independent investigation must: • be based on a question or issue defined by the student, relating to any of the core or non-core content, and bearing a title individual to that student • incorporate field data and/or evidence from field investigations • draw on the student's own research and/or secondary data and to submit independent project titles/hypotheses even if took place on a group fieldtrip. • require the student to independently contextualise, analyse and draw conclusions • involve presentation of data and findings, and extended writing

25. THE RECOGNITION OF FIELDWORK Fieldwork became embroiled in an urgent debate about its position in the new qualifications. WHY: • The debate was about the contested viewpoint that fieldwork may be ‘good for learning but not for assessment’ • There are serious difficulties in rewarding aspects of learning from fieldwork in terminal exams. To quote Alan Kinder ‘Enquiry process underpinning fieldwork involves students posing questions, gathering and processing data, shifting through evidence and creating detailed analysis.’

26. Impact on Quality and Quantity • My apologies if this teacher is in the room: But teacher wrote to Ofqual during the debate and I quote: ‘We are in great danger of valuing only what we feel is easy to measure, not working out how to measure and what is truly valuable’ My feeling now is that this has been partly resolved but I am still concerned on how Schools will make sure that Fieldwork with all the other pressures on the students will be valued and quality and quantity ensured.

27. How will A Level be assessed? • Ofqual have recently given the AO’s a choice which they can decide on – they can choose for the Project to be either externally marked by them or internally marked by the Schools and then moderated by the AO’s . But I am sure as others are that the Moderation will be more intense than we have seen in the past by AO’s • But what will cost to school be and the impact on the School and Award Organisations • If investigations are to be internally assessed rather than externally assessed? Issues of workload and internal assessment. • There is concern about validity of internal and external differences in marking during moderation and loss of faith! Will Schools choose a different Exam Board depending how the Project to be marked despite it not being the one they would have first gone for? • Being internally assessed there would need to be clear guide lines on set up and expectations of the individual projects and on how 4 days in the field are expected to be spent?

28. My thoughts and questions on the various issues on the New A Level Fieldwork • I feel it should be internally marked with robust external moderation. • There will be a challenge on the time spent in considering it represents 20% of the A level. • Maybe there should there be only a proportion of work to be moderated by Award organisations. • What role should an interview of candidates be by Awarding Organisations to determine that the work is their own and internal marking is in-line with what is expected

29. Whatever happens • CPD will be essential on marking, guidance on fieldwork requirements, moderation, time. • Therefore the GA and the RGS will have a vital role to play and it is good to see the launch of the Year of Fieldwork. • Watch out for this and all the CPD that will be available

30. School organised Package or The Field Study Centre Package- some ideas! • At GCSE two contrasting landscapes = 2 days of Fieldwork School organised likely but could be combined with another Department? Overseas or in UK. But also skills needed too so do you start you GCSE Field work by having a Skills based fieldwork day at KS3? • At A level – 2 days in Year 12 for AS and 2 Days in Year 13 for A2. Options of combining AS and A2 Students for one 4/5 day course at Field Study Centre. • For the A2 Project 5 days at a Field Centre collecting data and starting the Project while you are there • Options available to suit you and I hope that you have talked to the organisations who are here at this Conference Exhibiting. BUT whatever you do you will need to spend some time teaching your students how to develop their individual question/hypothesis that is required for making the Projects individual pieces of work as required by the AO’s .

31. The IMPACTS OF THE NEW GCSE and A LEVEL FIELDWORK STUDENTS – NUMBERS,TIME, INDIVIDUALITY,QUALITY SCHOOLS- COST ,PLANNING, QUANTITY,QUALITY, ASSESSMENT STAFF- TIME, PLANNING, CHOICE OF PROGRAMME TO ENSURE QUANTITY AND QUALITY, ASSESSMENT BUT HELP IS AT HAND FROM THE YEAR OF FIELDWORK CPD THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AND FROM ALL THE FIELD STUDY ORGANISATIONS .

32. A FINAL thought for you to consider and how you are going to cope with this possibility ?Is the Fieldwork Project going to have an impact on numbers taking up Geography post 16 ? Will quotes like those below from students I have taken in the past be still possible? • ‘The fieldtrip has definitely inspired me’ • ‘It is extremely rewarding to think that our work will help in a small way with the research that is being carried out’ • ‘I can honestly say that the fieldwork expedition was one of the best experiences of my life!’ Plenty for us all to ponder and please do by Attending Workshop 57 after this Lecture which leads on from this

33. THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK