Transcript Preparing to teach the new A level History

Preparing to teach the new A Level
History
Roy Whittle Chair of GCE Examiners
AQA
Contextual Issues
• New vs Old and student choice Year 11 and Year 12
• The role of AS: the case against
• The role of AS: the case for
2013 AS entry was 70,194: 2014 A level entry was
52,131: so 74% of the original AS entry passed A level,
or did not proceed to A Level. Currently, AS sifts and
sorts.
‘Examinations only have meaning when significant
numbers fail’
The A/AS Level Standard and linearity
• Ofqual: ‘standards not to be recalibrated’
• A Level is currently 50% AS and 50% A2: so what is the
A level standard?
• AS standard reflected in task and outcomes as reflected
in Level Descriptors e.g.
‘Labour lost the 2015 election because it had a weak
leader’. (AS)
‘Labour lost the 2015 election because it failed to
respond to the ‘aspirational’ and appeared out of
touch’. (A Level)
Does entry to AS inhibit development of key qualities?
Meeting the revised Assessment
Objectives
• Enhanced role of AOs
• AO1: ‘Demonstrate, organise and communicate
knowledge and understanding to analyse and
evaluate key features related to the periods
studied, making substantiated judgements and
exploring concepts, as relevant, of cause,
consequence, change, continuity, similarity,
difference and significance’ (50%-60% of total
marks
• Exploring the concepts and how tested
AO2
• AO2: ‘analyse and evaluate appropriate source
material, primary and/or contemporary to the
period, within the historical context’ (20%25% of total marks
• Relationship between presented material and
knowledge of context is central: provenance;
content/argument and tone.
AO3
• AO3: ‘analyse and evaluate, in relation to the
historical context, different ways in which
aspects of the past have been interpreted’
(20%-25% of total marks)
• How differ and why differ (constraints on
historians, influence of context in which
written etc.)
• Historiography??
‘History in breadth and in depth’
• ‘Breadth’ focus on change and development
over time; on themes and perspectives. How
to combine sound contextual knowledge of
chronology with appreciation of development
over time?
• ‘Depth’ focus more on interplay of
perspectives within narrower focus.
Managing the Course
• ‘Content plus’ (skills to meet assessment; to
meet AOs especially 2 and 3)
• Moving to the A level standard over two years:
when, what to revise?
Coursework: non-examined
assessment
• Common features: candidate to work
independently and work to be marked by
centre and moderated by Boards. Worth 20%
of A Level
• When and how to introduce it and how to
review it?
Conclusion
• The role of ALCAB?
• The degree of change?
• The carrying forward of standards