GCE SOCIOLOGY – 2190
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR TEACHING SCLY1 AND SCLY2
1 SCLY1
a) Rubric
In January 2009, a number of candidates started to answer Question 1
(Culture and Identity), then crossed out their work and started Question 2
(Families and Households). Also, some responses to Question 1 seemed to
be better suited to Question 2. There was also an increase in the number of
candidates who disregarded the rubric and attempted all three questions in
the paper.
Centres should advise candidates about the layout of the question paper and
make sure that candidates are aware of the sequence of the options in the
paper.
2 SCLY2
a) Question 2/5
(i) The structure of Question 2/5
This is a new style of question for this examination; it is important that
teachers and candidates have a clear understanding of the nature of this task.
The question starts with the following statement:
‘This question requires you to apply your knowledge and understanding
of sociological research to the study of this particular issue in education/
health.’
Candidates are then asked to read an Item and:
Using material from the Item, assess the strengths and limitations of one
of the following methods for investigating a particular issue in Education/
Health.
(i) method A
or
(ii) method B
For example, Q2 in January 2009 asked:
‘’Using material from Item B and elsewhere, assess the strengths and
limitations of one of the following methods for investigating boys’
underachievement:
EITHER (i) official statistics
OR (ii) unstructured interviews’’
Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Sociology / Additional Guidance for Teaching SCLY1 and SCLY2 / Version 1.0
Copyright © 2009 2 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm
(ii) What does this task require from candidates?
Question 2/5 focuses on the skill of Application. We can identify a number of
levels of Application skills in answers to these questions.
Level One This is the ‘pure’ methods answer in which candidates present
a list of the strengths and limitations of the selected method
with NO application to either Education or Health in general or
to the specific issue identified in the question.
Level Two At this level, candidates apply their understanding of the
method to researching Education or Health in general.
Typically, this will involve identifying a range of research
characteristics of the social groups involved in Education or
Health (eg teachers and pupils, or medical professionals and
patients) and of likely research settings (eg classrooms and
schools, or hospitals or GP surgeries). These are then linked
to the selected method. Answers that do this effectively will
score in the middle mark band.
Level Three At this level, candidates apply their understanding of the
strengths and limitations of the chosen method to the particular
issue identified in the question and Item B/D. This kind of
answer, done well, will score in the top mark band.
(iii) Reference to studies
There is no expectation that candidates will be able to refer to examples of
sociological studies that used one of the methods in the question. This would
require candidates to cover an immense range of studies in order to use
probably only one example in their answer. However, if candidates do refer
to appropriate studies they will, of course, be rewarded.
(iv) Use of the Item
Item B/D will indicate a number of relevant points about the methods and
about the particular issue specified in the question. There will be two or three
‘hooks’ in the Item for each method that will give candidates some starting
points for application but these must, of course, be developed in the
candidate’s answer.
We strongly recommend that teachers should advise their candidates to read
and use Item B/D carefully in their answers.
Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Sociology / Additional Guidance for Teaching SCLY1 and SCLY2 / Version 1.0
klm Copyright © 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 3
b) Question 1c/4c
Teachers and candidates should be aware that this question requires a short
essay response. This question has eight marks for A01 (knowledge and
understanding) and four marks for the AO2 skills (application, analysis,
interpretation and evaluation). Candidates should be encouraged to not only
present knowledge relevant to the question but to explain, evaluate and
apply it to the question.
For example, Question 1(c) in January 2009 asked:
‘’Outline some of the policies introduced by governments to create an
education market in the United Kingdom.’’
Candidates who presented good knowledge of relevant policies were placed
in the middle mark band. Those who, in addition, explained how these
policies contributed to an education market scored in the top mark band.
Answers that offered some evaluation of the effects of such polices often
moved to the top of the top mark band.
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