AQA A-Level Psychology: Tackling Tricky Research Methods!

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This course focuses on developing strong foundation in research methods and boosting student performance on the differing types of questions they will face in their A level examinations. All types of exam questions will be considered in terms of their requirements, common mistakes that students make when answering them and strategies to improve the quality of answers produced. Focus will be upon the development of A01, A02 and A03 assessment skills, as a means of producing higher-level responses, with consideration additionally given to strategies that can be employed by students of differing levels of capability. The course will explore creative opportunities in which research methods can be delivered through practical means and embedded throughout the delivery of topics taught in the A level specification. In addition, opportunity will be given for teachers to scrutinise exam-type questions and responses using mark schemes and examiner feedback.

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BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Provide teachers of A-level Psychology the material and confidence to teach Research Methods effectively to all ability ranges
• Obtain exceptional understanding of the key challenge areas and how to teach them
• Gain insight into the content, the exam structure and the how exams are marked.
• Leave with a set of resources and scheme of work
• Understanding of how to differentiate using scaffold and stretch strategies for extended writing questions.

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PROGRAMME

Overview of the AQA A-level Psychology course including challenges and what to expect from pupils

10.00am

• Ensuring students and teachers hit the ground running in September – introducing the scheme of work and baseline assessment
• Recognising which areas will be most challenging for you and how to address these issues
• Identifying your support network and making the most of it – particularly in a small department or single teacher department.
• Ensuring topic areas which create the foundation for success – incorporating them into every lesson.

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Break

10.30am

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Developing strong foundations in teaching Research Methods

10.45 – 11.30am

• Introduction to teaching research methods at A-level
• Lessons learnt from previous examinations.
• Planning for success, teaching methodologies and using retrieval practise to boost student performance
• Structuring the learning through tailored booklets, and use of exam questions and model answers to highlight success criteria and expected standards to students.
• Designing formative assessment and feedback through focussed starters and plenaries into your teaching
• How to use assessment, to identify success and areas for development to track student progress in relation to the AQA Assessment skills

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Tackling Tricky Research Methods Questions

11.30am

• Interleaving topic or specialist focus, a discussion of how to incorporate into the curriculum and implication for how it effects teaching of other content.
• Resources and examples of what works in teaching research methods, how and when to use practicals.
• Statistical tests simplified
• How to maximise marks on ‘design a study’ examination questions
• Exam focus on tricky question; how to help students use and describe statistics

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Implementation strategies to deliver Research Methods

12.00pm

• Pitfalls and easy wins when teaching Research Methods
• Teaching for success; how to support students to remember key concepts and begin to apply them – interleaving and retrieval strategies
• Teaching across the ability range; how to ensure top students are challenged, while not leaving lower ability students behind.
• Methodologies that boost student attainment: how to improve students by one grade, targeting top grades (A-A*).
• Exam questions and model answers, looking at what success looks like, and marking to the AQA specification.

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Lunch

12.45pm

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High impact revision strategies to unlock Research Methods

1.45pm

• Decoding the question and command words
• Ask, explain and connect - elaboration of ideas.
• No cramming - spaced practice
• Switch - interleaving topics.
• Words & Visuals - dual coding
• Examples - concrete relevant examples
• Recall what you know - retrieval practice test.

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Break

2.45pm

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Planning for successful outcomes

2.55pm

• Curriculum issues – Intent, Implementation and assessing Impact.
• Milestones for success, what should students have mastered by the end of year 12
• Assessment timetables, when, what and how and how to balance this with whole school assessment schedules
• Time management – how to plan so that you can mark efficiently and effectively, use of peer assessment

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Ensuring your students are Exam Ready!

3.30pm

• Techniques to recall information and application to examination questions.
• Dissecting examination questions- vocabulary & command words
• Literacy skills – Improving Tier 3 language and reading beyond the specification.
• Assessment skills – A01, A02 & A03
• Techniques to consolidate your responses to examination questions and signposting.
• Examiner expectations - examiners reports and mark schemes.

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Depart

4.00pm