A-Level General Studies

Rationale for General Studies at Frances Bardsley School

A-level General Studies offers a breadth of knowledge that is necessary for everyone to possess in our increasingly complex and ever-changing world.

Most A-levels are designed for students to learn particular subjects in depth. This is perfect if a course in further education is the aim of students, or if they are particularly interested in a specific area of knowledge. However, in-depth study is not sufficient to enable students to take advantage of the many opportunities that could become available when they leave Frances Bardsley School.

The world is becoming increasingly more globalised on many different levels so that people can have very different views of the world depending upon where they are in the world or in life. It is increasingly important to be able to look at issues from different perspectives and to analyse them in different ways. It is also important to be able to communicate with different types of people at different positions in society. A-level General Studies offers the opportunity to learn more about the world, and to gain the skills necessary to maximise students’ opportunities in the world.

Many businesses and universities recognise this, and are increasingly aware that it is important to have members of their institutions that are also aware of the issues that arise in a complex multi-dimensional society. So it is important that everybody has the skills necessary to have access to equal opportunities within the real world. The Frances Bardsley School for Girls considers this a duty to instil into all students who attend the Sixth Form here.

A/S General Studies at Frances Bardsley

There are three modules:

– Culture, Morality, Arts and Humanities

– Science, Mathematics and Technology

– Society, Politics and the Economy

We us the OCR examining board because it offers both students and staff the greatest flexibility: the syllabus number is 3831

Some of the specification is taught in the General studies lessons, but the content of Y12 Religious Studies and Y12 Citizenship lessons which together make up a whole package. Unfortunately, attendance at General Studies, Religious Studies and Citizenship lessons is compulsory for everybody because of the reasons above.

Every year students do get A-grades at General Studies. However, you will have to attend all lessons and you will need to work hard in lessons; you will need to be on time to lessons; you will need to bring all materials you need; you will need to work hard and fast outside lessons in ‘free’ periods; you will need to do homework tasks and assessments and hand them in on time.

We will try and make the general studies course as interesting as possible, e.g. with

– Active workshops

– Whole year teaching

– Class based discussions

– Group work

– Two investigations

– Outside speakers (if we have the money)

– Forms to fill in

– Etc., etc.

A Word of Advice

The gap between GCSE and A-level is immense. It can be very daunting and you may need to re-think ways of doing things. Don’t be put off. If you are struggling with any aspect of the General studies course then come and ask myself, Mr. Fowler and other members of the General Studies and Sixth Form tutor teams for help. Don’t just sit there grizzling and doing nothing.

OCR GENERAL STUDIES CONTENT

5.1 Culture, Morality, Arts and Humanities

Content

Beliefs, Values and Moral Reasoning (AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to make informed judgements within the following

subject areas:

• knowledge, belief and unbelief;

• the roles of instinct, indoctrination, personal experience, reason, faith and revelation;

• formative influences: family, friends, neighbourhood, school, workplace, media, leisure,

travel and literature;

• matters of conscience and public morality; the limits of tolerance.

Aspects of Culture (AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to work out what various cultures have in

common as well as understand and appreciate their distinctive characteristics. Apart from

being able to comment on contemporary western society, candidates should be able to

identify the salient features of the following:

• the culture of any minority group, whether determined by age, locality, race, social

class, religion or special interests (e.g. sport or popular culture);

• evolving or conflicting cultures.

Media and Communication (AS)

After they have considered a range of media including newspapers, magazines, periodicals,

film, video, TV and the Internet, candidates should be given the opportunity to apply

themselves to the following aspects:

• ways in which the media influence public opinion;

• moral issues arising from the activity of the media;

• current developments within media and communications.

Religious Experience and its Alternatives (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to analyse and evaluate both religious and nonreligious

views of life and to recognise and develop sensitive attitudes towards the differing

and deep convictions of the various groups within any society. In particular, they will be

expected to focus on the following topics:

• central tenets of any one religion and how they are translated into day-to-day living;

• substitutes for religion: humanism, nationalism, materialism, hedonism and their

practical implications in everyday life.

Creativity and Innovation (A2)

Candidates should be asked to communicate their awareness of the creative process and

what it produces by exploring the interplay of motivation, form, technique and subject matter

in:

• architecture;

• fashion;

• painting;

• photography;

• sculpture;

• the stage;

• the screen;

• music of all kinds;

• literature (novels and poetry).

Candidates should be familiar with at least two of these nine areas.

Aesthetic Evaluation (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to show an informed personal response to the

areas outlined above in Section 5. In particular, they should bear such considerations as the

following in mind in each example they discuss:

• the quality and extent of its appeal to the individual and in a wider sphere;

• its effect on the individual and on society;

• whether it is sufficient in itself (i.e. art for art’s sake) or has a message or practical

application;

• its relationship with and treatment of reality and its subject matter (e.g. nature, artificial

objects, humanity, society).

5.2 Science, Mathematics and Technology

Content

Characteristics of the sciences (physical, life and earth) (AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to discuss and make informed judgements on

such contemporary issues as:

• greenhouse gases and global warming, energy and transport, space exploration;

• population dynamics, genetic engineering and biotechnology, health and fitness, fertility

control, organ transplantation;

• conservation and environmental pollution.

Understanding of scientific methods, principles, criteria and their applications

(AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to understand the variety of scientific methods

including:

• induction and classification;

• hypothesis testing and deduction, theory and law;

• modelling, forecasting and reliability;

• experimental design;

• the role of time scale.

Mathematical reasoning and its application (AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to understand and be able to interpret a variety of

mathematical techniques and their applications including:

• the layout of data sets;

• amounts and sizes: units, area, volume, diagrams, perimeter;

• scales and proportion: axes, graphs, ratio, charts;

• statistics: mean, median, mode, distribution, sampling and probability;

• formulae: percentages and rates, equations, indices and conversions.

The nature of scientific objectivity and the question of progress (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to analyse and evaluate scientific objectivity with

a sensitive appreciation of the development of science through the study of such topics as:

• disease control and health;

• gravitational motion;

• longitude;

• the impact of information and communication technology.

Biography and autobiography of important scientists should be explored, e.g. Darwin,

Hawking, Russell, Bohr, Huxley (heart transplant pioneer), Von Braun, Barnard (Aldous,

Elspeth or Julian), Crick and Watson.

Moral responsibility: the social, ethical and environmental implications of

scientific discoveries and technological development (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to explore the implications of scientific discoveries

and technological developments such as:

• nuclear energy and fossil fuels;

• telecommunications;

• food supply and distribution;

• herbicides, pesticides and organic production;

• waste disposal and recycling;

• weapons and peace keeping;

• prospective inventions.

The relationship between technology, science, culture (past and/or present) and

ideology (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to explore the relationships between technology,

science, culture and ideology through such topics as:

• resource exploitation;

• sustainability and stewardship;

• industry and ecology;

• intermediate technology and development;

• natural hazards and disasters.

5.3 Society, Politics and the Economy

Content

Political Systems, Processes and Goals (AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to make informed judgements and to demonstrate

appropriate skills and the extent of their knowledge and understanding of some of the

following:

• political parties in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland; leading political

figures; areas of political controversy;

• voting trends: in UK elections; why people might vote in a particular way; the use of

referenda; the use and value of opinion polls;

• what governments and political parties in the UK seek to achieve; political issues and

why they are important in the UK and EU.

The nature of objectivity in Social Sciences (AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to :

• explore disagreements in the social sciences: distinguishing between facts and

opinions; making judgements on social, economic and political issues.

Social and Economic Constraints (AS)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to make informed judgements and to demonstrate

appropriate skills and the extent of their knowledge and understanding of the following:

• how education, housing provision, health services and social benefits affect the lives of

different people; problems in providing the various social services;

• work and leisure: changes in the jobs people do; unemployment; the world of work and

work experience; how people spend their leisure time; facilities for leisure in different

communities;

• the division of wealth among different social classes; wage and salary levels for

different jobs and why they vary;

• travel and transport in the community; provision and quality of bus and rail services; the

use of private transport; travelling to work.

Ideologies and Values (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to demonstrate appropriate skills, the extent of

their knowledge and a critical awareness in the analysis and evaluation of the following:

• important political ideologies and how they may influence values held by individuals

and groups in the community; the ways in which ideologies might be promoted by

different groups in the community;

• important current social, economic and political issues and the way in which they are

influenced by different views and values;

• life in different communities and how it might reflect and be influenced by ideologies

and values.

Explanation and Evaluation of Human Behaviour (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to demonstrate appropriate skills and the extent

of their knowledge and understanding in the analysis and evaluation of the following:

• research methods used in the social sciences and their reliability; how different views

are formed and expressed;

• influences on human behaviour: how far people are influenced by their background,

thinking, personal circumstances, environment and the views of others;

• human behaviour and how it is reflected in social, political and economic life: how

people can influence social, political and economic issues;

• community life and relationships.

The Relationship between Law, Culture and Ethics (A2)

Candidates should be given the opportunity to demonstrate appropriate skills and the extent

of their knowledge and understanding and their awareness of the implications of some of the

following:

• crime and law enforcement: crime trends; the causes of crime and how they might be

tackled; the police, their operation and the difficulties of law enforcement;

• the law and important ethical and cultural dilemmas: including privacy; secrecy;

abortion; euthanasia; discrimination against groups, races or individuals; the

legalisation of drugs; animal rights;

• obeying the law: why pressure groups are necessary and how they operate; legal and

illegal activities; different forms of dissent and protest.

OCR Website: www.ocr.org.uk