Psychology
We want students to have acquired the three key skills of knowledge and understanding, application and evaluation/analysis. Knowledge and understanding of content is delivered using traditional methods. Application is encountered throughout the courses 'incidentally’ (eg research methods references when teaching topics) then formalised towards the end of the courses with reference to examinations. Evaluation is encountered in Year 12 and developed in Year 13.
A Level Psychology (Year 12 and 13)
Our students follow the OCR specification for Psychology. In psychology, the sequential progression is that Year 12 sees the Core Studies paper covering 20 core studies. These are the building blocks of all research, and their application and evaluation is considered. While learning these studies, students will encounter various research methods, designs, sampling techniques, ethical considerations and so on. In Year 13 students cover Applied Options where research is used to guide applied practice. Evaluations at Year 13 are developed into lines of argument. The aforementioned Research Methods are then formally revisited at the end of the spring term of Year 13 in preparation for the Research Methods paper, drawing on the core studies from Year 12 and the Key studies from Year 13.
Evaluations are raised and considered in Year 12 with regard to the core studies, and these form the basis for the evaluation essays in Year 13.
The same is true of Approaches in psychology: they are raised as a stand-alone activity in Year 12; encountered through the core studies throughout the year; explicitly addressed in a formalised debate later in Year 12; revisited through Paper 2 section B preparation; reviewed in Year 13; developed as part of the extended evaluations in Year 13.
