GCE TEACHERS’ GUIDE New Specifications: for teaching from September 2010 Government & Politics GCE AS and A GOVERNMENT & POLITICS Teachers' Guide 1 Contents GCE AS and A Level Government and Politics Teachers' Guide Page 1. Introduction 3 1.1 - Rationale 4 1.2 - Overview of the Specification 4 2. Delivering the specification 5 2.1 - Unit Descriptions 6 2.2 - Pathways through the Specification 19 2.3 - AS - An example of one possible pathway 20 through the AS Level Specification 2.4 A2 - An example of one possible pathway 31 through the A2 Level Specification 3. Support for Teachers 43 3.1 - Generic Resources for the Specification as a whole 43 3.2 - Specific Resources 44 3.3 - National Grid for Learning – Cymru 58 4. Assessment Guidance 59 5. Advice for Candidates 63 Appendices 65 A Vocabulary List / Geirfa Llywodraeth a Gwleidyddiaeth 65 GCE AS and A GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Teachers' Guide 3 1. INTRODUCTION The WJEC AS and A2 Government and Politics Specification is designed to support the course for delivery from September 2009. The first AS awards were made in summer 2009 and the first A level awards in summer 2010. The specification can be delivered and assessed in centres in Wales only. This Guide is one of a number of ways in which the WJEC provides assistance to teachers delivering the new specification. Also essential to its introduction are the Specimen Assessment Materials (question papers and marking schemes) and professional development (CPD) conferences. Other provision which you will find useful is: • Examiners' reports on each examinations series • Free access to past question papers via the WJEC secure website • Easy access to specification and other key documents on main website • Itemised feedback on outcomes for candidates at question level • Regular CPD delivered by Chief Examiners • Easy access to both the Subject Officer and to administrative sections for individual support, help and advice. Contact Points for GCE Government and Politics are as follows: Subject Officer: Dr. Alison George Direct Line Phone: 029 2026 5302 E-mail Address: [email protected] Administrative Support Officer: Ellen Chichester Direct Line Phone: 029 2026 5094 E-mail Address: [email protected] Subject page www.wjec.co.uk CPD Section [email protected] www.wjec.co.uk/professionaldevelopment GCE AS and A GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Teachers' Guide 4 1.1 Rationale This GCE Government and Politics was drawn up by a team of practising teachers and examiners. There was fundamental recognition from the start that Government and Politics in Wales is an important part of the overall discipline and that any specification should reflect the interests of both candidates and teachers. The principal aims were therefore to ensure that teachers had access to a specification that: • Is manageable to deliver and fun to teach; • Is interesting to candidates; • Develops candidates' appreciation of Government and Politics in various contexts; • Can be tailored to suit the interests and expertise of teachers; • Encourages candidates to debate issues and controversies in Government and Politics. 1.2 Overview of the Specification This specification is divided into a total of 4 units: 2 AS units and 2 A2 units. Weightings noted below are expressed in terms of the full A level qualification. AS (2 Units) GP1 25% Written Paper (1 hour 30 minutes) 80 marks (100 UMS) People, Politics and Participation Outline of paper structure Two structured source based questions from a choice of four. GP2 25% Written Paper (1 hour 30 minutes) 80 marks (100 UMS) Governing Modern Wales Outline of paper structure Two structured source-based questions from a choice of four A Level (the above plus a further 2 units) Either GP3a or GP3b 25% Written Paper (1 hour 30 minutes) 80 marks (100 UMS) Either The Politics of the USA or Political Ideologies Outline of paper structure Two questions from a choice of four. Either GP4a or GP4b 25% Written Paper (1 hour 30 minutes) 80 marks (100 UMS) Either The Government of the USA or Challenges in Contemporary Politics Outline of paper structure Two questions from a choice of four. GCE AS and A GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Teachers' Guide 5 2. DELIVERING THE SPECIFICATION There are, as expected, various ways of planning a route through this course. There are also well established books and resources to support both teachers and candidates. Whilst all options are comparable, the resourcing of some options might offer more problems for teachers because they are not as well established in schools and colleges. Whatever options are chosen, however, it is expected that all candidates will develop skills, knowledge and understanding in Government and Politics that will also prepare them for higher level study. GOOD PRACTICE IN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS In the design of this specification, the Board considered that the following were elements of good practice for the delivery of Government and Politics at both AS and A Level. • Collaboration between candidates – there should be opportunities for candidates to work in such a way as to support their own and others' learning. • Collaboration with teachers – there should be opportunities for candidates to work with their teaching staff. • Active learning techniques. • Independent learning. • Organised and planned teaching. • Prompt feedback to candidates. • High expectations of candidate achievement. • Respect for different ways of learning. • An awareness of key skills. SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS WJEC provides INSET and Examiners' Reports for teachers. For further details check the WJEC website. If you then have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Subject Officer for GCE Government and Politics. There are many generic and topic specific textbooks available which are suitable for the delivery of this course. Suggestions for resources are provided further on in this Guidance Booklet but there is no obligation for teachers or candidates to work through this material. Advice is also given on the audience for whom the resources are suitable – teacher, candidate or both. Websites are also given. By their nature they are usually appropriate for students and enable teachers to vary their approach to the delivery of a topic. The life span of websites cannot, of course, be guaranteed. It is the intention of the Board to update resources to take account of new ideas and also to provide additional materials and advice. We will be pleased to receive suggestions and ideas in order to improve the resource base. There will be full support for Welsh medium Centres. This includes the specific appointment of a Welsh medium co-ordinator. GCE AS and A GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Teachers' Guide 6 2.1 Unit Descriptions The Specification has been developed to give candidates an insight into, and an understanding of, Government and Politics in Wales and the UK. There is therefore an expectation that the Welsh context will feature highly in the teaching of the course especially, though not exclusively, at AS level. For both GP1 and GP2 the Welsh context underpins all the topics and is overtly apparent in some aspects of the course. The Specification content is not in itself a scheme of work. It is for centres to decide how best to combine, synthesise and develop the content in a meaningful and coherent way with their students. The following advice should be borne in mind: • Enquiry approach for teaching and learning – candidates should be faced with significant issues and questions to investigate. • Move from description to the issues – candidates will need to know the specification content, but they will also need to understand it so that they can select and organise what they know around arguments to support a case etc. • Key questions can help candidates make sense of a sequence of lessons. • Discussion is vital to an understanding of the links and connections that permeate the course. • There should be sufficient focus on the higher order skills of analysis and evaluation, and the formation and justification of judgements. • Sufficient attention should be paid to developing candidates’ skills of answering examination type questions. • Candidates will need to keep up-to-date with developments in Government and Politics and use relevant, recent examples to illustrate their arguments. In general, this means examples from the last 20 years. However, some examples from more than 20 years ago are particularly pertinent and relevant for certain topics. What follows is a general illustration of some of the key issues that form the basis of the topics within each unit. The list is not intended as a definitive and prescriptive one and should be read in conjunction with the specification. This is not a recommended teaching order – centres will develop the topics in ways that best suit the needs of their own candidates: GCE AS and A GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Teachers' Guide 7 GP1: People, Politics and Participation 1. Participation and Voting Behaviour • An idea of what politics is • Definitions of democracy and why participation is important; overview of how citizens can participate • Participation patterns according to criteria such as age, gender etc • Debates about why some groups do not participate at all and the effect this has on a democracy • Theories about why voters behave as they do, and in different kinds of elections e.g. by-elections • The relative importance of factors such as class and party identification • The influence of factors such as campaigns, leaders’ images etc on voting behaviour • Reasons for, and results of, the trend towards voter volatility • ‘Stretch and challenge’ – an awareness of changes in voting patterns in Wales as a consequence of devolution and the use of different voting systems 2. Electoral Systems • The importance of elections in a democracy • Explanation of the way that the main electoral systems used in the UK work.