tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/sixth-form-9716/articlesSixth form – The Conversation2018-10-05T13:38:01Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1040752018-10-05T13:38:01Z2018-10-05T13:38:01ZWhy reformed A levels are not preparing undergraduates for university study<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/239497/original/file-20181005-72117-y2ojrv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Piling on the pressure?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/books-stack-on-library-table-time-691274914?src=bC2hz2Ets1CNg--psdRPog-1-58">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At the beginning of the university year, new students are busy adjusting to a life of lectures, whipping up their next meal (<a href="https://www.savethestudent.org/save-money/food-drink/6-delicious-recipes-you-can-make-with-baked-beans.html">seven recipes with baked beans anyone?</a>) and managing their time. A familiar picture perhaps – but there’s something different about this year’s intake of undergraduates. </p>
<p>Across England and Wales, the majority have recently taken the reformed A level exams – and <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_683051_en.html">our research</a> suggests the new system is not effectively preparing students for various aspects of university study.</p>
<p>It was in 2012 that the then secretary of state for education, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-secretary-of-state-for-education-to-ofqual--2">Michael Gove, wrote</a> to the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation and told them: “The single most important purpose of A level qualifications is to prepare young people for further study at university”.</p>
<p>Proposals for <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-the-facts-gcse-and-a-level-reform/get-the-facts-as-and-a-level-reform">wide-ranging reform</a> were drawn up for England (<a href="https://www.qualificationswales.org/english/qualifications/gcses-and-a-levels/as-and-a-levels/">Wales took a slightly different path</a>) and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-the-facts-gcse-and-a-level-reform/get-the-facts-as-and-a-level-reform">introduced in phases</a> the following year. </p>
<h2>Testing times</h2>
<p>The changes meant that the majority of A level assessment is now based on exams at the end of a two-year course. Exams in January are out, and tests are no longer based on individual modules. Other changes meant AS levels (still a one-year course) no longer counted towards A level grades, and coursework was minimised.</p>
<p>These changes went ahead despite a <a href="https://theconversation.com/students-deserve-better-than-this-shambolic-a-level-reform-35269">range</a> of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gove-generation-first-pupils-to-live-through-a-level-reforms-wait-for-results-45532">critical</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/permanent-revolution-of-a-level-exams-helps-nobody-30488">comment</a> from teachers, students and parents. They highlighted chaotic implementation, delays and a lack of information and resources. </p>
<p>More fundamental were concerns about the focus on performance in the short exam period and about how well A levels prepare students <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/perceptions-of-a-levels-gcses-and-other-qualifications-wave-16">who do not go on to university</a>. Some predicted the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-slow-death-of-the-as-level-64070">“slow death” of the AS level</a> with a loss of subject breadth (and numbers studying for these qualifications have <a href="https://results.ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/as-level/all-subjects.php?v=20180904">dropped dramatically</a>).</p>
<h2>Putting students off?</h2>
<p>We are already appear to be seeing an effect on <a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/138186/download?token=HfxYNizO">university applications</a> in the reformed subjects as they are phased in. Some subjects, such as chemistry, English and history, experienced more than expected drops in <a href="https://www.ucas.com/file/138186/download?token=HfxYNizO">university applications</a> (taking into account the drop in overall applications). </p>
<p>Data released <a href="https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources">later this year from UCAS</a> will reveal the impact on the next group of reformed subjects. But early indicators suggest a drop in university applications for geography, drama, theology and religious studies. There is also a longer trend of reduced applications for ancient and modern languages.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_683051_en.html">our research</a>, funded by the University of Exeter’s <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/teaching-excellence/educationincubator/about/">Education Incubator</a>, we wanted to understand the effects of these reforms on the ground – by talking with A level students and teachers as well as university students and lecturers. Working with undergraduate student researchers, we focused on biology/biosciences, English and geography.</p>
<h2>Feeling unprepared</h2>
<p>We found that the reformed A levels are considered overall to be more rigorous in terms of content. But they are not preparing students effectively for the type of assessments they will face at university. </p>
<p>At university, students often face more frequent coursework, group work and more regular examination than they do for A levels. These differences are already causing increased difficulty for some students because the reformed A levels were focused on exams at the end of a two-year course.</p>
<p>Universities should be aware that new students may feel particularly unprepared for assessments in the first year. They could help by ensuring high-quality guidance and support for group work, managing multiple deadlines and regular assessed coursework. </p>
<h2>Supporting independence</h2>
<p>One of the main changes to A levels was an effort to promote an increased expectation of independent study, especially in coursework. This was something students and their teachers viewed as positive – but highly challenging. </p>
<p>Yet while this approach does appear to prepare students for more independent working at university, we found it also leads some to assume they should not need to access available support – even when they might benefit from it.</p>
<p>In setting expectations about independent study, schools, colleges and universities can instead emphasise “supported independence”. This recognises that working out when to ask for support, and doing so, is a necessary part of the learning process. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/239498/original/file-20181005-72097-12da6yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/239498/original/file-20181005-72097-12da6yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239498/original/file-20181005-72097-12da6yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239498/original/file-20181005-72097-12da6yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239498/original/file-20181005-72097-12da6yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239498/original/file-20181005-72097-12da6yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/239498/original/file-20181005-72097-12da6yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">What’s the result of the new results?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-girls-celebrating-exam-results-school-735915199?src=vCuSgjnf8sFlXDwu_4Ax9g-1-0">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Universities should also heed <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2017.1323195https:/www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2017.1323195">the evidence</a> that the school a student attended, and their social background, shape expectations about accessing support. Some students strongly take messages about independence to mean they should not access support. </p>
<h2>Easing the transition</h2>
<p>It would be easy to conclude then, that the new style of A levels aren’t yet fit for purpose, and need further reform. We think that given the level of change still working through the qualification systems at A level and GCSE this would be a hasty reaction.</p>
<p>Instead, schools and universities can play their part in collaborations that bridge the knowledge gaps between the two phases of education, and in easing the transition through high-quality support and development opportunities.</p>
<p>We think the Department for Education should commit to a review of A levels to assess the effectiveness of the reformed qualifications in preparing students for university. </p>
<p>First, the department should <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/as-and-a-level-decoupling">investigate</a> the number of schools that enter students for the AS level and then the next year the A level (effectively cramming a two-year course into one year). It should also review the number of students who are “off rolled”, or transferred, on to other qualifications if it looks like they are not succeeding. Secondly, the government needs to address the issue of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/perceptions-of-a-levels-gcses-and-other-qualifications-wave-16">low perceptions</a> of aspects of the new A level courses. </p>
<p>It is clear the reformed A levels aren’t yet preparing students as effectively as they could for the type of assessments they will face at university. The question that remains is whether they are putting some students off from university study in those subjects completely – and whether application rates for those subjects can recover.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104075/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Finn works for the University of Exeter and the research project was funded through the University of Exeter's Education Incubator.</span></em></p>Rigorous they may be, but the new style of exam still leaves students with gaps in their learning skills.Matt Finn, Lecturer in Human Geography, University of ExeterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/594902016-05-18T14:10:44Z2016-05-18T14:10:44ZEight ways you can help your children revise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122749/original/image-20160516-15924-1n11gzy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Don't give up.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> www.BillionPhotos.com/shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Whoever said that your school days are the best days of your life may have been a bit of a sadist. Either that or they weren’t ever part of the British education system. It’s no secret that children living in England are some of the most tested in the world, and with pupils as young as ten said to have been “<a href="https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/sats-pupils-tears-after-sitting-incredibly-difficult-reading-test">left sobbing</a>” after SATs tests in UK schools recently, it’s clear that exam pressure is something that starts early in the British isles. </p>
<p>But as much as most children (and parents) hate tests and revision, exam time is just another part of school life – and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. But the good news is that there are things you can do to help the exam period stay as stress free as possible – helping to keep door slamming and tears to a minimum.</p>
<h2>1. Get ahead</h2>
<p>In the run up to exam time, sit down together with your child and work out the best times for revision. Make a revision timetable on a big piece of paper and pin it up somewhere prominent. When it comes to revision, <a href="http://psi.sagepub.com/content/14/1/4.full.pdf+html?ijkey=Z10jaVH/60XQM&keytype=ref&siteid=sppsi">research</a> shows that little and often is better than overlong sessions. Cramming at the last minute is also counterproductive, so it’s best to start early and put in the groundwork while there is still time. </p>
<h2>2. Learn what works</h2>
<p>We know that different people have <a href="http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/resourcesandcpd/research/summaries/rslearningstyles.asp">different styles of learning</a>, and it is important your child is working in the way that’s right for them. Find out what motivates them and use it to your advantage – be it an end goal, such as doing well in an exam, or building a skill, such as learning a language. But don’t use bribes. This puts undue pressure on your child, and sets the wrong precedent. They should want to achieve for their own sake, not yours or because there’s a cash reward in it.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122839/original/image-20160517-9458-3snnio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122839/original/image-20160517-9458-3snnio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122839/original/image-20160517-9458-3snnio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122839/original/image-20160517-9458-3snnio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122839/original/image-20160517-9458-3snnio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122839/original/image-20160517-9458-3snnio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122839/original/image-20160517-9458-3snnio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Find out what makes your child tick when it comes to revision.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>3. Stay positive</h2>
<p>During exam season, it can be all too easy for your child to forget that learning can actually be enjoyable. The field of <a href="http://positivepsychology.org.uk/component/content/article/3-brief-news/2-what-is-positive-psychology-.html">positive psychology</a> takes a “glass half full” approach to life, celebrating the positive rather than the negative. Looking at revision from this angle, there are numerous benefits, such as increased knowledge and working towards personal goals. It can also be an opportunity for you to support and help your child to achieve. <a href="https://www.ucy.ac.cy/nursery/documents/ThemaVdomadas/DCSF-Parental_Involvement_1.pdf">Research</a> has found that parental involvement in their child’s education has a significant positive effect, even into adulthood – so what you do now could make a big difference in the years to come.</p>
<h2>4. Get the snacks on the go</h2>
<p>Put the kettle on and buy plenty of healthy snacks for your studious workers – the healthier the better. Any foods high in omega 3, such as oily fish, flax seeds and walnuts <a href="http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/nutritionist-articles/six-foods-that-help-with-concentration-and-why">support concentration</a> and cognitive function, so are ideal. Foods high in antioxidants such as fruits – especially berries and tomatoes – and moderate amounts of caffeine can help concentration. Green tea and dark chocolate, which are especially rich in specific antioxidants called <a href="http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2012/914273/">polyphenols</a>, can also support brain function. Ripe bananas or sunflower seeds are great to snack on because they naturally increase dopamine – a brain chemical involved in increasing <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/14/rs.increase.your.attention.span/">motivation and concentration</a>.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122833/original/image-20160517-9509-zc5745.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122833/original/image-20160517-9509-zc5745.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122833/original/image-20160517-9509-zc5745.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122833/original/image-20160517-9509-zc5745.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122833/original/image-20160517-9509-zc5745.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122833/original/image-20160517-9509-zc5745.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122833/original/image-20160517-9509-zc5745.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Just a few revision snacks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">RossHelen/shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>5. Keep your thoughts to yourself</h2>
<p>The concept of the “<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/10/29/naughty-sporty-arty-why-we-must-stop-labelling-our-children_n_7373422.html">self fulfilling prophecy</a>” proposes that what we believe about a child has a habit of coming true. So if they get told they can’t do maths and are better at English, chances are this will be reflected on results day. With teenagers, however, if we say they are good at something, they will often believe the opposite. Basically, if we label, either in a positive or a negative way, in some form this will manifest in adverse outcomes. So best to just keep those thoughts to yourself in the run up to exam time.</p>
<h2>6. Work the space</h2>
<p>Set aside a calm room or space for revision, and invest in some large plastic boxes to keep books and resources tidy and easily accessible. Ensure that where possible, this space is kept well organised and clutter free, because it turns out that the old “tidy desk, tidy mind” saying might actually have some truth to it. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228167">Researchers at Princetown University</a>, have found that if our environment is cluttered, the chaos restricts our ability to focus. Clutter can also limit the brain’s ability to process information – so keep those desks clear.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122838/original/image-20160517-9494-n0jg2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122838/original/image-20160517-9494-n0jg2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122838/original/image-20160517-9494-n0jg2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122838/original/image-20160517-9494-n0jg2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122838/original/image-20160517-9494-n0jg2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122838/original/image-20160517-9494-n0jg2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122838/original/image-20160517-9494-n0jg2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The importance of a tidy workspace.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Micolas/Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>7. Pool your skills</h2>
<p>It may be that some parents in your social group are better at science or maths than you are, so a skill swap to support your respective offspring might be the answer. Parents more knowledgeable in GCSE physics could facilitate a tutorial, while you could coach a group in English. You could even rope in other family members with expert knowledge or subject specialisms to help handle the task of revision. </p>
<h2>8. Take a break</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.tlu.ee/%7Earro/Happy%20Space%20EKA%202014/urban%20green_stress%20Ojala%20jt.pdf">Research</a> has shown that spending time outdoors in green spaces such as parks or woodlands decreases stress and anxiety, so try and incorporate some of the great outdoors into your child’s revision routine in the lead up to exam time. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122834/original/image-20160517-9476-rrpqng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/122834/original/image-20160517-9476-rrpqng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122834/original/image-20160517-9476-rrpqng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122834/original/image-20160517-9476-rrpqng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122834/original/image-20160517-9476-rrpqng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122834/original/image-20160517-9476-rrpqng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/122834/original/image-20160517-9476-rrpqng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Encourage your teenagers to take a break from the studying, it will help to recharge their minds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">MJTH/shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Exercise such as a kick about in the park, a swim, run or even a karate class can all help them to let off steam while giving those young minds a break from the books.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59490/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Davis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Because exam season can be tough on parents, too.Susan Davis, Senior lecturer for PGCE Primary, Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/249912014-04-03T13:29:36Z2014-04-03T13:29:36ZMini-dissertations for sixth formers will open up art history<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45402/original/bgqb937d-1396438790.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Start them young. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-179439413/stock-photo-moscow-russia-february-state-tretyakov-gallery-is-an-art-gallery-in-moscow-russia.html?src=pp-same_artist-179439398-K-7cmpxGyKlWo5ucPzQG3Q-4">Popova Valeriya. Moscow gallery image via Shutterstock.com </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The public response to a recent <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/04/art-history-not-posh-visual-toolkit">article in the Guardian</a> on a campaign for more children to study art history at school left me thinking about what more we can do to shrug off stereotypical views of the subject.</p>
<p>Despite some very thoughtful and useful comments, there were some who yet again dismissed art history as: “something well-heeled girls do before you marry a rich man.”</p>
<p>I have been involved for many years in activities to help engage a much larger demographic in the subject I am passionate about. This work has recently been linked to another project to support schools that offer the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).</p>
<p>An EPQ is a mini-dissertation on a subject of a sixth former’s choosing that demonstrates their ability to plan, prepare, research and work autonomously. Introduced in 2008, it is roughly equivalent to an AS level. There were 30,400 students submitting EPQs in 2013 and Russell Group universities such as Leeds are increasingly including it in their offers.</p>
<p>I have already seen the benefit for applicants to our programmes of being engaged in an extended research project before university. I am hoping that the pattern of students coming to art history through the EPQ, even if they have never had the opportunity to study it in school, continues.</p>
<p>The EPQ offers an opportunity for students who cannot take an AS or A level in this subject – given that only 17 state schools in the UK currently offer this – to discover, value and enjoy art history. </p>
<h2>Developing independent thinking</h2>
<p>Why do I think the EPQ is a good way to help level the playing field? State educated at my local comprehensive, I was given limited guidance as to what to do after school. As an academically capable student, I was encouraged to think about university but given little advice as to where and how. </p>
<p>I ended up arriving in St Andrews to do English. Luckily the Scottish system meant that I was forced to do three subjects in my first two years, and I chose history of art, having been inspired by my school art teacher, for whom I had written a project, much in the same vein of the EPQ, on Van Gogh and Japonisme. I never looked back.</p>
<p>The EPQ allows sixth formers to write a 5-6,000 word project about any subject of their choice. Students also have to produce a log detailing the highs and lows of the research experience, and a presentation exploring their process and results. Throughout, they are encouraged to be thoughtful, critical researchers, to be independent in choosing their subject and their research journey, and to “own” their educational experience.</p>
<p>I am lucky to be able to work with the brightest undergraduates every day, but the school system, <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-look-gcse-league-tables-reconfirm-wide-disparities-between-schools-22793">driven by league table</a> culture, can encourage students to study “for the test” and put aside information that does not appear to help them achieve what seems to be the chief aim – a high grade. </p>
<p>That is not to say that they are not absolutely capable of independent research and thought. During my ten years as an admissions tutor I deliberately introduced interviews to help test for this. But the system has not encouraged thought for thinking’s sake, nor the pursuit of research simply for the joy of learning. And it has often avoided developing independence and critical thinking – the absolute keys to success on our undergraduate degrees.</p>
<p>These are the skills that the EPQ celebrates, which is why it was at the heart of higher education’s contribution to an OFQUAL 2012 consultation document, on the <a href="http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/14104/">suitability of A Levels</a>.</p>
<p>But how can we make sure the EPQ bridges the gap between different educational experiences – state and independent – rather than broadening it? How can we ensure students are assessed on their own ability and research, rather than any opportunities they might get through initiatives such as parents’ networks?</p>
<p>I believe that, as the grade criteria are written at the moment, the requirements for independence, critical thinking and research mean that every student, with the right support and academic ability, can achieve a positive result and gain vital experience to help ease their transition to higher education. Every school should offer the opportunity of an EPQ to those academically able and interested. </p>
<p>The focus on independent research and writing would also seem to help students from the state sector, who have often had to drive their own academic success given large class sizes, a lack of facilities, including school libraries. </p>
<p>Universities have an important role to play in supporting students’ success with the EPQ, helping teachers manage the supervision required and explaining why and how the qualification demonstrates the benefits further study has to offer. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/24991/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Abigail Harrison Moore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The public response to a recent article in the Guardian on a campaign for more children to study art history at school left me thinking about what more we can do to shrug off stereotypical views of the…Abigail Harrison Moore, Head of School Elect, School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.