Fieldwork makes geography come to life, puts everything into context in glorious 3D and helps students really grasp how geography literally shapes the world around us.

River terraces in Glen Roy, Scotland, with sections exposed by the river As part of your A-Level Geography studies, you are required to undertake a fieldwork project as part of your independent study. This is your chance to do something that you’re really interested in! But choosing what to study can be daunting.
Fieldwork is one of the central methods of investigation through which human geographers gather information about people, places, and landscapes, and generate formal knowledge about space–society relations in different contexts. Many human geographers identify themselves and the evolving contexts of their work through fieldwork practices.
Fieldwork - a temporary fortification built by troops in the field fortification, munition - defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

PRIMARY DATA Fieldworkgeography

This information must comefrom the student’s own observations and measurements collected in the field. This “primary information” must form the basis of each investigation. Fieldwork must provide sufficient information to enable adequate interpretation and analysis. Fieldwork investigations may involve the collection of both qualitativeand quantitativeprimary information. The type of information collected should be determined by the aim and fieldwork question:

Quantitative information is collected through measurement and may be processed using statistical and other techniques
Qualitative information is collected though observation or subjective judgment and does not involve measurement. Qualitative information may be processed or quantified where appropriate or it may be presented through images or as text (students are advised to remember the word limit when presenting qualitative information as text only). The nature of qualitative data should provide sufficient information for analysis and conclusion.

SECONDARY DATA

This research involves gathering information from sources that have already been compiled in written, statistical or mapped forms. Secondary information may supplement primary information but must only play a small part in the investigation.

All secondary information must be referenced, using a standardized referencing system. This includes information from the internet, where references should include titles, URL addresses and dates when sites were visited. All sources of secondary information must be referenced. Footnotes may be used to reference material and, provided that these are brief, up to 15 words as noted below will not be included in the word count.

FSC offers the opportunity to complete the fieldwork requirements at GCSE which will be rooted within specification content. A level students can complete the fieldwork requirements of 4 days of fieldwork within inspiring physical and human environments. Discover our outstanding Geography Field Trips and more.

Geography Fieldwork and Covid-19

Not able to bring your class to one of our wonderful centres at the moment? Our digital and outreach packages are the perfect way for your students to experience FSC’s fabulous geography fieldwork.

Find out about our virtual geography field trips, digital and outreach geography courses

Inspiring Future Geographers Through Fieldwork

FSC GCSE Geography Fieldwork can take place in these environments:

Geography Fieldwork Methods

Coastal – where the land meets the sea, the UK’s coastline is over 7500 miles in length, and it’s a place that’s always changing through erosion, transportation and deposition
Rivers – constantly changing, water levels rise and fall after rain and with the seasons. Erosion, transportation and deposition can all alter the characteristics of the channel and the regime of the river
Rural – areas which have experienced dramatic changes in the last 30 years, including counter-urbanisation, changing farm practices and the decline of rural services
Urban – towns and cities have experienced dramatic changes in the last 30 years, including pressures from out of town shops, economic challenges, changing function and the decline of the high street

FSC A Level or AS Geography Fieldwork can take place in these environments:

Coastal – UK’s most dynamic environments, influenced by many physical and human forces, with dramatic consequences for the people who live there
Glaciation – although the UK’s last glaciers disappeared around 10,000 years ago, the post-glacial landscape of the UK still provide plenty of evidence for the action of estimating ice and meltwater in both the uplands and lowlands
Water & Carbon – size of stores and flows in the water and carbon cycles at a local scale, such as small drainage basin, woodland or peat bog
Place – changing socio-economic and demographic characteristics of local places, plus the cultural meanings and representations attached to different places
Investigations – at a local scale to consider place meaning and representation changing economic function and socio-demographic characteristics of places

GCSE Geography Fieldwork

An FSC GCSE fieldwork course offers the opportunity to complete the fieldwork requirements at GCSE. Fieldwork will be rooted within specification content.
Each of the two occasions of fieldwork will engage in two contrasting locations, investigatingvphysical and human environments.
FSC can provide background information to assist schools in completing the fieldwork statement.

With the move from controlled assesment to fieldwork assessed by examination at GCSE, FSC has been working on ways to ensure that a students’ geography fieldwork course is fit for purpose and ‘exam ready’.

Complete All Geography Fieldwork Requirements

Learn and Apply Fieldwork Skills

FSC’s expert field teachers will lead the teaching in real world locations to ensure students gain the transferable skills and understanding associated with the six stages of the fieldwork enquiry process. This will help them with the geography fieldwork related exam questions which are worth 15% of total marks, covering unfamiliar contexts as well as student’s own familiar fieldwork experiences.

Develop Geographical, Cartographical, Mathematical and Statistical Skills

25% of the overall GCSE qualification is based on Assessment Objective 4; Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques.

Fieldwork enquiries will be rooted within the specification content, of individual awarding organisations:

AS Level Geography Fieldwork

An FSC AS Geography Fieldwork course can help to:

Cover a choice of specification content covering physical and human geography
Explore the role of the geographer in a rapidly changing world
Develop GIS, statistical and geographical skills
Meet the required 2 days of fieldwork during the field trip

Fieldwork Geography Ks2

AS Geography fieldwork is assessed byexamination. Fieldwork provides the perfect opportunity for quantitative andqualitative skill development worth up to 30% of total marks.

AQA – Cycles, Systems and Changing Places
Edexcel – Place, Landscapes, Systems and Change
Eduquas – Changing Landscapes and Changing Places
OCR – Landscapes and Place

A Level Geography Fieldwork

An FSC A level Geography Fieldwork courses can help to:

Complete the fieldwork requirements of 4 days of fieldwork within inspiring physical and human environments
Give students the opportunity to conduct an independent investigation
Develop self-directed