A2 Psychology   AS Psychology  Psychology  Find out more  FAQ

Psychology AS

Description of AS Course

The AS course consists of two modules and a piece of coursework. We begin by looking at what Psychology is all about: the topics, methods of investigation, ideas and basic vocabulary.

We consider five different perspectives, which include everything from biological and laboratory investigations to the work of Freud. We move on to the study of gender, considering the different research methods used by psychologists. We look at theories of thinking, memory and some interpersonal issues, for example how we are influenced by groups and individuals. A good new unit is "Cognition and Law" which shows how psychological research has improved eye-witness testimony, face recognition and police interview techniques.

• In psychology we do both AS examination modules in June 2008. (No January Examinations)

• The school deadline for the coursework is before the Easter break, 2008.

Term Plan 2007-2008

TIMING AND WEIGHTINGS OF EXAMINATIONS AND COURSEWORK

Description of AS course, continued

1. We don't just come up with common sense answers!

Psychology is more than just opinions and is often quite different from common sense. You need to be prepared to weigh up the evidence. This involves careful reading of textbooks and critical evaluation of theories and studies. We spend a lot of time looking at the evidence from psychological investigations and comparing it to real life situations.

2. There will be written homework every week and a lot of reading.

The subject is relevant to real life and usually interesting, but you need to be prepared for serious academic study, including weekly home tasks. This is by no means an easy option, and although lessons are informal and supportive of individuals, the support will involve expecting new students to meet deadlines and move on from GCSE level skills towards the new skills required for further and higher education.

3. The coursework is in the form of a scientific report.

The practical work follows the conventions of any report writing in the social sciences so you will be learning about references, abstracts, display and the interpretation of data and drawing conclusions based on evidence. In the AS course the statistics are just descriptive, (easy Mathematics!) and at A2 we do inferential statistics to test the statistical theory of results. (A little more challenging than Mathematics.) Your teachers are especially concerned about the quality of academic language and thinking and reasoning skills. You can speak to the current 6th form Psychology students and do look at the textbooks in the school library. I have out lots of GCSE level texts to give you an easy way into some difficult topics. You can always come and have a chat if you need any more information to make your decisions.

4. Good Grades are only achieved through consistent work.

Individual interviews about progress are a regular feature of this course and you will be expected to negotiate and keep improvement strategies. Attendance at every lesson is expected and parents or guardians will be informed if you can't sort out any attendance or work-rate problems. Most students adjust very well to the department culture of continuous improvement and many become independent and self-motivated learners very quickly. Some people take a little longer to settle in and need more support, but we all have to be doing enough work at home to cope with the fast pace of A level lessons.

5. Psychology can be fun!

We are one of the most popular A level courses and recently moved to a larger teaching room. The is plenty of scope in our discussions for some reflection of the peculiarities of being human and the differences between various views of society and the world. We ask a lot of strange questions, with varied success in finding answers. We try to approach things with a degree of respect for individuals, but sometimes with gentle humour.