Welcome to AS 3: Fieldwork Skills and Techniques
Hello and welcome! If you are preparing for your CCEA GCE AS Geography (3910) course, you have arrived at the right place. In this guide, we will break down everything you need to know about The Written Report and Table of Data for Unit AS 3: Fieldwork Skills and Techniques in Geography (Paper code: SGG31).
Fieldwork is one of the most exciting parts of geography because it takes theory out of the textbook and puts it directly into the real world. This unit makes up 20% of your AS Level (and 8% of your overall A Level). The exam lasts 1 hour and is worth a total of 60 marks.
The examination paper is divided into two compulsory parts:
• Question 1 (Section A): Directly tests your own primary fieldwork investigation using the Summary Statement and Table of Data you bring into the exam.
• Question 2 (Section B): Tests your ability to apply geographical skills to unfamiliar resources and data.
Think of your Fieldwork Summary and Data Table as your passport to top marks in Question 1. Let’s explore how to prepare them to perfection!
---Part 1: The Summary of Fieldwork Report
What is the Summary Statement?
Before entering the exam hall, you will complete a CCEA-approved fieldwork summary booklet or sheet along with your raw table of data. At the end of the 1-hour exam, you will attach this sheet securely to your examination script using the supplied treasury tag.
Important Examination Fact: The summary statement itself is not directly awarded marks. Instead, it acts as the official evidence base that the examiner reads to verify and grade your answers in Question 1. If your summary is vague, your answers in Question 1 will be much harder to justify!
Core Components of the Summary Statement
Your summary statement should be concise—aim for around 100 words in total—and must contain three essential elements:
1. A Concise, Geographical Title:
Your title should clearly state what you investigated and where. Avoid vague titles like "A River Study". Instead, use a precise title such as "An investigation into downstream changes in channel characteristics along the Glenelly River, County Tyrone."
2. Aims, Context, and Testable Hypotheses:
State the geographical theory or concept you are investigating (e.g., the Bradshaw Model) and state your testable hypotheses.
• Null Hypothesis (\(H_0\)): States there is no significant relationship or difference (e.g., "There is no significant relationship between distance downstream and river velocity.")
• Alternative / Directional Hypothesis (\(H_1\)): Predicts a specific, testable geographical relationship (e.g., "Average river velocity increases significantly with distance downstream.")
3. Location and Study Area Description:
Give an explicit description of your study area (such as the drainage basin, coastal transect, or urban zone). Include site coordinates, grid references, or named landmarks. (Note: Maps are not required on your summary sheet).
Key Takeaway: Keep your summary under 100 words, ensure your hypotheses are directional and testable, and provide clear site details.
---Part 2: The Table of Data Requirements
The Golden Rule: Raw Primary Data Only!
This is the single most important rule from CCEA examiners: Your table must contain raw, primary fieldwork data only.
What does raw data mean?
Raw data consists of the actual numbers you measured directly in the field. It must NOT contain any pre-calculated statistics or summary values. When you sit the exam, you will be required to carry out calculations by hand inside the exam paper itself.
Never include any of the following in your submitted table:
• No pre-calculated Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (\(r_s\))
• No pre-calculated Mann-Whitney \(U\) values
• No pre-calculated standard deviations or mean summary indices
• No pre-calculated percentage changes or completed formulas
Everyday Analogy: Think of your table of data as a basket of fresh, raw cooking ingredients (eggs, flour, sugar). You bring the raw ingredients into the exam room, and during the exam, you follow the recipe to bake the cake!
Table Design and Formatting Conventions
To avoid losing avoidable marks, ensure your data table strictly follows standard conventions:
• Clear Site Ordering: Number your sites logically along your transect (e.g., Site 1 to Site 10 downstream or along a coastal profile).
• Descriptive Column & Row Headers: Clearly name every variable measured (e.g., Channel Bed Width, Water Depth, Velocity, Sediment Long-Axis).
• Full Units of Measurement: Every header must state its exact units:
— Velocity in meters per second (\(\text{m/s}\))
— Sediment size or axis length in centimeters (\(\text{cm}\)) or millimeters (\(\text{mm}\))
— River width or depth in meters (\(\text{m}\))
— Slope / stream gradient in degrees (\(^\circ\))
Key Takeaway: Include raw numbers only, state units in every column header, and leave all statistical calculations for the exam paper!
---Part 3: What Tasks Will You Face in Question 1?
In Section A (Question 1), you will be asked to interrogate and explain your own investigation. CCEA tests your fieldwork across five key stages:
1. Planning & Risk Assessment
You must explain the rationale behind your hypotheses and demonstrate that you planned a safe investigation.
• Hazard: Something with the potential to cause harm.
• Risk: The likelihood and severity of that harm occurring.
• Mitigation / Control Measure: The practical step taken to reduce the risk.
Examiner Tip: Never write generic hazards like "getting cold or wet." Write specific geographical hazards, such as: "Slipping on submerged, algae-covered boulders causing injury (medium risk); mitigated by wearing gripped wading boots and testing footing with a ranging pole before stepping."
2. Primary Data Collection Techniques
You need to provide step-by-step descriptions and justifications of your field equipment and your sampling strategy:
• Equipment: Be ready to explain how to use tools such as an impellor/flow meter (for velocity), callipers (for sediment size), clinometer (for slope angle), tape measure (for channel width), or quadrat (for vegetation cover).
• Sampling Strategies:
— Random Sampling: Every point has an equal chance of being selected (eliminates bias).
— Systematic Sampling: Samples collected at regular, fixed intervals (e.g., every \(5\text{ m}\) along a transect).
— Stratified Sampling: Sampling divided proportionally across known subgroups or distinct zones.
3. Data Presentation
You will be asked to plot graphical representations of data from your submitted table onto the exam paper. Common graph types include:
• Cross-sectional profiles
• Scatter graphs (with a line of best fit to show correlation)
• Bar charts and divided bar charts
• Dispersion graphs (showing data spread and clustering)
• Isoline maps (joining points of equal value)
4. Data Analysis & Statistical Testing
You will perform statistical analysis using the data in your table. This frequently involves calculating the Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient (\(r_s\)) or working with summary statistics (Mean, Median, Interquartile Range).
• You will compare your calculated statistical value against a critical values table.
• You will evaluate significance at the \(p = 0.05\) (\(95\%\) confidence level) or \(p = 0.01\) (\(99\%\) confidence level) threshold relative to your sample size (\(n\)).
• If your calculated value exceeds the critical value at \(p = 0.05\), you reject your null hypothesis (\(H_0\)) and accept your alternative hypothesis (\(H_1\)).
5. Evaluation & Synthesis
No fieldwork is completely flawless! You will evaluate:
• Reliability: Were your sample sizes large enough? Could the study be repeated with similar results?
• Anomalies: Identify unexpected data points and suggest physical or human reasons for them.
• Limitations & Sources of Error: Equipment calibration issues, human measurement errors, or fluctuating weather conditions.
Key Takeaway: Question 1 covers the entire fieldwork cycle: Planning \(\rightarrow\) Data Collection \(\rightarrow\) Graphing \(\rightarrow\) Statistical Analysis \(\rightarrow\) Evaluation.
---Part 4: Common Pitfalls & Examiner Warnings
Make sure you avoid these common traps highlighted in CCEA examiner reports:
1. The Pre-Calculated Data Trap:
Submitting a table with means, ranks, or correlation scores already filled in breaks rubric rules. Ensure all calculated columns are completely blank before entering the exam.
2. The "Missing Units" Mistake:
Writing "Width = 4.2" instead of "Width = \(4.2\text{ m}\)" loses marks and causes errors when scaling graphs.
3. Vague, Non-Directional Hypotheses:
Writing "Velocity changes downstream" is weak. Write a clear, directional statement: "Velocity increases with distance downstream (\(\text{m/s}\))."
4. Disconnected Answers:
Do not write a generic, memorised essay. Always quote exact site numbers, data values, and equipment names directly from your attached table.
Part 5: Quick Revision Checklist
Before exam day, review this checklist to make sure your paperwork is complete and compliant:
Summary Statement Checklist:
[ ] Concise title with named geographical location.
[ ] Clear geographical aim and context.
[ ] Testable null (\(H_0\)) and alternative (\(H_1\)) hypotheses.
[ ] Specific site coordinates or landmark descriptions.
[ ] Total length is approximately 100 words.
Table of Data Checklist:
[ ] Contains 100% raw primary data only.
[ ] No pre-calculated means, percentages, or Spearman's rank values.
[ ] All column and row headers clearly state correct units (\(\text{m}\), \(\text{cm}\), \(\text{mm}\), \(\text{m/s}\), \(^\circ\)).
[ ] Sites are clearly numbered in logical order.
Exam Room Reminder:
[ ] Securely attach your Summary Statement and Data Table to your exam script using the treasury tag provided when instructed by the invigilator.