Edexcel GCSE Geography A (1GA0) — Geographical Investigations: Fieldwork and UK Challenges
Ever wondered how geographers decide what to investigate when they visit a busy city centre? The process begins by formulating a clear framework for the investigation. For Edexcel Specification A, your urban fieldwork must focus specifically on investigating change in central or inner urban areas.
When you are asked to suggest an enquiry question for an unfamiliar urban context, it must meet the SMART criteria. This means the question must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant (to the specification), and Time-bound.
When justifying your question in an exam, explain how it is achievable (e.g., the site is safe and accessible by public transport) and measurable (e.g., it allows for numerical data collection like traffic counts).
Before you even step foot outside for fieldwork, the most important part of your investigation happens at a computer. Secondary data is data collected by someone else previously, and Edexcel requires you to use at least two different secondary sources, with one being Census data.
Always evaluate the reliability of your secondary sources. Census data can be out of date (e.g., using 2011 data in a rapidly changing area), and other sources like council marketing materials may be biased.
To measure change over time in an urban area, you must combine historical maps and datasets with modern primary data collection.
Using historical Goad maps, a student found that a high street had 14 independent shops in 2012. During their fieldwork today, they recorded only 9 independent shops. Calculate the percentage change in independent shops.
Step 1: Write down the formula for percentage change.
Step 2: Identify the values and substitute them into the formula.
Step 3: Calculate the difference, divide by the old value, and multiply by 100.
How do we put numbers on something as subjective as "how nice" a street looks? An Environmental Quality Survey (EQS) is a semi-quantitative tool that scores features like litter, pavements, and green space on a Likert scale (e.g., -2 to +2).
If a site scores -2 for Litter, -1 for Noise, and +2 for Green Space, the total EQS score is -1. By calculating the mean EQS score across several sites along a transect, geographers can statistically map how environmental quality changes with distance from the city centre.
Students often confuse labels with annotations on an annotated field sketch. A label is just a single word identifier (e.g., "Litter"), whereas an annotation is an explanatory note describing the geographical processes happening (e.g., "Wind-blown litter accumulated against a fence due to a lack of bins").
In 8-mark fieldwork questions, examiners expect you to explicitly justify your site selection. Do not just state "I used Census data"; explain HOW the Census data helped you select contrasting or representative locations.
When asked to suggest a hypothesis for an unfamiliar urban context, always frame it as a directional prediction (e.g., stating scores will "decrease" or "increase") as this demonstrates it can be clearly tested and measured.
Enquiry question
A broad geographical question that provides the framework and main focus for a fieldwork investigation.
Hypothesis
A specific, testable prediction that can be proven or disproven by collecting and analyzing data.
Null hypothesis
A statement suggesting no relationship exists or the exact opposite of what you expect to find, used to remove researcher bias.
SMART criteria
A framework ensuring research questions are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Secondary data
Information that has been previously collected by someone else, such as Census records, IMD rankings, or historical maps.
Census
An official, comprehensive count or survey of a population, published every 10 years in the UK, providing baseline demographic data.
Baseline information
Initial, foundational data used to understand the geographical context of an area before new primary data is collected.
Temporal change
Differences observed in a geographical feature, variable, or location over a specific period of time.
Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
A secondary dataset ranking areas in England by their level of deprivation, often used to justify fieldwork site selection.
Stratified sampling
A sampling method where an area or population is divided into sub-groups based on secondary data, and sites are deliberately chosen to ensure fair representation.
Goad maps
Detailed historical street maps showing specific retail units and shop types, used to measure changes in urban land use over time.
Quantitative data
Numerical information that can be counted, measured, and analyzed statistically.
Qualitative data
Non-numerical information that captures descriptive qualities, characteristics, or opinions.
Annotated field sketch
A geographical drawing of a landscape or environment that includes detailed explanatory notes describing the processes occurring.
Environmental Quality Survey (EQS)
A data collection tool where various environmental features (like litter and noise) are subjectively scored on a numerical scale.
Put your knowledge into practice — try past paper questions for Geography A
Enquiry question
A broad geographical question that provides the framework and main focus for a fieldwork investigation.
Hypothesis
A specific, testable prediction that can be proven or disproven by collecting and analyzing data.
Null hypothesis
A statement suggesting no relationship exists or the exact opposite of what you expect to find, used to remove researcher bias.
SMART criteria
A framework ensuring research questions are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Secondary data
Information that has been previously collected by someone else, such as Census records, IMD rankings, or historical maps.
Census
An official, comprehensive count or survey of a population, published every 10 years in the UK, providing baseline demographic data.
Baseline information
Initial, foundational data used to understand the geographical context of an area before new primary data is collected.
Temporal change
Differences observed in a geographical feature, variable, or location over a specific period of time.
Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
A secondary dataset ranking areas in England by their level of deprivation, often used to justify fieldwork site selection.
Stratified sampling
A sampling method where an area or population is divided into sub-groups based on secondary data, and sites are deliberately chosen to ensure fair representation.
Goad maps
Detailed historical street maps showing specific retail units and shop types, used to measure changes in urban land use over time.
Quantitative data
Numerical information that can be counted, measured, and analyzed statistically.
Qualitative data
Non-numerical information that captures descriptive qualities, characteristics, or opinions.
Annotated field sketch
A geographical drawing of a landscape or environment that includes detailed explanatory notes describing the processes occurring.
Environmental Quality Survey (EQS)
A data collection tool where various environmental features (like litter and noise) are subjectively scored on a numerical scale.
