A group of teachers collected by a small fast flowing stream, three are sitting on the banks and two are standing in the stream. One is measuring the depth of the stream with a stick.

Key fieldwork experiences and techniques

Top ten fieldwork experiences to satisfy GCSE Geography skill requirements

A number of areas of the Key Stage Four Programme of Study lend themselves to fieldwork outside the classroom. In many cases, the traditional fieldwork enquiry framework can be followed and utilised to help students acquire investigative skills and become more confident in the research process. In other cases, core content from the GCSE specifications can be taught directly through time in the field in the environments and situations being studied.

The following ten outlines of fieldwork experiences detail a combination of activities that target key fieldwork and enquiry skills alongside knowledge and understanding of important geographical concepts and issues. Though focused primarily on GCSE Geography, teachers may be able to scale elements of the data collection, presentation and analysis phases up or down to suit other key stages. The ten fieldwork experiences cover a range of subject enquiry areas.