OxfordAQA International GCSE Geography (9230): Geographical and fieldwork skills – Revision Notes

For full explanations and worked examples, read the study guide for this unit first.

These notes cover section 3.3, Geographical and Fieldwork skills, of the OxfordAQA International GCSE Geography (9230) specification, Version 4.3 (exams May/June 2020 onwards): 3.3.1 Geographical skills and 3.3.2 Fieldwork skills and the individual fieldwork enquiry. Paper 3 (1 hour 15 minutes, 60 marks, 28%) has three compulsory 20-mark sections: Section A geographical skills, Section B fieldwork in unfamiliar contexts and Section C your own enquiry. Geographical skills can also be tested on Papers 1 and 2.

Test yourself afterwards with the practice questions for this unit. The OxfordAQA International GCSE Geography hub and the 9230 checklist cover the other units.

Paper 3 at a glance

• Section A (20 marks): geographical skills.
• Section B (20 marks): the enquiry process applied to fieldwork you have not done.
• Section C (20 marks): your own individual enquiry. You must identify its title.
• Assessment objectives: 34 marks AO3, 22 marks AO4, 4 marks AO2, 0 marks AO1. Using the resource matters more than recall.

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Four-figure grid reference	Names a whole grid square: easting then northing
Six-figure grid reference	Names a point to one-tenth of a square
Scale 1:50 000	1 cm = 500 m; 2 cm = 1 km
Scale 1:25 000	1 cm = 250 m; 4 cm = 1 km
Contour	Line joining points of equal height
Gradient	Vertical rise / horizontal distance, same units, written “1 in x”
Cross-section	Side view of relief along a line
Transect	Line along which changes are recorded
Isoline	Line joining points of equal value
Choropleth	Areas shaded by class of value
Desire line	Straight line from origin to destination
Flow line	Line along a route; width shows the amount
Modal class	The group with the highest frequency
Inter-quartile range	Upper quartile minus lower quartile
Percentile	Value below which a given percentage of data lies
Interpolation	Estimating within the range of the data
Extrapolation	Estimating beyond the range of the data
Anomaly	A result that does not fit the general pattern
Reliability	Repeating the method gives similar results
Accuracy	How close a reading is to the true value
Control group	A comparison where the tested factor is absent
Hypothesis	A testable statement predicting a result

Skills at a glance

Skill	How to do it	One evaluation point
Six-figure grid reference	Eastings: two digits plus tenths across; then northings: two digits plus tenths up	Only as precise as your estimate of tenths
Distance	Measure in cm, multiply by the scale; use string for curves	Map may not show changes since it was printed
Gradient	Rise from contours or spot heights / horizontal distance in metres	Average gradient hides steep and gentle sections
Mean	Total / number of values	Pulled by extreme values
Median	Middle value of ordered data; average of two middle values if n is even	Ignores the size of other values
Mode / modal class	Most frequent value or group	Can be unclear with small samples
Range	Highest minus lowest	Set by the two extremes only
Quartiles	Positions (n + 1) / 4 and 3(n + 1) / 4 in ordered data	Need enough data to be meaningful
Percentage change	(new - old) / old x 100	Large percentages from small starting numbers can mislead
Pie chart angle	Percentage x 3.6 degrees	Hard to compare many small segments
Line of best fit	By eye, balanced points either side, close to the mean point	Shows a link, not a cause
Cumulative frequency	Running total; median at half the total	Grouped data loses exact values

Graph and map choice

• Change over time: line chart.
• Categories: bar chart. Continuous grouped data: histogram (equal class intervals, bars touching).
• Parts of a whole: pie chart or divided bar.
• Two variables: scattergraph.
• Age and sex: population pyramid.
• Spread of one data set: dispersion graph.
• Values for areas: choropleth. Continuous surface (such as temperature): isoline.
• Where people come from: desire lines. Amount along a route: flow lines.
• Quantity at points: proportional symbols or dot map.

Describing patterns on maps and graphs

1. Overall pattern first: where values are high and low, or whether the trend rises, falls or stays level.
2. Quote evidence: at least two figures with units, or grid references on a map.
3. Name the exception: an anomaly, a cluster, or a change in the trend.
4. Stop if the question says “describe”. Save reasons for questions that ask you to explain or suggest; they use up time on a describe question.

On an atlas or thematic map, also say whether the pattern is clustered, linear (along a coast, river or road) or evenly spread, and whether it matches another map, such as relief or rainfall. On an isoline map, closely spaced lines mean the value changes quickly over a short distance.

Must-know distinctions

• Label vs annotation: a label names; an annotation explains.
• Primary vs secondary data: collected by you vs by someone else.
• Qualitative vs quantitative: words and images vs numbers.
• Accuracy vs reliability: close to the truth vs repeatable.
• Interpolation vs extrapolation: safer within the data than beyond it.
• Desire lines vs flow lines: straight origin-to-destination vs along a route with width for amount.
• Bar chart vs histogram: gaps for categories vs touching bars for continuous data.
• Section B vs Section C: unfamiliar fieldwork vs your own titled enquiry.
• Correlation vs cause: two variables can change together without one causing the other.
• Magnitude vs frequency: bigger events usually happen less often.

Sampling

Method	How	Strength	Limitation
Random	Random numbers pick sites or people	Avoids your bias	May cluster or miss areas
Systematic	Regular interval, such as every 20 m	Even coverage, easy	Can miss features between points
Stratified	Sample groups in proportion	Represents each group	Needs prior information

The six enquiry strands

1. Suitable question: a hypothesis or question linked to a theory, with safe, accessible locations and a risk assessment.
2. Selecting, measuring and recording: primary and secondary data, physical and human data, sampling, justified methods.
3. Processing and presenting: choose methods that suit the data; adapt them if needed.
4. Describing, analysing, explaining: use figures, link data sets, use statistics, spot anomalies.
5. Conclusions: answer the original aim with evidence.
6. Evaluation: problems with methods, limits of data, other useful data, reliability of conclusions.

Alternative data collection is allowed if it involves planning and selecting, not pre-processed data: for example, choosing internet data, raw teacher data, interviews in school or at home, or selecting from photographs and maps.

Mini essay plan

Question: “Assess how far the conclusions of your individual fieldwork enquiry answered your original enquiry question.”

1. Introduction: state your title and hypothesis, and the theory behind it.
2. Where the conclusion was strong: quote the clearest result with figures and a statistic (for example, a median or range at each site).
3. Where it was weaker: name an anomaly or a site where the pattern broke, and explain why.
4. Method limits: sample size, timing, one day only, equipment accuracy.
5. Other data: say what extra primary or secondary data would test the conclusion.
6. Judgement: “largely”, “partly” or “only weakly”, with the main reason.

Extended answers are normally marked by levels, so a clear judgement backed by your own data matters more than the number of points.

Quick self-test

1. Convert 5.2 cm on a 1:50 000 map to a real distance.
2. A symbol lies in square 2865, four-tenths east and nine-tenths north. Give the six-figure grid reference.
3. Ground rises 80 m over a horizontal distance of 1.2 km. Give the gradient as “1 in x”.
4. Find the median of 4, 7, 9, 12, 20, 21.
5. A value rises from 250 to 310. Calculate the percentage increase.
6. How many degrees represent 35% on a pie chart?
7. Convert 2.4 cm on a 1:25 000 map to metres.
8. Which map shows straight lines from where people live to where they went?
9. Students record vegetation every 20 m along a line. Name the sampling method.
10. What is the difference between interpolation and extrapolation?
11. What must you identify at the start of Section C answers?

Answers

1. 5.2 x 500 m = 2,600 m = 2.6 km.
2. 284659.
3. 1.2 km = 1,200 m; 1,200 / 80 = 15, so 1 in 15.
4. Middle values are 9 and 12, so the median is 10.5.
5. (310 - 250) / 250 x 100 = 24%.
6. 35 x 3.6 = 126 degrees.
7. 2.4 x 250 = 600 m.
8. A desire line map.
9. Systematic sampling.
10. Interpolation estimates within the data range; extrapolation estimates beyond it and is less reliable.
11. The title of your individual fieldwork enquiry.

Where marks are usually lost

• Writing northings before eastings, or giving four figures when six are asked for.
• Forgetting to convert centimetres to metres before working out gradient.
• Dividing by the new value instead of the original in percentage change.
• Finding the median from unordered data.
• Joining points dot to dot on a scattergraph instead of drawing one line of best fit.
• Describing a graph without quoting figures and units.
• Naming a sampling method without explaining how it was carried out or why it suited the enquiry.
• Giving a risk without a matching way to reduce it.
• Concluding without linking back to the original question or hypothesis.
• In Section C, describing fieldwork in general rather than your own titled enquiry.

For wider exam technique, see preparing for the 9230 exams.

Official syllabus

These notes follow section 3.3 Geographical and Fieldwork skills, with the assessment details from sections 2.2 and 4.2, of the OxfordAQA International GCSE Geography (9230) specification, Version 4.3 (exams May/June 2020 onwards). Your teacher will confirm the official command words and calculation methods your class uses.