Teaching guide - Fieldwork - A-level Geography (7037) Version 2.0 - Guidance for fieldwork requirements, enquiry sequence, and sample investigations

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

Teaching guide: Fieldwork for A-level Geography (7037) specification, Version 2.0 (November 2024), provides structured support for interpreting fieldwork requirements and planning effective fieldwork. It explains minimum duration expectations, acceptable delivery models, and guidance for selecting physical and human contexts and suitable locations. It also outlines key steps in the enquiry sequence mapped to the NEA mark scheme, offers examples of fieldwork opportunities across specification topics, and includes sample investigations and signposting to further support and guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Fieldwork requirements

Approaches

Guidance on location

Issues with students attending fieldwork

Enquiry sequence

Fieldwork opportunities arising from the specification

Water and carbon cycle fieldwork opportunities

Coastal systems and their landscapes fieldwork opportunities

Glacial systems and their landscapes fieldwork opportunities

Ecosystems under stress fieldwork opportunities

Changing places fieldwork opportunities

Contemporary urban environments fieldwork opportunities

Population and the env

Teaching guide: Fieldwork This resource supports our A-level Geography (7037) specification and provides some guidance on how to interpret the fieldwork requirements of the specification, the opportunities for fieldwork and detailed sample fieldwork investigations. Version 2.0 November 2024 © 2024 AQA 1 of 48 Contents You can use the title links to jump directly to the different sections of this Fieldwork Teaching guide. | Section | Page | | --- | --- | | Fieldwork requirements | 3 | | Enquiry sequence | 5 | | Fieldwork opportunities arising from the specification | 6 | | Sample investigations | 23 | | Further support and guidance | 48 | Fieldwork requirements A-level specifications require students to undertake fieldwork which meets the minimum requirements of four days of fieldwork for A-level – Department for Education (DfE) Geography A-level subject content (page 13) . Fieldwork is an essential aspect of geography which ensures that young people are given the opportunity to consolidate and extend their achievement by relating learning to real experiences of the world. Specifications require that fieldwork is carried out, outside the classroom and school grounds, on at least two occasions Approaches Fieldwork can be conducted as a day trip, a residential experience or a mix of both. It is not a requirement that residential components be included, but this approach can enable students to explore landscapes that offer the most valuable learning opportunities. Fieldwork should prepare students for their Independent investigation as well as complement subject content. Ideally, the fieldwork should be embedded within the content to which it relates so that it maximises its impact on students’ understanding of that topic. The duration of the fieldwork should not be restricted to a single day per topic; it should be long enough to effectively enhance classroom learning. Fieldwork can take place at any time during the time students are studying for their A-level. It is an acceptable approach that three days of fieldwork are delivered with close supervision with the fourth day being one that students independently collect their own primary data for their NEA. Guidance on location Students are required to take part in fieldwork in both a physical and human context. Locations where fieldwork take place do not need to be far apart in terms of distance, but they do need to demonstrate different characteristics that suit the fieldwork students are undertaking. It may not be possible for many reasons for centres to take students to locations far away from where students live (e.g. cost, resources etc) . There may be opportunities to carry out some fieldwork in close proximity to the school, whilst being outside of the school grounds, e.g. local urban investigation, coastal location within short walk etc. This is an ideal opportunity to embed fieldwork for the local place study within Changing places. Issues with students attending fieldwork There may be occasions where students are unable to attend the planned fieldwork. This maybe due to medical reasons, unforeseen circumstances or a student joining the centre after fieldwork has taken place. There are a series of steps teachers should take to ensuring that the student(s) has alternative provisions: • can the student attend the fieldwork at an alternative time? (E.g. if there is another year group conducting the fieldwork) • can the student undertake the fieldwork independently with a parent or guardian with some guidance from the teacher? • do you have the resources available to prepare those students for a virtual experience of the fieldwork undertaken, if all other avenues have been exhausted? It is important that all students are provided with the same opportunity to access fieldwork as with all other students. The Geographical Association (GA) provides some useful guidance on accessible fieldwork as does the following guide of 10 ways

FAQs

What minimum fieldwork time is required for A-level Geography (7037)?

Students must undertake fieldwork meeting the minimum requirement of four days for A-level, as set out in the subject content referenced in the guide.

What approaches can centres use to deliver fieldwork?

Fieldwork can be delivered as a day trip, a residential experience, or a mix of both. Residential components are not required, but they can expand landscape-based learning opportunities.

How is the enquiry process structured for the NEA mark scheme?

The guide maps six enquiry stages to NEA marking areas: develop an enquiry focus, research literature, plan methodology and carry out fieldwork, present and analyse data, draw conclusions and establish significance, and evaluate and reflect on wider reading.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys