A-level Psychology₇₁₈₂

1.1 Why choose AQA for A-level Psychology

Relevant content designed by experts

This qualification offers an engaging and effective introduction to Psychology. Students will learn the fundamentals of the subject and develop skills valued by Higher Education (HE) and employers, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research.

Retaining the most popular features of our previous, market-leading qualifications, we have worked with teachers, HE and the British Psychological Society to produce a clear, up-to-date and stimulating specification. We have built on the success of our previous specifications by introducing some minor amendments that reflect advances and changes in the subject and provide a coherent and holistic programme of study.

The biggest teaching community

We are the most popular choice for AS and A-level Psychology and by choosing our specification you will be part of the country’s largest community of psychology teachers and have access to the widest network of support to help your teaching.

Content continuity

• approaches and methods related to the core areas of Psychology – cognitive, social, biological, developmental, individual differences and research methods are all retained and delivered through content similar to the previous specifications
• explanations from different approaches, along with psychological issues and debates, are retained
• A-level students can choose from a range of attractive topic options which have been arranged to help teachers to teach to their strengths and at the same time ensure that their students experience an interesting, diverse and coherent course of study, regardless of which topics they choose.

Trusted assessment

Our assessments continue to employ a variety of familiar types of question such as multiple choice, short answer and extended writing/essays, which target the skills of knowledge and understanding, application and evaluation.

Students’ understanding of research methods, gained through classroom experience of practical Psychology, will be assessed using the familiar scenario-based question style and research methods questions embedded in topics.

Co-teachability of AS and A-level

We have designed the AS and A-level specifications to cover the core areas of Psychology and be fully co-teachable within the first year of study. We know this will help teachers with resourcing and timetabling and will also allow students to switch between AS and A-level during the first year if they wish.

Progression

Our specification will appeal to a cross-section of students, regardless of whether they have studied the subject before. It builds on skills developed in the sciences and humanities, and enables progression into a wide range of other subjects.

You can find out about all our Psychology qualifications at aqa.org.uk/psychology

1.2 Support and resources to help you teach

We know that support and resources are vital for your teaching and that you have limited time to find or develop good quality materials. So we’ve worked with experienced teachers to provide you with a range of resources that will help you confidently plan, teach and prepare for exams.

Teaching resources

We have too many Psychology resources to list here so visit aqa.org.uk/7182 to see them all. They include:

• flexible sample schemes of work to help you plan for course delivery in your own way
• individual lesson plans on specific topic areas to assist you in providing continuity and progression in teaching
• specimen assessment materials that will give your students a clear idea as to what is expected in the examinations
• a range of student textbooks from AQA approved publishers
• example practical activities for research methods (teachers should ensure that the British Psychological Societies Code of Ethics and Conduct is followed in any practical research activity. This can be found on the British Psychological Societies website www.bps.org.uk )
• training courses to help you deliver AQA Psychology qualifications
• subject expertise courses for all teachers, from newly qualified teachers who are just getting started to experienced teachers looking for fresh inspiration.

Preparing for exams

Visit aqa.org.uk/7182 for everything you need to prepare for our exams, including:

• past papers, mark schemes and examiners’ reports
• sample papers and mark schemes
• Exampro: a searchable bank of past AQA exam questions
• exemplar student answers with examiner commentaries.

Analyse your students' results with Enhanced Results Analysis (ERA)

Find out which questions were the most challenging, how the results compare to previous years and where your students need to improve. ERA, our free online results analysis tool, will help you see where to focus your teaching. Register at aqa.org.uk/era

For information about results, including maintaining standards over time, grade boundaries and our post-results services, visit aqa.org.uk/results

Keep your skills up to date with professional development

Wherever you are in your career, there’s always something new to learn. As well as subject-specific training, we offer a range of courses to help boost your skills.

• Improve your teaching skills in areas including differentiation, teaching literacy and meeting Ofsted requirements.
• Prepare for a new role with our leadership and management courses.

You can attend a course at venues around the country, in your school or online – whatever suits your needs and availability. Find out more at coursesandevents.aqa.org.uk

Get help and support

Visit our website for information, guidance, support and resources at aqa.org.uk/7201

You can talk directly to the Psychology subject team:

E: psychology@aqa.org.uk

T: 01483 477 822