GCSE Sociology₈₁₉₂

1.1 Why choose AQA for GCSE Sociology

GCSE Sociology helps students to gain knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes and issues through the study of families, education, crime and deviance and social stratification.

Students will develop their analytical, assimilation and communication skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.

• investigate facts and make deductions
• develop opinions and new ideas on social issues
• analyse and better understand the social world.

You can find out about all our Sociology qualifications at aqa.org.uk/sociology

A specification designed for you and your students

Students study key ideas of classical sociologists including Durkheim, Marx and Weber, referencing their view of the world and their contribution to the development of the discipline.

Students will also learn how to apply various research methods to different sociological contexts. They will be introduced to sociological terms and concepts concerned with social structures, social processes and social issues.

Clear, well structured exams, accessible for all

To enable your students to show their breadth of knowledge and understanding, we’ve created a simple and straightforward structure and layout for our papers, using a mixture of question styles.

For more information on our exciting new GCSE Sociology qualification, visit aqa.org.uk/sociology

1.2 Support and resources to help you teach

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

Visit aqa.org.uk/8192 to see all our teaching resources. They include:

• sample schemes of work to help you plan your course with confidence
• training courses to help you deliver AQA Sociology 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/8192 for everything you need to prepare for our exams, including:

• past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports
• Exampro: a searchable bank of past AQA exam questions
• example 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

Time in the classroom is precious, but we understand that as your career develops, the skills and knowledge you need may change. As well as subject-specific training, we offer a range of courses to help boost your skills.

• Feedback sessions to understand how students have performed in this year’s exams.
• Virtual communities where you can chat to teachers in your subject area about what’s important to you.

This is just the start. Our events calendar is full of different ways for you to learn, understand and be inspired. Find out more at aqa.org.uk/professional-development .

Help and support

Visit our website for information, guidance, support and resources at aqa.org.uk/8192

If you'd like us to share news and information about this qualification, sign up for emails and updates at aqa.org.uk/from-2017

Alternatively, you can call or email our subject team direct.

E: sociology@aqa.org.uk

T: 01483 477 822