Psychology

Year 12 & 13- AQA A-Level Psychology

Specification code: 7182
Qualification number: 601/4838/X

The AQA A-level Psychology course aims to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of psychology, and to help them develop skills that are valuable to employers and in higher education.

The course has been designed to encourage students to:

The course encourages students to:

Develop a deep understanding of the subject’s scientific methods, skills, and knowledge.
Develop competence in practical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills
Develop critical analysis, independent thinking, and research skills.
Demonstrate an understanding of how different areas of psychology relate to each other.

Students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of psychological concepts, theories, research methods, and ethical issues. They should also be able to apply their knowledge in a range of contexts and evaluate therapies and treatments.

Entry Requirements

5 GCSEs at 4 or above including Maths and English.

Assessment

Progression

On completion, many students go onto a psychology-related degree, but this subject is also hugely beneficial if you want to go into careers such as social work, teaching, business, and marketing, whether this is through further study, an apprenticeship or going directly into industry.

Course Structure

Psychology content is outlined delivery is outlined below.

Year 12

In year 12 the students will complete the following units of study. These include.

Unit 1- Social Influence

Unit 2- Memory

Unit 3- Attachment

Unit 4- Psychopathology

Unit 5- Approaches in Psychology

Unit 7- Research Methods

In year 13 the students will complete the following units of study. These include.

Unit 6- Biopsychology

Unit 8- Issues & Debates

Unit 10- Gender

Unit 12- Schizophrenia

Unit 16- Forensic Psychology

Applied Psychology

Year 12 & 13- BTEC National Certificate in Applied Psychology

Qualification number: 603/3057/0

The qualification provides the knowledge, understanding and skills that will prepare you for further study or training. Everyone taking this qualification will study three mandatory units, covering the following content areas:

• applications of psychological approaches

• conducting psychological research

• health psychology. The mandatory content allows you to concentrate on the development of your knowledge and understanding of psychology, as well as the application of skills that are important in psychology, over an extended period.

The course has been designed to encourage students to:

Develop their employability skills.

These skills are placed into three main categories, as, outlined below;

• cognitive and problem-solving skills: using critical thinking, approaching non-routine problems applying expert and creative solutions, using systems and technology

• interpersonal skills: communicating, working collaboratively, negotiating, and influencing

• intrapersonal skills: self-management, adaptability and resilience, self-monitoring and development, self-presentation.

Provide transferable skills for higher education.

The transferable skills that universities value include:

• the ability to learn independently

• the ability to research actively and methodically

• the ability to give presentations and be active group members.

BTEC learners can also benefit from opportunities for deep learning where they are able to make connections among units and select areas of interest for detailed study.

BTEC Nationals provide a vocational context in which learners can develop the knowledge and skills required for degree courses, including:

• reading technical texts

• effective writing

• analytical skills

• creative development

• preparation for assessment methods used in a degree.

Entry Requirements

5 GCSEs at 4 or above including Maths and English.

ASSESSMENT

External Assessment

Internal Assessment

For internally assessed units, the format of assessment is an assignment taken after the content of the unit, or part of the unit if several assignments are used, has been delivered. An assignment may take a variety of forms, including practical and written types. An assignment is a distinct activity completed independently by learners that is separate from teaching, practice, exploration, and other activities that learners complete with direction from, and formative assessment by, teachers. An assignment is issued to learners as an assignment brief with a defined start date, a completion date and clear requirements for the evidence that they need to provide. There may be specific observed practical components during the assignment period. Assignments can be divided into tasks and may require several forms of evidence. A valid assignment will enable a clear and formal assessment outcome based on the assessment criteria.

Progression

If you complete this qualification in a year, you may progress to further learning at Level 3, for example to a BTEC National Extended Certificate in a complementary sector, or in Applied Psychology. The qualification carries UCAS points and is recognised by higher education providers as contributing to admission requirements to many relevant courses, if taken as part of a programme of learning alongside other Level 3 qualifications. It will help in preparing you for degree programmes for which some knowledge of psychology may be an advantage. Examples are:

• a BSc (Hons) in Sports Coaching if taken alongside, for example, the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Sport

• a BA (Hons) in Early Years Education if taken alongside, for example, the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Children’s Play, Learning and Development.

Course Structure

Year 12

In year 12 the students will complete two units of study. This will include.

Unit 1 – Psychological Approaches and Applications- This is a mandatory externally assessed unit and the students will sit an exam in January of year 12.

Unit 2 – Conducting Psychological Research- This is an internally assessed and externally validated portfolio unit. The students will complete this from half term 3 onwards in year 12.

Year 13

In year 13 the students will complete two units of study. This will include.

Unit 3 – Health Psychology- This is a mandatory externally assessed unit and the students will sit an exam in January of year 13.

Unit 4 – Criminal & Forensic Psychology- This is an internally assessed and externally validated portfolio unit. The students will complete this from half term 3 onwards in year 13.

The full qualification is 4 units.