Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
SOCIAL STUDIES SYLLABUS UPPER SECONDARY
EXPRESS COURSE NORMAL (ACADEMIC) COURSE
Implementation starting with2016 Secondary Three Cohort
© 2016 Curriculum Planning and Development Division. This publication is not for sale. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Ministry of Education, Singapore.
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION • Philosophy of Social Studies 2 • Curriculum Aims 3 2. CONTENT • Design of the Syllabus 4 • Using the Detailed Syllabus Content 6 • Detailed Syllabus Content 8
3. RECOMMENDED PEDAGOGY: INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING • Translating the Humanities Inquiry Approach into the Social Studies Classroom 14
4. ASSESSMENT • Purpose of Assessment 18 • Modes of Assessment 18 • Scheme of Assessment 22
Page
1
Figure 1 The Singapore Social Studies Curriculum
1. INTRODUCTION
Philosophy of Social Studies
At the heart of the Singapore Social Studies Curriculum is the preparation of students to be citizens of tomorrow by helping them to better understand the interconnectedness of Singapore and the world they live in, and appreciate the complexities of the human experience. Drawing on aspects of society that are of meaning and interest to the students, Social Studies seeks to ignite students’ curiosity to inquire into real-world issues that concern their lives. Through inquiry and authentic learning experiences, Social Studies helps students to attain relevant knowledge and understanding about these issues, develop critical and reflective thinking skills, and appreciate multiple perspectives.
Social Studies seeks to inculcate in students a deeper understanding of the values that define the Singapore society, nurture dispositions that will inspire them to show concern for the society and the world they live in, and demonstrate empathy in their relationships with others. The Curriculum therefore envisions students as informed, concerned and participative citizens, competent in decision-making with an impassioned spirit to contribute responsibly to the society and world they live in.
2
Curriculum Aims
Social Studies seeks to develop the competencies of our students to be informed, concerned and participative citizens by the end of a 10-year Social Studies education. These competencies encompass the body of knowledge, skills and values expressed in the Philosophy of Social Studies and they are elaborated below.
As informed citizens, students would: • understand their identity as Singaporeans with a global outlook; • understand different perspectives; • view the world with an understanding of the Singapore perspective; • apply reflective thought in making quality decisions; • analyse, negotiate and manage complex situations; and • evaluate information, consider different viewpoints and exercise discernment in reaching well-reasoned conclusions and making responsible decisions.
As concerned citizens, students would: • have a sense of belonging to their community and nation; • appreciate the importance of engaging in issues of societal concern; • be committed to building social cohesion by appreciating diversity in society; and • have an awareness of the ethical considerations and consequences of decision-making.
As participative citizens, students would: • be motivated to identify issues of concern and take action; • be resilient in addressing concerns of the community or society in spite of challenges faced; and • be empowered to take personal and collective responsibility for effecting change for the good of society, and serve to make a positive difference to others.
3
Design of the Syllabus
In designing the Syllabus, the following principles were considered:
• To align with the Desired Outcomes of Education to nurture committed citizens ready to lead and contribute to Singapore, and to develop an informed and active citizenry committed to the well-being of the society and nation.
• To align with the outcomes and intent of the 21st Century Competencies and Character and Citizenship Education.
• To align with the ‘Head, Heart, Hands’ framework for National Education so that Social Studies would move beyond accumulation of knowledge and towards engaging
the young, developing their emotional bonds to Singapore and helping them to internalise the social values that would move them to act responsibly and contribute to society.
• To update knowledge, skills and values so that the Syllabus remains current and relevant.
• To align with the Primary Social Studies syllabus.
• To align across all levels and all courses to provide coherence in the curriculum structure.
• To reinforce the relevance and value of Social Studies in students’ everyday lives.
• To promote the use of engaging pedagogies and prevent content overloading, by providing a good balance of content and skills.
• To provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and commitment to the shared values through the use of alternative modes of assessment.
For further information on:- the Desired Outcomes of Education, please refer to http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/desired-outcomes/
- the 21st Century Competencies, please refer to http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/21cc/
- Character and Citizenship Education, please refer to http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/character-citizenship- education/files/2014-character-citizenship-education-secondary.pdf
- National Education, please refer to http://ne.moe.edu.sg/ne/slot/u223/ne/index.html
4
2. CONTENT
The Social Studies syllabus content is organised around three Issues and is anchored in a set of Knowledge, Skills and Values Outcomes. The three Issues correspond to societal issues that have been shaping Singapore society and the world and were selected with these considerations in mind:
• The need to respond to the ‘new diversities’ in society. • The need to strengthen the heart of an economically vibrant nation. • The need to grow an informed, concerned and participative citizenry.
The knowledge, skills and values acquired through a study of these Issues will enable students to enrich and deploy their competencies to respond to real world issues and in the process, strengthen their values as citizens. The following table shows the three Issues, each organised around an Inquiry Focus, which provides a frame for students to inquire and respond to the Issue and related issues.
Empowering Individuals, Enriching Society
5
Issue 1: Exploring Citizenship and Governance
Inquiry Focus - Working for the good of society: Whose responsibility is it?
Guiding Questions:1. What does it mean for me to be a citizen of my country?2. How do we decide on what is good for society? 3. How can we work for the good of society?
Issue 2: Living in a Diverse Society
Inquiry Focus - Living in a diverse society: Is harmony achievable?
Guiding Questions:1. What is diversity? 2. Why is there greater diversity in Singapore now?3. What are the experiences and effects of living in a diverse society?4. How can we respond in a diverse society?
Issue 3: Being Part of a Globalised World
Inquiry Focus - Being part of a globalised world: Is it necessarily good?
Guiding Questions:1. What does it mean to live in a globalised world?2. How do we respond to tensions arising from some economic impacts of globalisation?3. How do we respond to tensions arising from some cultural impacts of globalisation? 4. How do we respond to tensions arising from some security impacts of globalisation?
Figure 2 Summary of the three Issues
Issu
e 1:
Exp
lorin
g Ci
tizen
ship
and
Gov
erna
nce
Desc
ripto
r
Know
ledg
e O
utco
mes
Skill
s Out
com
es
Key
Und
erst
andi
ngs
Inqu
iry F
ocus
- Wor
king
for t
he g
ood
of so
ciet
y: W
hose
resp
onsi
bilit
y is
it?
Why
this
Issu
e m
atter
sTh
is Iss
ue in
vite
s stu
dent
s to
begi
n ex
plor
ing
wha
t it m
eans
to b
e an
info
rmed
, con
cern
ed
and
parti
cipa
tive
citiz
en. S
tude
nts w
ill d
eepe
n th
eir u
nder
stan
ding
of t
heir
role
s as
citiz
ens a
nd th
at o
f gov
ernm
ent.
In a
com
plex
soci
ety
and
wor
ld, u
nder
stan
ding
thei
r rol
es
as ci
tizen
s will
influ
ence
how
they
resp
ond
to va
rious
situ
ation
s and
issu
es in
Sing
apor
e an
d th
e w
orld
. Thi
s will
serv
e to
dev
elop
a st
rong
er se
nse
of ci
vic c
onsc
ious
ness
, enh
ancin
g th
e ro
les t
hey
play
as c
itize
ns w
ho a
re ro
oted
in S
inga
pore
with
a g
loba
l out
look
.
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to u
nder
stan
d:
• th
e di
ffere
nt a
ttrib
utes
shap
ing
ci
tizen
ship
;
• th
e ch
alle
nges
of d
eter
min
ing
w
hat i
s goo
d fo
r a so
ciet
y;
• th
e fu
nctio
ns o
f gov
ernm
ent
and
how
gov
ernm
ents
wor
k fo
r
th
e go
od o
f soc
iety
;
• ho
w c
itize
ns a
nd o
rgan
ised
gr
oups
can
par
ticip
ate
in
w
orki
ng fo
r the
goo
d of
soci
ety.
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• ex
amin
e so
ciet
al is
sues
criti
cally
;
• ga
ther
, int
erpr
et a
nd e
valu
ate
in
form
ation
from
diff
eren
t sou
rces
to
mak
e w
ell-r
easo
ned
and
su
bsta
ntiat
ed c
oncl
usio
ns o
n
soci
etal
issu
es;
• de
mon
stra
te so
und
reas
onin
g an
d
resp
onsib
le d
ecisi
on-m
akin
g th
at
is m
indf
ul o
f the
con
sequ
ence
s of
one’
s acti
ons o
n th
ose
arou
nd th
em;
• de
mon
stra
te p
ersp
ectiv
e-ta
king
w
hen
enco
unte
ring
diffe
ring
view
s;
• de
mon
stra
te re
flecti
ve th
inki
ng
whe
n re
view
ing
thei
r und
erst
andi
ng
of
soci
etal
issu
es a
nd e
xam
inin
g
pers
onal
ass
umpti
ons a
nd b
elie
fs
abou
t oth
ers.
Valu
es O
utco
mes
Key
Conc
epts
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• de
mon
stra
te c
ivic
resp
onsib
ility
and
inte
grity
for t
heir
spee
ch a
nd a
ction
s
in p
ublic
spac
es;
• em
path
ise a
nd c
are
for o
ther
s and
th
e en
viro
nmen
t in
whi
ch th
ey li
ve;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
harm
ony
thro
ugh
embr
acin
g
dive
rsity
;
• re
spec
t diff
erin
g vi
ews w
hen
in
di
alog
ue w
ith o
ther
s;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
resil
ienc
e in
the
face
of c
halle
nges
.
• Ci
tizen
ship
• Tr
ade-
offs
• Go
vern
ance
• U
nder
stan
ding
of c
itize
nshi
p is
varie
d an
d co
mpl
ex.
• Di
ffere
nt g
roup
s of p
eopl
e in
soci
ety
have
com
petin
g in
tere
sts a
nd m
anag
ing
thes
e in
tere
sts r
equi
res t
rade
-offs
to b
e m
ade.
• Bo
th c
itize
ns a
nd g
over
nmen
t can
pla
y co
mpl
emen
tary
role
s in
wor
king
for t
he
go
od o
f soc
iety
.
Inqu
iry F
ocus
:Ea
ch Is
sue
is fr
amed
by
an In
quiry
Foc
us w
hich
an
chor
s the
stud
y of
th
e Is
sue
and
is ce
ntra
l in
dire
cting
stud
ents
to
resp
ond
as a
ctive
citi
zens
to
the
Issu
e.
Key
Und
erst
andi
ngs:
The
Key
Unde
rsta
ndin
gs re
flect
th
e m
ain
insig
hts t
hat
stud
ents
wou
ld g
ain
thro
ugh
the
stud
y of
ea
ch Is
sue.
Why
this
Issu
e m
atter
s:Th
is se
ction
hig
hlig
hts t
he
rele
vanc
e of
the
lear
ning
in
eac
h Is
sue.
It m
akes
ex
plic
it co
nnec
tions
for t
he
stud
ent b
y ou
tlini
ng w
hat
the
stud
ent w
ill b
e ab
le to
do
afte
r stu
dyin
g th
e Is
sue.
Skill
s Out
com
es:
The
Skill
s Out
com
es p
rom
ote
skill
s suc
h as
Criti
cal T
hink
ing
in o
rder
for
stud
ents
to a
rriv
e at
reas
oned
con
clus
ions
bas
ed o
n an
alys
ing
mul
tiple
pe
rspe
ctive
s. T
hese
skill
s are
taug
ht th
roug
hout
the
Cour
sebo
ok a
nd a
re
asse
ssed
thro
ugh
a co
mbi
natio
n of
sum
mati
ve a
nd fo
rmati
ve a
sses
smen
t.
Valu
es O
utco
mes
:Th
e Va
lues
Out
com
es e
mph
asise
nur
turin
g th
e di
spos
ition
s of a
con
cern
ed c
itize
n an
d an
acti
ve c
ontr
ibut
or to
the
com
mun
ity. T
he st
uden
ts w
ill a
lso d
evel
op th
e fiv
e do
mai
ns o
f Soc
ial a
nd E
moti
onal
Com
pete
ncie
s suc
h as
Soc
ial A
war
enes
s, an
d co
re
valu
es su
ch a
s Res
ilien
ce.
Know
ledg
e O
utco
mes
:Th
e Kn
owle
dge
Out
com
es h
elp
stud
ents
ac
hiev
e th
e Ke
y U
nder
stan
ding
s and
resp
ond
to th
e In
quiry
Foc
us.
6
Usi
ng th
e De
taile
d Sy
llabu
s Con
tent
Gui
ding
Que
stion
sCo
nten
t
Gui
ding
Que
stion
s:Th
e Gu
idin
g Q
uesti
ons g
uide
stud
ents
’ pro
gres
sive
unde
rsta
ndin
g of
the
Issu
e. P
laci
ng th
ese
ques
tions
alo
ngsid
e th
e co
nten
t sho
w te
ache
rs h
ow to
faci
litat
e st
uden
t lea
rnin
g us
ing
the
inqu
iry a
ppro
ach.
The
Gui
ding
Que
stion
s al
so h
elp
to p
rovi
de fo
cus t
o fa
cilit
ate
the
achi
evem
ent o
f Kno
wle
dge
Out
com
es.
Core
Con
tent
:Co
nten
t of e
ach
Issu
e is
scop
ed to
mak
e th
e le
arni
ng o
f con
tent
m
anag
eabl
e fo
r st
uden
ts.
1. W
hat d
oes i
t mea
n fo
r me
to b
e a
citiz
en o
f my
co
untr
y?
2. H
ow d
o w
e de
cide
on
wha
t is g
ood
for s
ocie
ty?
3. H
ow c
an w
e w
ork
for t
he g
ood
of so
ciet
y?
• Att
ribut
es sh
apin
g ci
tizen
ship
- le
gal s
tatu
s
- a
sens
e of
iden
tity
-
parti
cipa
tion
in p
ublic
affa
irs
• Co
mpe
ting
need
s and
inte
rest
s
- m
anag
ing
trad
e-off
s
• Fu
nctio
ns o
f gov
ernm
ent
-
rule
-mak
ing,
rule
exe
cutio
n an
d ru
le a
djud
icati
on
• Ro
le o
f gov
ernm
ent i
n w
orki
ng fo
r the
goo
d of
soci
ety
-
mai
ntai
ning
inte
rnal
ord
er a
nd e
xter
nal s
ecur
ity
-
ensu
ring
justi
ce
-
prov
idin
g go
ods a
nd se
rvic
es fo
r the
pub
lic
-
safe
guar
ding
inte
rest
s of c
itize
ns
• Ro
le o
f citi
zens
in w
orki
ng fo
r the
goo
d of
soci
ety
-
aven
ues o
f citi
zen
parti
cipa
tion
o ch
anne
ls of
com
mun
icati
on b
etw
een
citiz
ens a
nd g
over
nmen
t
o
indi
vidu
al p
artic
ipati
on
o or
gani
sed
grou
ps
-
outc
omes
of p
ublic
par
ticip
ation
o co
ntrib
uting
to n
eeds
of s
ocie
ty
o
influ
enci
ng g
over
nmen
t dec
ision
s
o
stre
ngth
enin
g ci
tizen
s’ se
nse
of b
elon
ging
7
Issu
e 1:
Exp
lorin
g Ci
tizen
ship
and
Gov
erna
nce
Desc
ripto
r
Know
ledg
e O
utco
mes
Skill
s Out
com
es
Key
Und
erst
andi
ngs
Inqu
iry F
ocus
- Wor
king
for t
he g
ood
of so
ciet
y: W
hose
resp
onsi
bilit
y is
it?
Why
this
Issu
e m
atter
sTh
is Iss
ue in
vite
s stu
dent
s to
begi
n ex
plor
ing
wha
t it m
eans
to b
e an
info
rmed
, con
cern
ed
and
parti
cipa
tive
citiz
en. S
tude
nts w
ill d
eepe
n th
eir u
nder
stan
ding
of t
heir
role
s as
citiz
ens
and
that
of
gove
rnm
ent.
In a
com
plex
soc
iety
and
wor
ld, u
nder
stan
ding
the
ir ro
les a
s citi
zens
will
influ
ence
how
they
resp
ond
to va
rious
situ
ation
s and
issu
es in
Sin
gapo
re
and
the
wor
ld. T
his w
ill se
rve
to d
evel
op a
stro
nger
sens
e of
civi
c con
scio
usne
ss, e
nhan
cing
the
role
s the
y pl
ay a
s citi
zens
who
are
root
ed in
Sin
gapo
re w
ith a
glo
bal o
utlo
ok.
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to u
nder
stan
d:
• th
e di
ffere
nt a
ttrib
utes
shap
ing
ci
tizen
ship
;
• th
e ch
alle
nges
of d
eter
min
ing
w
hat i
s goo
d fo
r a so
ciet
y;
• th
e fu
nctio
ns o
f gov
ernm
ent
and
how
gov
ernm
ents
wor
k fo
r
th
e go
od o
f soc
iety
;
• ho
w c
itize
ns a
nd o
rgan
ised
gr
oups
can
par
ticip
ate
in
w
orki
ng fo
r the
goo
d of
soci
ety.
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• ex
amin
e so
ciet
al is
sues
criti
cally
;
• ga
ther
, int
erpr
et a
nd e
valu
ate
in
form
ation
from
diff
eren
t sou
rces
to m
ake
wel
l-rea
sone
d an
d
subs
tanti
ated
con
clus
ions
on
so
ciet
al is
sues
;
• de
mon
stra
te so
und
reas
onin
g an
d
re
spon
sible
dec
ision
-mak
ing
that
is m
indf
ul o
f the
con
sequ
ence
s of
on
e’s a
ction
s on
thos
e ar
ound
them
;
• de
mon
stra
te p
ersp
ectiv
e-ta
king
w
hen
enco
unte
ring
diffe
ring
view
s;
• de
mon
stra
te re
flecti
ve th
inki
ng
whe
n re
view
ing
thei
r und
erst
andi
ng
of
soci
etal
issu
es a
nd e
xam
inin
g
pers
onal
ass
umpti
ons a
nd b
elie
fs
ab
out o
ther
s.
Valu
es O
utco
mes
Key
Conc
epts
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• de
mon
stra
te c
ivic
resp
onsib
ility
and
inte
grity
for t
heir
spee
ch a
nd a
ction
s
in p
ublic
spac
es;
• em
path
ise a
nd c
are
for o
ther
s and
the
envi
ronm
ent i
n w
hich
they
live
;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
harm
ony
thro
ugh
embr
acin
g
dive
rsity
;
• re
spec
t diff
erin
g vi
ews w
hen
in
di
alog
ue w
ith o
ther
s;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
resil
ienc
e in
the
face
of c
halle
nges
.
• Ci
tizen
ship
• Tr
ade-
offs
• Go
vern
ance
• U
nder
stan
ding
of c
itize
nshi
p is
varie
d an
d co
mpl
ex.
• Di
ffere
nt g
roup
s of p
eopl
e in
soci
ety
have
com
petin
g in
tere
sts a
nd m
anag
ing
thes
e in
tere
sts r
equi
res t
rade
-offs
to b
e m
ade.
• Bo
th c
itize
ns a
nd g
over
nmen
t can
pla
y co
mpl
emen
tary
role
s in
wor
king
for t
he
go
od o
f soc
iety
.
Deta
iled
Sylla
bus C
onte
nt
8
Gui
ding
Que
stion
s
1. W
hat d
oes i
t mea
n fo
r me
to b
e a
citiz
en o
f my
co
untr
y?
2. H
ow d
o w
e de
cide
on
wha
t is g
ood
for s
ocie
ty?
3. H
ow c
an w
e w
ork
for t
he g
ood
of so
ciet
y?
Cont
ent
• Att
ribut
es sh
apin
g ci
tizen
ship
- le
gal s
tatu
s
- a
sens
e of
iden
tity
-
parti
cipa
tion
in p
ublic
affa
irs
• Co
mpe
ting
need
s and
inte
rest
s
- m
anag
ing
trad
e-off
s
• Fu
nctio
ns o
f gov
ernm
ent
-
rule
-mak
ing,
rule
exe
cutio
n an
d ru
le a
djud
icati
on
• Ro
le o
f gov
ernm
ent i
n w
orki
ng fo
r the
goo
d of
soci
ety
-
mai
ntai
ning
inte
rnal
ord
er a
nd e
xter
nal s
ecur
ity
-
ensu
ring
justi
ce
-
prov
idin
g go
ods a
nd se
rvic
es fo
r the
pub
lic
-
safe
guar
ding
inte
rest
s of c
itize
ns
• Ro
le o
f citi
zens
in w
orki
ng fo
r the
goo
d of
soci
ety
-
aven
ues o
f citi
zen
parti
cipa
tion
o ch
anne
ls of
com
mun
icati
on b
etw
een
citiz
ens a
nd g
over
nmen
t
o
indi
vidu
al p
artic
ipati
on
o or
gani
sed
grou
ps
-
outc
omes
of p
ublic
par
ticip
ation
o co
ntrib
uting
to n
eeds
of s
ocie
ty
o
influ
enci
ng g
over
nmen
t dec
ision
s
o
stre
ngth
enin
g ci
tizen
s’ se
nse
of b
elon
ging
9
Issu
e 2:
Liv
ing
in a
Div
erse
Soc
iety
Desc
ripto
r
Know
ledg
e O
utco
mes
Skill
s Out
com
es
Key
Und
erst
andi
ngs
Inqu
iry F
ocus
- Liv
ing
in a
div
erse
soci
ety:
Is h
arm
ony
achi
evab
le?
Why
this
Issu
e m
atter
sTh
is Is
sue
help
s stu
dent
s app
reci
ate
dive
rsity
and
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f har
mon
y.
Stud
ents
will
dev
elop
an
unde
rsta
ndin
g of
who
they
are
as i
ndiv
idua
ls an
d ac
cept
, re
spec
t and
cel
ebra
te d
iver
sity
as w
ell a
s com
mon
pra
ctice
s and
val
ues i
n a
dive
rse
soci
ety.
Thi
s will
hei
ghte
n st
uden
ts’ a
war
enes
s of t
he n
eed
to d
evel
op p
erso
nal a
nd
colle
ctive
resp
onsib
ility
in p
rom
oting
and
mai
ntai
ning
har
mon
y in
a d
iver
se so
ciet
y.
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to u
nder
stan
d:
• th
e fa
ctor
s tha
t sha
pe id
entiti
es;
• th
e re
ason
s for
gre
ater
div
ersit
y in
Sing
apor
e;
• th
e ex
perie
nces
and
effe
cts o
f liv
ing
in a
div
erse
soci
ety;
• th
e va
rious
way
s in
whi
ch
go
vern
men
ts a
nd in
divi
dual
s can
resp
ond
to th
e eff
ects
of l
ivin
g in
a
di
vers
e so
ciet
y.
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• ex
amin
e so
ciet
al is
sues
criti
cally
;
• ga
ther
, int
erpr
et a
nd e
valu
ate
in
form
ation
from
diff
eren
t sou
rces
to m
ake
wel
l-rea
sone
d an
d
subs
tanti
ated
con
clus
ions
on
soci
etal
issue
s;
• de
mon
stra
te so
und
reas
onin
g an
d
re
spon
sible
dec
ision
-mak
ing
that
is
m
indf
ul o
f the
con
sequ
ence
s of o
ne’s
actio
ns o
n th
ose
arou
nd th
em;
• de
mon
stra
te p
ersp
ectiv
e-ta
king
w
hen
enco
unte
ring
diffe
ring
view
s;
• de
mon
stra
te re
flecti
ve th
inki
ng
whe
n re
view
ing
thei
r und
erst
andi
ng
of
soci
etal
issu
es a
nd e
xam
inin
g
pers
onal
ass
umpti
ons a
nd b
elie
fs
ab
out o
ther
s.
Valu
es O
utco
mes
Key
Conc
epts
• Id
entit
y
• Di
vers
ity
• Ha
rmon
y
• As
simila
tion
• In
tegr
ation
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• de
mon
stra
te c
ivic
resp
onsib
ility
and
inte
grity
for t
heir
spee
ch a
nd a
ction
s
in p
ublic
spac
es;
• em
path
ise a
nd c
are
for o
ther
s and
the
envi
ronm
ent i
n w
hich
they
live
;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
harm
ony
thro
ugh
embr
acin
g
dive
rsity
;
• re
spec
t diff
erin
g vi
ews w
hen
in
di
alog
ue w
ith o
ther
s;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
resil
ienc
e in
the
face
of c
halle
nges
.
• Id
entiti
es a
re d
iver
se a
nd c
ompl
ex.
• Li
ving
har
mon
ious
ly in
a d
iver
se so
ciet
y m
eans
resp
ectin
g ou
r diff
eren
ces a
nd
ap
prec
iatin
g w
hat w
e sh
are
in c
omm
on.
• W
e ca
n ch
oose
how
we
resp
ond
to d
iver
sity
in o
ur so
ciet
y.
10
Gui
ding
Que
stion
s
1.
Wha
t is d
iver
sity?
2.
Why
is th
ere
grea
ter d
iver
sity
in S
inga
pore
now
?
3.
Wha
t are
the
expe
rienc
es a
nd e
ffect
s of l
ivin
g in
a
di
vers
e so
ciet
y?
4.
How
can
we
resp
ond
in a
div
erse
soci
ety?
Cont
ent
• Di
ffere
nt fa
ctor
s tha
t sha
pe id
entit
y an
d co
ntrib
ute
to a
div
erse
soci
ety
-
natio
nalit
y
- ra
ce a
nd e
thni
city
-
relig
ion
-
soci
o-ec
onom
ic st
atus
• Re
ason
s for
mov
emen
t of p
eopl
e to
Sin
gapo
re
- im
mig
ratio
n po
licy
-
econ
omic
opp
ortu
nitie
s
- so
cio-
cultu
ral e
nviro
nmen
t
• Ex
perie
nces
and
effe
cts o
f liv
ing
in a
div
erse
soci
ety
-
soci
o-cu
ltura
l div
ersit
y
o
cultu
ral e
xcha
nge
and
appr
ecia
tion
o pr
ejud
ice
and
misc
once
ption
s
-
soci
o-ec
onom
ic d
iver
sity
o ex
chan
ge a
nd a
ppre
ciati
on o
f ide
as, s
kills
and
exp
erie
nces
o co
mpe
tition
for r
esou
rces
• Re
spon
ses i
n a
dive
rse
soci
ety
-
man
agem
ent a
nd im
pact
of s
ocio
-cul
tura
l div
ersit
y
o
assim
ilatio
n
o
inte
grati
on
-
man
agem
ent a
nd im
pact
of s
ocio
-eco
nom
ic d
iver
sity
o m
arke
t-bas
ed a
ppro
ach
o sh
ared
resp
onsib
ility
app
roac
h
o
gove
rnm
ent-fi
nanc
ed a
ppro
ach
11
Issu
e 3:
Bei
ng P
art o
f a G
loba
lised
Wor
ld
Desc
ripto
r
Know
ledg
e O
utco
mes
Skill
s Out
com
es
Key
Und
erst
andi
ngs
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to u
nder
stan
d:
• ho
w te
chno
logy
has
mad
e th
e w
orld
mor
e co
nnec
ted;
• di
ffere
nt re
spon
ses t
o te
nsio
ns
arisi
ng fr
om so
me
econ
omic
impa
cts
of
glo
balis
ation
;
• di
ffere
nt re
spon
ses t
o te
nsio
ns
arisi
ng fr
om so
me
cultu
ral i
mpa
cts
of
glo
balis
ation
;
• di
ffere
nt re
spon
ses t
o te
nsio
ns
arisi
ng fr
om so
me
secu
rity
impa
cts
of
glo
balis
ation
.
Valu
es O
utco
mes
Key
Conc
epts
• Gl
obal
isatio
n
• In
terc
onne
ction
s
• In
terd
epen
denc
e
• Ho
mog
enisa
tion
• Hy
brid
isatio
n
• Tr
ade-
offs
• Se
curit
y
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• de
mon
stra
te c
ivic
resp
onsib
ility
and
inte
grity
for t
heir
spee
ch a
nd a
ction
s
in p
ublic
spac
es;
• em
path
ise a
nd c
are
for o
ther
s and
the
envi
ronm
ent i
n w
hich
they
live
;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
harm
ony
thro
ugh
embr
acin
g
dive
rsity
;
• re
spec
t diff
erin
g vi
ews w
hen
in
di
alog
ue w
ith o
ther
s;
• ap
prec
iate
the
impo
rtan
ce o
f
resil
ienc
e in
the
face
of c
halle
nges
.
• Gl
obal
isatio
n sh
apes
the
inte
rcon
necti
ons a
nd in
terd
epen
denc
e am
ong
co
untr
ies a
nd p
eopl
e.
• Gl
obal
isatio
n cr
eate
s ten
sions
due
to th
e un
even
impa
cts.
• Th
e im
pact
s of g
loba
lisati
on re
sult
in d
iffer
ing
resp
onse
s fro
m c
ount
ries a
nd
pe
ople
.
Stud
ents
will
be
able
to:
• ex
amin
e so
ciet
al is
sues
criti
cally
;
• ga
ther
, int
erpr
et a
nd e
valu
ate
in
form
ation
from
diff
eren
t sou
rces
to
m
ake
wel
l-rea
sone
d an
d su
bsta
ntiat
ed
co
nclu
sions
on
soci
etal
issu
es;
• de
mon
stra
te so
und
reas
onin
g an
d
re
spon
sible
dec
ision
-mak
ing
that
is
m
indf
ul o
f the
con
sequ
ence
s of o
ne’s
actio
ns o
n th
ose
arou
nd th
em;
• de
mon
stra
te p
ersp
ectiv
e-ta
king
w
hen
enco
unte
ring
diffe
ring
view
s;
• de
mon
stra
te re
flecti
ve th
inki
ng
whe
n re
view
ing
thei
r und
erst
andi
ng
of
soci
etal
issu
es a
nd e
xam
inin
g
pers
onal
ass
umpti
ons a
nd b
elie
fs
ab
out o
ther
s.
Inqu
iry F
ocus
- Be
ing
part
of a
glo
balis
ed w
orld
: Is i
t nec
essa
rily
good
?
Why
this
Issu
e m
atter
sTh
is Is
sue
help
s stu
dent
s und
erst
and
and
mak
e m
eani
ng o
f the
ir liv
es in
a g
loba
lised
w
orld
whe
re c
ount
ries,
com
pani
es a
nd in
divi
dual
s are
inte
rcon
nect
ed a
nd
inte
rdep
ende
nt. S
tude
nts w
ill e
xplo
re th
e im
pact
s of g
loba
lisati
on in
thre
e ar
eas:
ec
onom
y, cu
lture
and
secu
rity.
The
y w
ill u
nder
stan
d th
e co
mpl
ex p
roce
ss o
f gl
obal
isatio
n th
roug
h ex
amin
ing
how
the
unev
en im
pact
s of g
loba
lisati
on in
thes
e ar
eas r
esul
t in
trad
e-off
s and
tens
ions
. The
se im
pact
s lea
d to
diff
eren
t res
pons
es fr
om
coun
trie
s, c
ompa
nies
and
indi
vidu
als.
Stu
dent
s will
ther
efor
e ap
prec
iate
the
com
plex
de
cisio
n-m
akin
g pr
oces
s beh
ind
resp
onse
s tow
ards
the
impa
cts o
f glo
balis
ation
. Thi
s un
ders
tand
ing
will
lead
them
in m
akin
g w
ell-r
easo
ned
and
resp
onsib
le d
ecisi
ons a
s in
form
ed, c
once
rned
and
par
ticip
ative
citi
zens
in a
glo
balis
ed w
orld
.
12
13
Gui
ding
Que
stion
s
1.
Wha
t doe
s it m
ean
to li
ve in
a g
loba
lised
wor
ld?
2.
How
do
we
resp
ond
to te
nsio
ns a
risin
g fr
om so
me
econ
omic
impa
cts o
f glo
balis
ation
?
3.
How
do
we
resp
ond
to te
nsio
ns a
risin
g fr
om so
me
cultu
ral i
mpa
cts o
f glo
balis
ation
?
4.
How
do
we
resp
ond
to te
nsio
ns a
risin
g fr
om so
me
secu
rity
impa
cts o
f glo
balis
ation
?
Cont
ent
• Dr
ivin
g fo
rces
of g
loba
lisati
on
- de
velo
pmen
ts in
tran
spor
tatio
n
- gr
owth
of M
ultin
ation
al C
orpo
ratio
ns (M
NCs
)
- te
chno
logi
cal a
dvan
cem
ents
• Ec
onom
ic im
pact
on
coun
trie
s, c
ompa
nies
and
indi
vidu
als
-
econ
omic
gro
wth
and
dow
ntur
n fo
r cou
ntrie
s
- hi
gher
pro
fits/
mar
ket s
hare
and
low
er p
rofit
s/ m
arke
t sha
re fo
r com
pani
es
- hi
gher
inco
me/
gre
ater
em
ploy
men
t opp
ortu
nitie
s and
loss
of i
ncom
es a
nd e
mpl
oym
ent f
or in
divi
dual
s
- re
spon
ses t
o ec
onom
ic im
pact
s
o
coop
erati
on a
nd c
ompe
tition
am
ong
coun
trie
s
o
inno
vatio
n an
d ad
apta
tion
by c
ompa
nies
o ac
quisi
tion
of k
now
ledg
e an
d sk
ills b
y in
divi
dual
s
• Cu
ltura
l im
pact
on
coun
trie
s and
indi
vidu
als*
-
hom
ogen
isatio
n an
d hy
brid
isatio
n
- di
ffere
nt d
egre
es o
f acc
epta
nce
and
reje
ction
o en
tert
ainm
ent
o fo
od
• Se
curit
y im
pact
on
coun
trie
s and
indi
vidu
als*
-
secu
rity
and
vuln
erab
ility
-
man
agem
ent o
f tra
de-o
ffs
o
cybe
r sec
urity
cha
lleng
es
o
tran
snati
onal
terr
orism
* Gu
idin
g Q
uesti
ons 3
and
4, t
heir
co
rres
pond
ing
Know
ledg
e O
utco
mes
and
cont
ent a
re n
on-e
xam
inab
le a
t
the
GCE
‘N(A
)’- L
evel
Exa
min
ation
.
14
3. RECOMMENDED PEDAGOGY: INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING
Translating the Humanities Inquiry Approach into the Social Studies Classroom
Social Studies is a subject that helps students to become citizens contributing towards a democratic society. This is a complicated task, as it requires teachers to develop students’ knowledge, skills, and values, so as to realise the vision of students becoming informed, concerned and participative citizens.
Students need a more active and authentic experience to make sense of and investigate societal issues through the process of inquiry. These issues are interdisciplinary in nature and usually drawn from the students’ experiences and society’s concerns. They challenge the students’ perceptions and often cannot be adequately understood or addressed effectively without a range of sources of information that illustrate the complexity of the issues. Thus, inquiry in Social Studies necessitates that the classroom is transformed into an interactive learning community where there are well-facilitated discussions showcasing multiple perspectives that accurately illustrate the complexity of various issues.
Figure 3 Framework of the Humanities Inquiry Approach
The Humanities Inquiry Approach, as shown in Figure 3, is underpinned by four elements of inquiry, where learning should be Question-Driven and Evidence-Based, and involves Reflection and Knowledge Construction. These elements are further exemplified through students’ learning as they undergo the four stages of the inquiry process, which are Sparking Curiosity, Gathering Data, Exercising Reasoning and Reflective Thinking. Having a good understanding of these elements, the different stages of inquiry and strategies that facilitate these elements in a lesson will help teachers design meaningful inquiry lessons for Social Studies. The next section provides an overview of the four elements of inquiry, and how they are evident in the Social Studies classroom.
Elements of Inquiry
(a) Learning as Question-Driven
Inquiry-based learning seeks to spark and build on students’ curiosity, so as to create meaningful learning. Questions are used to activate students’ prior knowledge and challenge their assumptions, as multiple perspectives are presented for their consideration. This in turn leads to the eliciting of students’ own questions out of curiosity. Thus, learning is achieved through inquiry as it is driven by teachers’ and students’ questions to investigate, extract, analyse and synthesise information regarding issues.
(b) Reliance on Evidence
The inquiry approach also requires students to justify opinions and beliefs using relevant and valid evidence. To achieve this, students must first ascertain what constitutes as ‘evidence’ in a discourse, which involves distinguishing between facts and opinions, and evaluating the reliability and usefulness of information. Following which, students need to draw conclusions based on the evidence they have gathered. Lastly, students should compare their evidence-based conclusions amongst one another, so as to gain deeper understanding of the issues.
(c) Double Movement of Reflection
With the necessary evidence gathered regarding an issue, students proceed to create a working theory, where they move from experiencing a phenomenon, to creating a working hypothesis about that experience, to experiencing the phenomenon again to test the working hypothesis, and back to revise the hypothesis, and so forth.1 Developing this disposition of reflective thinking will equip students with the ability to exercise discernment over the validity of information they encounter in their daily lives.
(d) Knowledge Construction
When students ask questions, gather evidence and reflect on the different perspectives presented, they are actively engaged in knowledge construction, where they discover new ways of understanding and new ways of seeing things. They do not simply receive information didactically but are engaged in meaningful learning. Thus, inquiry-based learning must involve learning opportunities which make students aware of how they see things and how they reconstruct their existing knowledge when exposed to new knowledge. Such new stimuli may provide refreshing insights for students and spark off further questions about the issue.
1 Parker, W. C. (2003). Teaching Democracy: Unity and Diversity in Public Life (pp.134). New York: Teachers College Press.
15
Social StudiesInquiry Process
Sparking Curiosity(Develop questions about societal issues, question pre-existing beliefs and
assumptions)
Reflective Thinking(Reflect on both the process and the knowledge gained)
Gathering Data(Identify multiple sources, locate useful and relevant
information)
Exercising Reasoning(Evaluate usefulness and reliability of
sources, consider multiple perspectives, reach informed
conclusions supported by evidence)
Figure 4 The Social Studies Inquiry Process
Social Studies Inquiry Process
With these four elements in mind, we proceed to examine the four stages of the inquiry process - Sparking Curiosity, Gathering Data, Exercising Reasoning and Reflective Thinking. Figure 4 shows how a cycle of inquiry may look like in the Social Studies classroom:
(a) Sparking Curiosity As teachers attempt to spark curiosity amongst students, teachers have to first activate
their prior or pre-existing knowledge about these real-world issues, surfacing students’ pre-existing beliefs and knowledge and making them aware of why they adopt such a view. It would also be useful to identify any questions they would like to address about the
issue. Having achieved this, teachers can then introduce new stimulus materials that would trigger further interest and curiosity about the issue, provoking students to question their own assumptions and beliefs.
(b) Gathering Data To address the gaps in their understanding, students should be encouraged to gather data
from a variety of authentic sources of information within and beyond the classroom, so as to reflect a multiplicity of perspectives on the issue that they are critically examining. All these serve to enrich students’ understanding about the issue.
(c) Exercising Reasoning After gathering the various sources of data, students need to make sense of the data
and extract relevant information. To do so, they need to describe, explain and analyse the data/information gathered and distinguish reliable from unreliable sources. As they engage in this reasoning and deliberation process where they grapple with the multiple perspectives presented, students develop new ways of understanding, arrive at informed conclusions and in turn construct new knowledge for themselves.
16
(d) Reflective Thinking Reflective thinking is an integral aspect of inquiry-based learning and can take place at two levels: reflecting on the process and reflecting on the knowledge gained. Hence, reflections should not only be done at the end of projects to serve as a form of consolidation, but ought to be done at the different stages of the inquiry process.
17
4. ASSESSMENT
Purpose of Assessment
The purpose of assessment must be understood beyond the context of high-stake national examinations. While Assessment of Learning does play an important role in quantifying and qualifying the students’ and teachers’ efforts at understanding and applying knowledge areas, it is not an end in itself. The grades and feedback received at specific junctures serve as a consolidation of students’ learning, but may not be timely in helping teachers strengthen their teaching practices. Thus, Assessment for Learning is just as important because it provides regular feedback to teachers on how they could improve on classroom practices in order to better cater to their students’ learning needs and in turn, strengthen the learning and teaching of Social Studies.
Both Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning have a place in the Social Studies Express/Normal (Academic) Curriculum. The modes of assessment that are highlighted in the following sub-section are designed in alignment with the purpose of the Syllabus, which is to develop our students into informed, concerned and participative citizens. This is made possible as both school-based assessment and national assessment seek to evoke students’ curiosity to inquire into societal issues that concern their lives. Both assessments require students to think critically and reflectively about these issues through the appreciation of multiple perspectives, to derive at well-reasoned and substantiated conclusions.
Modes of Assessment
School-Based Assessment
As mentioned previously, Assessment for Learning (formative assessment) is just as important as Assessment of Learning (summative assessment). Examples of summative assessment include class assessments and semestral examinations, while formative assessments could exist in the form of quizzes, debates, deliberative discussions and Issue Investigation. The next two sub-sections provide an overview of the place of Issue Investigation in the Social Studies classroom.
(a) Purpose of Issue investigation
The inquiry approach develops skills and values that cannot be wholly assessed through conventional pen-and-paper assessment modes as students are required to integrate the knowledge, skills and values learnt and demonstrate them in the classroom. Thus, the outcomes of the approach are better exemplified through their participation in learning activities.
As a performance task, Issue Investigation provides a platform for students to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and values needed for active citizenship. As students conduct investigations on societal issues of meaning to them, they extend their inquiry skills by working as a group to: • identify a societal issue that is a cause of concern; • gather data that reflects multiple perspectives; • analyse the data gathered to surface trends and patterns that help address the issue; • arrive at well-reasoned and substantiated conclusions; • consider possible recommendations to the societal issue; and • reflect on their understanding of the societal issue and examine personal assumptions and beliefs about the issue.
18
Humanities Inquiry Process
Sparking Curiosity
Gathering Data
Issue Investigation OutcomesSkills
a) * Articulate the rationale for their choice of issue for investigationb) * Craft a question related to the issue for investigation
c) Develop a plan for data gathering (what are the sources of information, where and how to get the data) [Note: A teacher may decide to provide students with a selection of sources (in which case, the outcomes and qualities assessed would have to be modified).]
• Draw on prior knowledge
• Identify gaps in understanding and ask questions
• Research and brainstorm on possible issues worth investigating
• Decide on the focus of the investigation
• Craft a manageable Issue Investigation question
• Identify data in relation to the chosen issue e.g. stakeholders and their different perspectives, constraints and available resources
• Locate data - search skills (print and online resources) e.g. using Boolean operators
• Gather data - research methods e.g. quantitative and/or qualitative data through questionnaires, interviews and observations
Moreover, when students undertake Issue Investigation, they learn to question unexamined assumptions and develop perspective-taking, all of which will contribute towards helping them arrive at informed conclusions. Thus, Issue Investigation provides students with the opportunity to practise and demonstrate the 21st Century Competencies to become informed, concerned and participative citizens.
(b) Assessment in Issue InvestigationThe different stages of Issue Investigation, i.e. Sparking Curiosity, Gathering Data, Exercising Reasoning and Reflective Thinking, allow students the opportunity to apply a combination of knowledge, skills and values to inquire and address the societal issue they have chosen. The application of these knowledge, skills and values leads to outcomes which the Issue Investigation process aims to develop in students and they are outlined in Figure 5.
19
*May not be assessed if students require more help from teachers.
Humanities Inquiry Process Issue Investigation OutcomesSkills
Exercising Reasoning
d) Analyse and evaluate the data gathered (trends, problems, constraints, resources, perspectives)e) Arrive at well-reasoned and substantiated conclusion(s)f) Propose recommendations to ameliorate the concern
• Evaluate sources of information - comprehend and extract relevant information - draw inferences from given information - analyse and evaluate evidence - compare and contrast different views - distinguish between fact, opinion and judgement - recognise values and detect bias - draw conclusion(s) based on reasoned consideration of evidence and arguments, taking into consideration different perspectives
• Demonstrate sound reasoning and responsible decision-making that is mindful of the consequences of their actions on those around them
Reflective Thinking g) Communicate proposal to classmatesh) Reflect on the process of investigation, feedback given and new understanding of the issue
Extensioni) Carry out the proposed actionj) Gather feedback on the action takenk) Evaluate the action taken
• Reflect on the process of Issue Investigation
• Reflect on the personal assumptions and beliefs that may have influenced their understanding of societal issues
• Reflect on any new understanding that was gained in the process of Issue Investigation
• Reflect on the possibility of further actions/ recommendations
Figure 5 Issue Investigation in Social Studies
20
As a school-based assessment, the components to be assessed through Issue Investigation are not fixed. Teachers have the flexibility to assess components they feel are within their students’ ability. Another criterion that can be used to decide on the Issue Investigation components to be assessed would be the purpose of the activity and what teachers hope students would achieve at the end of Issue Investigation.
Below are some assessment guidelines on Issue Investigation: • To be included as a component of Secondary Three or Four Continual Assessment (CA). • The percentage of CA marks set aside for Issue Investigation will be determined by the school. This percentage should reflect the importance of the task. • One Issue Investigation to be completed in either Secondary Three or Four.
National Assessment
Assessment of Learning, to establish and find evidence of the quality of students’ learning, is done through both school-based and national-assessment. As in school-based assessment, national assessment is designed in alignment with the Social Studies Express/Normal (Academic) Syllabus. Through the Syllabus, students will acquire the relevant knowledge and understanding about societal issues, develop critical and reflective thinking skills, and appreciate multiple perspectives. In alignment with these aims, the assessment objectives of the ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level assessments emphasise inquiry, reflective and critical thinking, and understanding of multiple perspectives. The assessments are, in addition, appropriately scoped in terms of the content and skills tested at ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level. While the ‘O’- Level examination is based on three Issues, the ‘N(A)’- Level examination is based on two and a half Issues. Figure 6 shows the assessment objectives for the Syllabus.
21
The assessment objectives are:
Objective 1 – Knowledge with Understanding Candidates should be able to • demonstrate an understanding of societal issues
Objective 2 – Interpreting and Evaluating Sources/Given InformationCandidates should be able to • comprehend and extract relevant information • draw inferences from given information • analyse and evaluate evidence • compare and contrast different views • distinguish between fact, opinion and judgement • recognise values and detect bias • draw conclusions based on reasoned consideration of evidence and arguments
Objective 3 – Constructing ExplanationsCandidates should be able to • analyse societal issues through different perspectives • construct reasoned arguments and make informed judgement and recommendations
Figure 6 Assessment Objectives for the Syllabus
Scheme of Assessment
The assessment objectives reflect the emphasis in the aims of the Social Studies Syllabus. These objectives are tested in two different sections of the Social Studies paper.
Section A: Source-Based Case Study (SBCS)
The GCE ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level Social Studies Syllabus aims to develop critical and reflective thinking, and perspective-taking in students. This is best assessed in Section A where students are required to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and conceptual understanding through an unseen SBCS. They will interpret and evaluate a collection of sources based on a societal issue. There is hence, alignment between Assessment Objectives 1 and 2 with the assessment items in this section.
A new assessment item, sub-question (e) is introduced, where students are required to consolidate perspectives from multiple sources of information to respond to the issue of the Source-Base Case Study.
Section B: Structured-Response Question (SRQ)
The GCE ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level Social Studies Syllabus is anchored on issues and driven by inquiry, where knowledge is important as a basis for discourse on societal issues. Students will be required to show their understanding of societal issues when they apply their knowledge as they analyse societal issues and construct explanations. This emphasis on knowledge beyond factual recall and the ability to construct reasoned arguments and make informed judgement and recommendations are tested in Section B. These fulfil Assessment Objectives 1 and 3.
22
Duration and Weighting
The total duration for both the ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level Social Studies papers is 1hr 45mins. As seen previously, the ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level Social Studies papers comprise two sections: Section A (Source-Based Case Study) and Section B (Structured-Response Question). Students will have to attempt all questions in both Section A and Section B. The total marks for SBCS is 35 marks for both the ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level examinations. Correspondingly, the total marks for SRQ is 15 marks. Both the SBCS and SRQ will be marked using the Levels of Response Marking Scheme (LORMS), which rewards the level of skill or understanding displayed in an answer.
The weighting for the assessment objectives can be found in Figure 7. As can be seen, Objectives 1 and 2 are of a greater weightage than Objectives 1 and 3. This means that Section A will involve a greater number of marks and students will need to spend a longer period of time to complete this section.
Assessment Objective Weighting
Objective 1 + Objective 2Objective 1 + Objective 3Total
35%15%50%
Figure 7 GCE ‘O’- and ‘N(A)’- Level Assessment Specification Grid
