Topic 6: Fieldwork enquiry stage 4 - Analysing and explaining fieldwork data — Edexcel GCSE Geography B
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Topic 6: Fieldwork enquiry stage 4 - Analysing and explaining fieldwork data explained
Stage 4 moves from displays to meaning. Analysing means identifying patterns, trends, anomalies and relationships in your own field data, such as noting that erosion weakens with distance from a path.
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Explaining means giving reasons for those patterns, linking them to a cause, process or consequence. Explanations must draw on relevant geographical case studies and theories, such as a named river management case study or a model like Burgess's concentric zones. Compare results with what the theory predicts, state where they agree or do not, and suggest why, referring to sample limitations. Describing data without interpretation gains little credit.
Your focus
- Identify a pattern or anomaly in a fieldwork dataset and state it precisely.
- Explain a pattern by linking it to a named process and a relevant case study or theory.
- Compare fieldwork results with a theory and state where they agree or do not, with a reason.
Topic 6: Fieldwork enquiry stage 4 - Analysing and explaining fieldwork data exam tips
Marking Points
- Identifies a pattern or anomaly in the field data and states it precisely.
- Explains the pattern by linking it to a cause, process or consequence.
- Applies a named geographical case study or theory that fits the local context of the fieldwork.
- Compares results with the theory, noting where they agree or do not and suggesting why.
- Refers to sample size or method as a reason for caution in the explanation.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Structure each point as pattern, then reason, then link to a named case study or theory.
- 💡Name the case study or theory and state one or two of its key features.
- 💡Finish each explanation with one limitation of the data or method.
Common Mistakes
- Describes percentages or trends without explaining why they occur; add a reason linked to a process.
- Writes generic theory with no link to the learner's own data; name the case study and show how it applies locally.
- Claims that data proves a theory from a small sample; state that results support or challenge the theory tentatively.
- Uses a case study from another location without explaining its relevance; justify the similarity to local conditions.