History GCSE

[alwaysonadiet1]

Has the amount of content ramped up or have I forgotten how much there is to learn?

Gove increased content in gcse exams. They are incredibly content heavy now. History is essay based so a large amount of writing too.

I took mine in 1992

Massively and ridiculously

Do you think this has made it very difficult or that it just needs lots of revision devoted to it?

While there is a lot of written work, the exam paper isn't all long essays - the marks are divided between an essay style question (16 marks on the papers I've looked at from DS2's History GCSE) and several shorter ones which require written answers, including ones for 4 marks. I borrowed a textbook from the library for a newish topic module on DS2's GCSE course, and it includes quite a few examples of "basic" and "good" for the various lengths/types of question - and the good answers aren't very long. For example, a question about discrimination on Caribbean immigrants asking for an answer about two areas. 2 of 4 marks for a sentence mentioning discrimination in employment and another sentence about discrimination in housing (students have probably been coached on the need to write full sentences). But s/he can get 4/4 by writing an extra sentence on each time of discrimination, all clearly responding to the question asked rather than just reeling off learned information.

The 16 mark question will be more of a short essay.

The questions also include things like commenting on an extract from a source.

I think being taught properly through the course, following what is taught in class, done lots of practice in answering questions of the type which come up in all sections of the exam, is as important if not more so than learning the facts, plus questions like commenting on a source extract give all students a starting point and might help better students remember more from what they've learned in school. But the format of these exams may make exam technique more significant.

The 9-1 gcse is RIDICULOUS- we had to start teaching it in year 9 just to get through the content. Don't get me started on the ridiculous number of question stems! I spend as much time teaching the kids how to jump through the hoops as much as teaching the content. We've actually made the decision to switch to the IGCSE as it was killing the enjoyment of the subject for the kids and for us!

Many thanks for your detailed reply

How does the IGCSE differ please?

I had one take it in 2010 and one in 2018, it was always content heavy but seemed to have become much heavier between the two dates . Both ds also did history A level as well which was also a heavy workload .

My DS hadn't even finished the history syllabus until halfway through his exams. The content is too much. They could knock out a subject area easily. DS has been doing the American West which to be fair he doesn't mind, but what really is the point of learning about endless broken treaties made with the Native Americans? If I never have to hear about the Fort Laramie treaty again, it will be too soon. And the history of medicine sounds dull too. Its dull and excessive.

History of Medicine is fascinating!

DD didn't finish content until a couple of weeks after Easter break. There's so much of it!

She's doing conflict in the middle east as one topic. Revision studies for that are almost non existent, which doesn't help.

She's loving the subject though, and wants to do it for A Level.

The IGCSE has less content and there is no requirement for the earlier module (which frankly is almost always the least popular with the kids).

I did history in the 90s and DS is doing it now, I can't believe all the different areas he is studying compared to what we did. Don't get me wrong he loves it and knows more than I ever did, but what a huge difference.

It is ludicrous - my DS has History of medicine from the Ancient Greeks to
the 1990s, Anglo-Saxons & Normans, Russia & the Soviet Union to 1942 and the Cold War! Three exams and a ridiculous amount of dates to remember.

My DS is desperate to get into his school sixth form purely because they are doing conflict in the middle East for A Level history. I wonder ifvthat will also have issues with resources?

Dd is doing WJEC and there's an insane amount of content.

In what way is the IGCSE better (out of interest)? I thought they covered more or less the same topics

DS has just done conflict in the Middle East for A level. To be honest it's been a nightmare, they have to show absolutely no bias, but there have been some really nasty arguments between students as it's such a polarised subject. I suspect some will have done badly in the exam, as far as they were concerned there was only one side to the argument. The teacher really backed off and it was taught badly. We couldn't find a tutor that would touch it for our syllabus, very little online. If it's the CIE A level, then there is no textbook for the A2 part of the course (the second year) either.
I don't think our school will be teaching it next year.

Yes this is what I'm worried about. He does read a lot of books about it now for interest when its something 8so awful and frustrating I can't imagine how you can possibly teach this in an unbiased way as an adult without emotions getting involved. Never mind teens, but he was really enthused about it during the information evening. But he was desperate to do GCSE art, and the gcse has probably put him off art forever!

Lol, one of ours took two art based GCSEs, her stress levels and consequently the stress levels of the rest of the house were through the roof! She did go on to take a design A level though.