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The impact of A-level reform on Economics in Higher Education Peter Smith Associate, Economics...
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Transcript of The impact of A-level reform on Economics in Higher Education Peter Smith Associate, Economics...
The impact of A-level reform on Economics in Higher Education
Peter SmithAssociate, Economics NetworkSeptember 2015
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Overview
• Background to the reforms
• Timeline
• Overall impact of the reforms
• The reformed economics curriculum
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Background• Existing system of AS/A-levels introduced in 2000
– modular, with exams twice per year– AS contributed to A-level grades– provided information for HE admissions
• Concerns
– too much time spent preparing for exams– students ill-prepared for HE study– learn and forget approach– grade inflation
• For Economics, challenge of taking students from no knowledge to being exam-ready very quickly
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Timeline of the reforms
Sep-10
Jan-11
May-11
Sep-11
Jan-12
May-12
Sep-12
Jan-13
May-13
Sep-13
Jan-14
May-14
Sep-14
Jan-15
May-15
Sep-15
White Paperlaunchesreview ofA-levels
Education Secretary
Michael Goveannounces
removalof January
exams
Ofqualresearch
published &consultation
launched
AS to bedecoupled
from A-level
Report ofgroup on
reviewof subjectcurricula
Subject expert panels review content Ofqual
publishessubjectcontent
requirementsfor Phase 1(including economics)
Teachingof reformed
Phase 1 subjectsbegins
Ofqualaccredits
economicsspecs
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Overall impact of the reforms• Subject specifications being phased in over 3 years
– Economics in the first phase– Maths in the final phase (teaching from 2017)– A mixture during the transition
• Will fewer exams release teaching time?
• Will AS levels survive?
– If not, admissions information affected– Entering students for exams is costly
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Changes to the economics curriculum• More content added than removed
• More time for students to assimilate new concepts before being examined
• Heightened focus on quantitative skills and criticality
• Possible increase in diversity of incoming students
– i.e. between those with & without A-level Economics
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Changes to contentBoards New content Revised
contentDeleted content
All Financial sectorRole of central bankBehavioural economics
AQA Intro to utility theoryMonopolistic competition
More on nature of development
Cost-benefit analysisGrowth of firmsGame theoryBuffer stocks
Edexcel
More reference to economic history & economic thinkers
More on emerging economies
Details of EULabour immobility/ price instability as market failures
OCR Intro to utility theoryDebates in macroeconomic thinkingThe environment
More on development
Emphasis on leisure and transport economics
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Quantitative skills (20% of overall marks)• calculate, use and understand ratios and fractions
• calculate, use and understand percentages and percentage changes
• understand and use the terms mean, median and relevant quantiles
• construct and interpret a range of standard graphical forms
• calculate and interpret index numbers
• calculate cost, revenue and profit (marginal, average, totals)
• make calculations to convert from money to real terms
• make calculations of elasticity and interpret the result
• interpret, apply and analyse information in written, graphical and numerical forms
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…and finally• CORE curriculum may help to cope with diversity of
background
• Increased awareness of quantitative skills may be helpful (but only for those who have taken A-level)
• Admissions needs to be carefully handled in the transition
• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/302106/A_level_economics_subject_content.pdf
• Thanks for listening…