Delivering the mandatory Investigating Science unit in our AAQ Cambridge Advanced National in Applied Science
26 June 2024
Amy Brewer, Science Subject Advisor
Our exciting new Level 3 Cambridge Advanced National in Applied Science (AAQs) will be ready for first teaching in 2025. This qualification includes the mandatory NEA unit Investigating Science unit, which enables students to research, plan, perform and analyse a scientific investigation.
In this blog I explain the unit and talk to teachers Sarah Freestone and Lisa Stevenson from Impington Village College about how they teach a similar unit in the International Baccalaureate (IB) school.
What are the new AAQ Cambridge Advanced Nationals?
In May 2024, we announced that all of our Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualification Cambridge Advanced Nationals (AAQ) had been approved for inclusion on key stage 5 performance tables in England from 1 August 2025.
These new qualifications have been created in response to the post-16 reforms and will replace our Cambridge Technicals in Applied Science, which will lose their funding from July 2025.
They have been designed to provide students with the practical skills and knowledge they need to better prepare themselves for entry into higher education and university.
Why is the Investigating Science Unit so different?
Investigating Science (F182) is a large (90 GLH), mandatory NEA course for the Certificate and Extended Certificate qualifications.
The unit was created in response to the feedback we received from higher education institutions that students had lost confidence in their practical skills and found it challenging to design investigations, select methodologies, and analyse data. It aims to build on the practical skills included in Fundamentals of Science (F180) and knowledge of scientific methods developed in Science in Society (F181).
Another key difference is that no two investigations can be the same – students can collaborate, but their research question must be different. Although this may seem daunting for some centres with large cohorts, it’s actually fairly straightforward to carry out and gives students a greater sense of ownership and motivation over their work. We have also ensured that teachers have plenty of time to teach the practical and investigative skills detailed in the specification so that students can carry out this assignment competently.
For example, in the sample assessment materials, one of the titles is Vitamin C content in food. In order to satisfy the requirements of the assignment, some students might determine concentrations by titration, while others do so by colorimetry. Some may be exploring cooked foods, while others might look at impacts of food storage. So long as the methods or variables explored are unique to them, and quantitative in nature, then they will have met the design of the assignment, intended to avoid problems with malpractice.
How can schools deliver this assignment in schools?
I caught up with Sarah Freestone, head of KS5 science and Lisa Stevenson, science technician, from Impington International College. They have been offering the International Baccalaureate diploma programme (IBDP) for over 30 years, and were selected as Comprehensive School of the Year (East Anglia) in the 2024 Sunday Times Schools Guide.
IB students have to complete a unique internal assessment for each of their subjects, marked internally and moderated externally. Every IBDP student must study a science subject and create a unique science investigation. This obviously provides a challenge for teachers and schools, but Sarah and Lisa manage this very successfully every year. Sharing some of the things they have learnt may help teachers planning to teach the Investigating Science unit.
Submitting research questions
Sarah told me that early in the process they organise an electronic form for students to submit their research questions. This helps determine whether every student’s work will be unique, meet the criteria and will produce good outcomes. Then their teachers can RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rate the proposals and discuss any issues with students before they proceed. This approach helps Sarah and Lisa to manage over 70 student investigations across the science subjects.
Managing the equipment and resources
Once plans are approved, Sarah and her team check the methods students have selected and get them to submit requisition lists to the technicians as early as possible. Lisa told me this is super helpful for organising the equipment and making sure the school has the materials students need. Specialist equipment such as water baths can also be scheduled for use on separate days so that access is managed.
Lisa explained that occasionally there is a request for a chemical reagent that isn’t in their stores. If the cost is reasonable, and requests are made with plenty of notice, they are usually able to deliver the equipment and materials students need with little hassle. With early planning they can also support students to make appropriate, safe choices when it comes to equipment and chemicals, ensuring that quality investigations can be carried out within budget and at the appropriate skill level of the students.
The team then prepares for timetabled practical days, grouping students together, and ensuring a practical space is provided with supervision. In general, practical results are collected over a single day and the school often gets all students through their practical work within a normal school week.
Common issues when delivering the internal assessment each year
Lisa told me that the biggest issue is students underestimating how many pieces of equipment they need for their experiments, or students requesting the wrong size/type. The technician team tend to prevent this occurring by supplying classrooms with a good volume of chemical stock and spare equipment.
Space in the classroom can also be an issue. Often timetables are reorganised so the sixth formers can use the science rooms for the whole day. Students have their materials saved in a labelled tray and they are carefully stored between sessions. To overcome challenges with working space students are encouraged to manage their own time, and to keep communicating with teachers and the technicians about their needs, so any problem can be dealt with smoothly.
What resources are available for teachers?
The specification, sample assessment materials, and mapping guide are available now. Before September 2025, teachers will have access to delivery guides and schemes of work to guide them through teaching the course. We’ll also offer guidance on:
- how to timetable the units
- how to mark the assignments via our candidate exemplars
- continued professional development support.
We are also working with third-party partners to provide other resources to support students. And as always you will have Bethan Foulkes and I as your subject advisors to answer your questions and keep you up to date.
Stay connected
Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions, you can email us at science@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or message us on X (formerly Twitter) @OCR_Science. You can also sign up to subject updates to keep up-to-date with the latest news, updates and resources.
About the author
Amy joined OCR in May 2022 and is a subject advisor for GCSE Sciences and Applied Science. Before joining OCR, Amy taught chemistry to 11-18 year olds for 16 years and was responsible for planning her school’s science schemes of learning. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Amy mentored PGCE students, was responsible for the progress of KS5 science students, and is committed to improving diversity and inclusion in the sciences.
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