How to Answer a 20 Mark Methods in Context Question (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note
Exam code: 7192
Written by: Raj Bonsor
Updated on
How do I answer an AQA A Level Sociology 20-mark Methods in Context question?
The Methods in Context question appears only in Paper 1, as Question 05, and it assesses your ability to:
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a research method (AO1)
apply the strengths and limitations of the method to a particular issue in education (AO2)
analyse and evaluate how useful the method is for investigating that issue (AO3)
The question is always presented with Item C and always uses the same wording:
E.g. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using participant observation to investigate pupil exclusions [20 marks]
The marks available in this question are as follows:
AO1 = 8 marks
AO2 = 8 marks
AO3 = 4 marks
Application is worth as much as knowledge and twice as much as analysis and evaluation, so this question is mainly a test of how well you link the method to the issue
Examiners describe it as one of the trickier questions on the paper, because the level of application needed to do well is high
Any of the methods on the specification can be named in the question, including:
questionnaires
structured, unstructured and group interviews
participant and non-participant observation
laboratory and field experiments
official statistics
documents
What does 'in context' mean?
Examiners sum up the question like this: why is this a particularly good or bad method for studying this particular issue, in relation to the research characteristics and context of education?
The mark scheme describes three levels of application, and only the third can reach the top band:
the method in general, with 'very limited or non-existent application' to the issue or to education, which is placed in the 9–12 band
E.g. 'participant observation is time-consuming'
the method applied to education in general, 'not to the specifics of studying the issue', which is placed in the 13–16 band
E.g. 'pupils may change their behaviour when an adult observer is present'
the method applied to the particular issue in Item C, which is needed for the 17–20 band
E.g. 'excluded pupils are often not in school, so they cannot be observed at all'
Writing about the issue or the group involved, with only implied links to features of the method, also stays in the 13–16 band
Each point must name a feature of the method and a feature of the context, and link the two explicitly
You do not have to apply every point to the particular issue, as examiners say that, in reality, good answers have:
a range of well-developed strengths and limitations of the method
three or four points about studying schools, teachers or students
one or two points that really apply the method to the research issue
To apply the method to the context, think about:
the research characteristics of the people involved, such as power differences between adults and pupils, pupils' anxiety or vulnerability and pressure from parents or teachers
the educational setting, such as gatekeeping, access, school timetables and informed consent
the sensitivity of the issue, such as the school's reputation, stigma and safeguarding
How do I use Item C?
Item C usually does two things:
it describes the educational issue, including the groups involved and what makes the issue difficult to research
it names the method and gives one or two of its strengths or limitations
Read Item C carefully and underline the details that you can link to the method
E.g. 'there are no reliable figures for pupils sent out of individual lessons' suggests a strength of observation, as it can capture what statistics miss
Refer to the Item explicitly, using wording such as 'As Item C states...'
You must also use your own knowledge of the method, such as relevant concepts and studies
E.g. validity, reliability, representativeness, rapport, the Hawthorne effect or Willis' use of participant observation
How should I structure my essay?
Make a brief plan using the standard range of evaluation points as a checklist:
practical issues
ethical issues
reliability
representativeness
validity
Examiners say that, ideally, you should connect at least three of these to the context when you make your points
Write a brief introduction that defines the method and sets out your argument
Write around four substantial paragraphs, balanced between strengths and limitations
Each paragraph should:
start with a clear strength or limitation of the method
link it to a feature of the issue or the people involved, using Item C
explain the consequence for the research, e.g. for validity, reliability, representativeness or access
include a theoretical link where it fits, e.g. positivists favour structured methods for patterns and comparison, while interpretivists criticise their lack of depth
Finish with a short conclusion that judges how useful the method is for investigating this issue
Evaluate the method that is named in the question
Examiners report that some students over-rely on comparing it with other methods or drift into writing about other methods
How much should I write in a Methods in Context essay?
You will have around 30 minutes to answer the 20-mark Methods in Context question, which includes reading Item C and planning
Aim to write around 600–700 words
You should practise writing in timed conditions before you sit your exams
Worked Example
Here is an example of a 20-mark Methods in Context question with an Item (AQA, June 2018), followed by two extracts from a model answer:
Item C
Investigating pupil exclusions
Pupil exclusions take many forms. Permanent exclusions from school are rare, but about 1 pupil in 20 is excluded for a fixed period, often for physical assaults against staff. There are no reliable figures for pupils sent out of individual lessons. Pupils may also self-exclude by truanting or simply by 'switching off' in class.
Boys, pupils with special educational needs, poorer pupils and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils are much more likely to be excluded.
One way of studying pupil exclusions is to use participant observation. By adopting an appropriate role, the researcher may be able to get close to pupils. However, participant observers usually can only study fairly small groups. Furthermore, success greatly depends on the researcher's ability to establish a good relationship with those being studied.
Q. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using participant observation to investigate pupil exclusions.
[20 marks]
Extract 1: a strength applied to the issue
A major strength is reaching the hidden exclusions other methods miss. Item C points out there are "no reliable figures for pupils sent out of individual lessons", and that pupils may "self-exclude by truanting" or 'switching off' in class, none of which shows up in official statistics. By adopting an "appropriate role", such as a teaching assistant, the researcher can build the "good relationship" Item C mentions and witness these moments as they happen, from a teacher sending a boy outside to a pupil quietly disengaging at the back. Willis (1977) used participant observation to map exactly this kind of withdrawal among 'the lads', showing the meanings the boys attached to their resistance. For a topic where so much exclusion is invisible, this depth is uniquely valuable.
Extract 2: a limitation applied to the issue
However, the method struggles with the very pupils it most needs to reach. Excluded pupils are, by definition, often not in school, so once a pupil is excluded they cannot be observed at all, and the researcher may miss the classroom moment where the process begins. As Item C warns, participant observation studies only "fairly small groups" and depends on building a good relationship, which is hard here: frequently excluded pupils tend to distrust adults and authority, and an adult researcher of a different class, ethnicity or gender may struggle to gain rapport, especially with groups Item C names as more likely to be excluded, such as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils, who may have had negative experiences of school and be wary of an adult observer. A study of one Year 10 cohort in one school also cannot generalise to all the groups Item C lists.
Top band response: 17–20 marks
Marking commentary:
The full response is in the top band because it links the method and the issue a number of times, which is what examiners praised in a Methods in Context answer that was awarded 20/20 in AQA's marking guidance. In Extract 1, the strength (depth and closeness) is tied to something specific about pupil exclusions: many of them are hidden from official statistics. In Extract 2, the limitation comes from the research characteristics of the pupils themselves, who are often absent from school and may distrust adults. Each point is unpacked in detail and not simply listed. Item C is quoted throughout, but it is always developed with the student's own knowledge, such as Willis' study.
Step by step structure of the full essay:
Paragraph 1: A brief introduction defines participant observation, identifies the interpretivist and positivist views of it and sets out the argument (AO1)
Paragraph 2: A strength: the method reaches hidden exclusions that statistics miss, using Item C and Willis (AO1, AO2)
Paragraph 3: A strength: the method reveals the labelling processes behind the exclusion of the groups named in Item C (AO1, AO2)
Paragraph 4: A limitation: excluded pupils are often absent and hard to build rapport with, and small groups cannot be generalised (AO2, AO3)
Paragraph 5: A limitation: ethical and access problems, including safeguarding, covert observation of minors and headteachers protecting the school's reputation (AO2, AO3)
Paragraph 6: A short conclusion judges the usefulness of the method for investigating pupil exclusions (AO3)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Examiners have suggested the following advice to help you improve your performance on the Methods in Context question:
Keep linking the method to the issue throughout your answer
Do not make the link once and then drift into writing about the method in general
Use key terms such as validity, reliability and generalisability accurately, as examiners report that they are often overused or misused
Make sure that you know the differences between similar methods, as examiners have reported confusion between structured and unstructured interviews
Pay attention to every word used to describe the method
In a question on overt participant observation, students struggled to deal with the method being both 'overt' and 'participant'
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