Graeme Milne: Exploring the A-Level/ HE transition in History

Graeme Milne: Exploring the A-Level/ HE transition in History. Slides from the University of Liverpool Learning and Teaching Conference 2009. This paper reports on a series of visits to schools and colleges to observe A-level History classes and discuss the school/ university transition with teachers and students. The main aims of the project were to gain an understanding of our students’ teaching and learning experiences immediately before they come to university, and to suggest changes in year 1 delivery that might make the first semester in particular a more effective bridge into HE. Although environments vary considerably between schools, some common threads are evident. One immediate observation was the extent to which teachers emphasise each step in the transitions that they have to manage, from GCSE to AS, and from AS to A2. Teachers work hard to be transparent about the requirements of classroom work and assessments, often identifying explicitly and in detail how the work differs from that done at the previous level. This is often linked to a more general effort to build confidence and aspiration in students. The paper will consider whether these patterns might be usefully incorporated into History’s undergraduate modules.