Key Skills and Study Skills
for Sociology AS and A Levels
Page 1

Supporting doing Sociology with:
Key Skills: Application of literacy, numeracy and ICT towards the specific purpose of carrying out a task, in this case Sociology at AS and A2 levels (some of this also applies to anyone viewing who is starting as a student at a university!).
Study Skills: Developing efficient methods of learning and demonstrating learning

AS levels and A Levels are the beginning of training towards acquiring the kinds of academic skills expected at university.
It is not just about gaining sociological knowledge but having the grounded skills and learning the means to put ideas across in a meaningful way.
The demands for AS and A levels are certainly not as high as they would be at university, but they are related, and AS and A Level students need to move towards an appropriate literacy, numeracy, use of ICT and study skills level for this and future study.
We attempt to develop an academic style by training ourselves: train because we are starting to learn this style now - and improving never ends. Improving never ends for the AS and A Level student, for the degree student, for the postgraduate student, and for any teacher. Teachers too continually need to improve. We are all in the same boat.
I would add that I am constantly learning, and so I am a learner too. For example I am still involved in my own study skills because I learn in order to teach and I learn when I teach.
My teaching: in the past I have been a facilitator of study skills, a teacher and facilitator of using Information Communications Technology, and a teacher of literacy. This is as well as having a background in Sociology and social science as well as theology. So my input into teaching and learning is coloured by this experience.