11 Plus Exams Forum

Can anyone explain to me why this subject seems to be so hard at A Level?

My older two children both dropped this subject after not doing terribly well in the AS Level....now my next child is considering taking it, but I feel given my other two struggled a bit, should I advise her against it? I myself found biology at school very interesting, and not very difficult really, but older two really didn't like it, and both of them did well in GCSE in the subject. I am wondering whether she should choose something else instead.

She doesn't really have a clue yet what she wants to do when she leaves school, and the other choices are likely to be essay based subjects, eg English, History, Drama, so from that point of view, Biology would be different and therefore a good choice, but not if she is also just going to drop it at the end of year 11.

Any advice would be most welcome.
Thanks
LFH

Assuming they're all at the same school, could it be that the school is bad at teaching the subject - or do those in other schools have similar problems?

Yes, zee all at the same school, am beginning to wonder whether it is the teaching that's at fault

Hi LFH

Haven't got A level kids yet but have just had a look at the A level syllabus, looks quite interesting to my rather biased view! As it is many subjects unlikely to get too stuck on one of them

I though the GCSE was rather more heavy going in its environmental obsession....

I wonder if it is the teaching - can make a huge difference... are there many kids not continuing beyond AS?

Not sure Herman, I might ask. My son didn't do any other science subjects (unless Geography is a science - can never work it out ), but my daughter is coping well in Chemistry, so it is not that she's not particularly scientifically minded. I'm just wary of my other daughter going down the same road. For one reason or another she will probably only take 3 A Levels plus General Studies, so we don't want to make a mistake with her choices.

Thanks

LFH

A level sciences started new syllabus Sep 2008 - for AS exams June 2009/A2 June 2010 so dont know if that will make a difference?

There did seem to be alot of information to learn for AS - more than the other sciences & the work involves more writing than the other sciences.

If your older 2 were close in age I would agree it does sound like it might have been the teaching.
Hopefully the school will have results for a few years so you can see if there is a pattern -worth checking if there have been any staff changes too?