Economic Activity & Energy Practical Skills (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Aims of Economic Activity and Energy Fieldwork

Spec point — 4GE1-S9.128

Aims, sampling, equipment & risk assessment

Economic activity and energy enquiry

• In this fieldwork enquiry, the focus is on developing energy resources
• To undertake an energy fieldwork enquiry there are a range of practical skills and methods that will be used
• These can apply to any energy fieldwork
• The fieldwork enquiry should be linked to geographical theory

Aims and hypothesis

• The aims and hypothesis come from questions asked about developing energy resources, such as:

  • What are people's views and opinions regarding a new wind farm?
  • Why do people have the views and opinions they do?
  • What environmental impact does a new renewable energy plant have on the surrounding area?

• Examples of an aim could include:

  • An investigation into the impact of a new renewable energy plant
  • An investigation into people's opinions of a wind farm expansion

• Examples of a hypothesis could include:

  • The environmental quality will increase with distance from the new renewable energy plant
  • People living in the local area will be opposed to the expansion of a wind farm

• After establishing the aims and hypothesis of the fieldwork, the next steps are as follows:

  • Selecting the sites – this will involve sampling
  • Deciding on the equipment to be used
  • Considering any health and safety issues – completing a risk assessment
  • Data collection methods

Worked Example Study Figure 1, which shows a wind farm development in Lincolnshire

Suggest two possible geographical aims for an investigation of the wind farm

(2 Marks)

• Answer:

  • An investigation into local people's views of the wind farm development (1)
  • An investigation into the impact on the environmental quality of the wind farm development (1)

Site selection and sampling

• To collect the data it is not practical to look at the environmental impact in all areas around the development, such as a wind farm, nor to ask all local people their opinion

• To select the sites used, sampling should be used to reduce bias

• There may be situations where access to the sample sites may be limited, meaning an opportunistic approach to sampling may need to be taken

  • This should be as close as possible to the site selected using sampling

• The most commonly used sampling strategies for an economic activity and energy enquiry are:

  • Systematic- sampling of sites at regular intervals around the energy development
  • Random – the use of random sampling means that all sites have an equal chance of being selected, which eliminates bias
  • Stratified– if completing a questionnaire, the population selected should be representative of the whole population. For example, if 10% of the population is over 65, then 10% of the sample should be over 65

• Site location can be recorded using GPS to give an accurate location using latitude and longitude

Worked Example Study Figure 1 shows the methodology of a student investigating the impact of a new renewable energy plant

**Explain one type of sampling method chosen by the student **

(2 Marks)

Method	Purpose	Details
Secondary data from websites	Background information on the sample sites	Use Google search to find information and local history books
Photographs	A visual record of the sample sites	Take photographs of the different sites
Environmental Quality Survey	Record environmental quality across the area	At six regular sites along a transect
Questionnaire	People's views and opinions	Completed 24 questionnaires – four at each site

• Answer:

  • Systematic (1) collecting data in an ordered or regular way** (1)**
  • Opportunistic (1) collecting evidence where possible/appropriate (1)

Equipment

• To complete the economic activity and energy enquiry measurements, a range of equipment is needed

• The equipment includes the following:

  • Clipboard for holding record sheets
  • Environmental quality survey
  • Questionnaires
  • Pencil for writing in data
  • Camera to take photographs of sites

Worked Example Study Figure 1 shows a student collecting opinions regarding a new renewable energy plant

**How is the student collecting the opinions? **

(1 Mark)

** A.** Visiting people's homes

B. Asking people in the street

C. An online questionnaire

D. A postal questionnaire

• Answer:

  • B (1) – the student is asking people in the street

Risk assessment

• Any fieldwork will involve consideration of health and safety using a risk assessment

• Risks associated specifically with economic activity and energy may include:

  • Weather conditions
  • Traffic
  • Working in an unfamiliar place
  • Contact strangers

Worked Example Identify two health and safety risks of carrying out an energy fieldwork enquiry

(2 Marks)

• Answer:

  • traffic accidents (1)
  • mugging/crime (1)
  • unfamiliar environment (1)
  • getting lost (1)
  • construction sites (1)

Equipment for Investigating Economic Activity and Energy

Spec point — 4GE1-S9.128

Using equipment in the field

• The data collection methods depend on the aims/hypothesis of the fieldwork

  • In energy fieldwork, the only equipment which may be used is a digital decibel meter
  • Other data collection may include questionnaires, traffic counts and environmental quality surveys

• Data collection should include both quantitative and qualitative methods

Questionnaires

• Questionnaires can be used to gather the attitudes of local people towards a wind farm expansion or the building of a renewable energy plant

  • An example of a statement question would be:

    • 'The expansion of the wind farm has led to increased visual pollution in the area. Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree?'

  • An example of a closed question would be:

    • 'How long have you lived in this area?'

  • An example of an open question would be:

    • 'What are your views on the expansion of the wind farm at...?'

• The questionnaires can be used to gather a large data sample

Worked Example **Describe the factors to be considered in preparing a questionnaire **

[4 marks]

• Answer:

  • How many questions (1)
  • Layout of the questionnaire (1)
  • Decide on sample size** (1)**
  • Decide on sample composition (1)
  • Number of questions: (1) open (1) closed (1) Or award max to 2 well-developed (described) factors e.g. sample composition (1) > spread of different ages (1)

Environmental quality surveys

• Environmental quality surveys (EQS) can be used to compare different sites around the energy development

  • A survey would be completed for each site
  • Care needs to be taken to be as objective as possible

Worked Example Identify one advantage of using a questionnaire

(1 Mark)

A. It is a time-consuming method

B. They can provide a mix of qualitative and quantitative data

C. Provides all the data needed for the enquiry

D. Guarantees response from everyone the questionnaire is given to

• Answer:

  • **B **(1)****- Questionnaires can include both open and closed questions, meaning that both qualitative and quantitative data can be gathered

Photographs and field sketches

• Photographs and field sketches are qualitative data
• Just as with any data collection and presentation, they have their strengths and weaknesses
• In an energy enquiry, photographs and field sketches can be used to show the development of new energy sources and the impact that these developments have
• Photographs are also useful for illustrating the data collection methods used

Worked Example Explain why field sketches are a useful form of primary data

(2 Marks)

• Answer:

  • Can capture lots of detail (1), which means they can be examined properly after the field trip has ended (1)
  • Highlights specific features which relate to other data collected (1) so can be used to support other forms of data collection (1)
  • Easy to annotate to show details (1) so can help with analysis (1)

Exam Hint

• Annotations and labels are not the same
• A label is a simple descriptive point e.g. 'wind turbine'
• Whereas annotations are labels with a more detailed description or explanatory point
• For instance, commercial wind turbines are massive and often perceived as visually unappealing, resulting in visual pollution.