AQA A-Level Sociology 2027 Predicted Practice Paper — Paper 1

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided. You must write down all the stages in your working.

Section A

Education - short answer and extended writing. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-A1 (4 marks)

  Outline two ways in which material deprivation may affect the educational achievement of working-class pupils. [4 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A1 is 4 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-A2 (6 marks)

  Outline three ways in which the marketisation of education may have increased inequality between schools. [6 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A2 is 6 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-A3 (10 marks)

  Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A: In-school factors and ethnic differences in achievement Some sociologists argue that ethnic differences in educational achievement are best explained by processes that occur inside schools, rather than by factors outside them. They point to the influence of teacher expectations, the ways pupils are placed into sets and streams, and the responses that pupils make to how they are treated. Others reply that external factors such as material circumstances and cultural background matter at least as much. Applying material from Item A, analyse two in-school factors that may explain ethnic differences in educational achievement. [10 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A3 is 10 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-A4 (30 marks)

  Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B: Gender and educational achievement Girls now out-perform boys at most levels of the education system. Some sociologists explain this by pointing to changes outside school, such as the impact of feminism, changing ambitions among girls and changes in the labour market and family life. Others stress changes inside school, including equal opportunities policies, positive role models and the way schooling is assessed. Critics warn that a 'moral panic' about failing boys can distract from continuing gender inequalities, including differences in subject choice. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that changes outside school are the main reason why girls now out-perform boys. [30 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-A4 is 30 marks)

Section B

Methods in Context - extended writing. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-B1 (20 marks)

  Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C: Investigating the effect of teacher labelling on pupils Sociologists are interested in how teachers' labels shape pupils' progress. Some pupils are labelled as 'able' or 'troublesome', and these labels may follow them through school through the placing of pupils into sets. Studying labelling directly is difficult. Teachers may be reluctant to admit that they treat pupils unequally, and may behave differently when a researcher is present. Pupils, especially younger ones, may not fully understand or be able to explain how they are treated, and may give answers they think the researcher or their teacher wants to hear. Labelling often takes place in fast-moving classroom interactions and in informal comments in the staffroom that are hard for an outsider to access. Schools are also protective of their reputation and may restrict access to lessons, records and staff. Applying material from Item C, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using participant observation to investigate the effect of teacher labelling on pupils. [20 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-B1 is 20 marks)

Section C

Theory and Methods - extended writing. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-C1 (10 marks)

  Read Item D below and answer the question that follows. Item D: Objectivity and values in sociology Sociologists disagree about whether their research can, or should, be value-free. Positivists have traditionally argued that sociology can be an objective science that keeps the researcher's own values out of the research process. Others argue that values inevitably shape the choice of topic, the interpretation of data and the uses to which findings are put, and that sociologists should be open about the side they are on. Applying material from Item D, analyse two reasons why some sociologists argue that sociology cannot be value-free. [10 marks]

  (Total for Question SECTION-C1 is 10 marks)