GCSE AQA Geography Paper 3: Liverpool Fieldwork

What was the aim of the Liverpool fieldwork?

To investigate the environmental impacts of the Hill-Dickinson Stadium redevelopment on Bramley-Moore Dock.

Where was the fieldwork location?

Hill-Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, Liverpool.

What type of fieldwork was the Liverpool investigation?

Human/environmental fieldwork focused on urban redevelopment and environmental quality.

How many questionnaires were completed?

50 questionnaires.

Where were the questionnaires completed?

At the docks and at Liverpool ONE shopping centre.

What sampling method was used for the questionnaire?

Systematic sampling: ask every fifth person.

Why is systematic sampling useful?

It gives a consistent rule for selecting respondents and reduces researcher choice.

What was a limitation of the questionnaire sample?

Many respondents were tourists; many local people may have been at work or may not visit the stadium except on match days.

How could the questionnaire sample be improved?

Repeat it on a match day and/or at different times to reach more local users.

What environmental-quality scale did respondents use?

They rated environmental quality from −3 to +3.

What is one limitation of one overall EQS score?

It can hide differences between aspects, for example low pollution but little vegetation.

How could the EQS method be improved?

Score separate categories such as pollution, vegetation, litter, noise and building quality.

What open-ended questionnaire question was used?

Describe the Hill-Dickinson redevelopment environment in three words.

What primary-data comparison was made using photographs?

Modern photos were taken from the same angle as old dock photos and compared.

What secondary data was used?

Historical photographs of the docks.

Why were historical photographs essential?

They show the past environment, which cannot be investigated using past questionnaires, allowing change over time to be assessed.

What was a limitation of the historical photographs?

They show only one angle on one day, so may not be representative.

How could historical-photo evidence be improved?

Use photos from a wider range of angles and from several years.

What graph showed the mean EQS before and after redevelopment?

A bar chart.

Why was a bar chart suitable?

It allows direct comparison, so the difference between before and after is easy to see.

What were the mean EQS scores before and after redevelopment?

Before: −1. After: +2.4.

What was the modal word before redevelopment?

Old.

What were the modal words after redevelopment?

Clean and modern.

What did the EQS results suggest about redevelopment?

The much higher mean score suggests that perceived environmental quality improved after redevelopment.

Why is the mean useful?

It summarises the middle/average of 50 scores and reduces the influence of anomalous results.

What is a limitation of the mean EQS?

It does not show the range or interquartile range, so it hides how varied people’s views were.

How could you assess whether anomalous data affected the mean?

Compare the mean with the median.

Why would the range be useful?

It shows the extent of variation in people’s opinions.

Why are annotated photographs useful in analysis?

They provide rich visual evidence and can explain positive and negative environmental changes.

What is a limitation of annotations on photographs?

They are subjective; discuss them with other people or use clear criteria to reduce bias.

How valid was the conclusion according to the class material?

Mostly valid: it used 50 responses, first-hand experience and two methods that both considered change over time.

How could conclusions be more reliable?

Use direct measurements such as noise or pollution meters, and use oral histories for richer evidence.

What data presentation suits the three-word responses?

A word cloud, with word size proportional to the number of responses.

What is the key conclusion you could write?

Redevelopment appears to have improved perceived environmental quality at Bramley-Moore Dock, shown by EQS rising from −1 to +2.4 and the shift from “old” to “clean/modern”, though the evidence has sampling and subjectivity limits.