Project Qualifications equip students with vital skills for future education and work. They provide an opportunity to break away from the standard curriculum and traditional classroom settings, so the student can dive headlong into topics about which they are passionate. On top of that, many universities see successful completion as a sign would-be graduates are dedicated to independent learning.
So why are they still an underused qualification.
Jen Osler, AQA’s Head of Curriculum Portfolio, explains in greater detail the benefits of completing the qualification and the barriers blocking greater uptake.
In my work, I have seen again and again how Project Qualifications (PQs) give students freedom and help them transition to the next phase of their lives.
Available at Level 1, 2 and 3, PQs involve the student producing a piece of written work or an artefact on a topic of their choice. They are studied full-time at school or college alongside other qualifications, such as GCSEs or A levels.
Level 1 Foundation Project (FPQ) and Level 2 Higher Project (HPQ) are worth half a GCSE. The Level 3, Extended Project (EPQ) is worth half an A-Level.
They are marked on the student’s ability to plan, manage, complete and review their project.
The winning EPQ in 2022’s Association of Colleges awards was an academic study of hen welfare, ‘Cages Through the Ages’ created by A-Level student Heather Heathcote, who was already looking at care for her rescue hens. As a result of her work, she received a reduced offer for a veterinary degree. Another project investigating the health benefits of singing, saw the creation of a community choir as the EPQ’s artefact.
These are two shining examples of the key benefit of PQs – students’ own passions can determine their projects.
They are not confined to academic research and can stretch beyond what is offered by school or college curricula.
As the EPQ on bird welfare shows, they are also an ideal way to lay the foundations for future study.
By taking on a PQ, students - under the guidance of a supervising teacher - drive their own learning and, as a result, their own personal growth.
It encourages self-regulated learning and contrasts starkly with A-Levels and GCSEs which rely on teaching from a tightly governed curriculum delivered in a classroom setting.
After producing a Project Proposal, students learn a suite of core skills including project management, critical evaluation, referencing and report writing.
Then the teacher steps back and hands the learner the reins.
This is where students learn the skills that will equip them for future education, the workplace and life in general.
They plan each stage - when, how and where to research, set personal deadlines and present regular progress reports.
Managing precious time and being self-motivated is an empowering and challenging process for students more used to sitting in a classroom being taught.
It builds self-confidence, self-efficacy, resilience and problem-solving skills as well as giving project-management experience.
In a landscape of linear qualifications with summative assessments, PQs also provide an alternative to what some might feel are stressful examinations.
The continual supervision of students’ work helps embed the new information, academic and personal skills they are learning.
And it includes features such as viva-style presentations to guard against plagiarism - of growing importance in the age of ChatGPT - and ensure the validity of the end result.
This benefit appears to be spilling over into other areas of their education.
Universities are becoming increasingly aware of EPQs’ advantages and many now make alternative, reduced, offers for students who have successfully completed one.
It’s a great talking point for students’ personal statements and at interviews as it demonstrates a commitment to independent learning and the subjects they wish to study.
We are also finding links between completing an EPQ and improved academic performance elsewhere.
Successful students’ chances of achieving an A* to B in some other A-Level subjects rises by up to 29 percent.
Those moving onto university also transition from first to second year in greater numbers and achieve better class degrees than those without.
There are some barriers to greater numbers accessing PQs however.
Firstly, aside from the understandable challenges of resourcing PQs, school leadership teams need to buy in to the idea of them.
A lack of awareness means Heads of School and Years may not see the full benefits they offer. Without a Senior Team to advocate for them, take up will remain relatively small.
The EPQ is the most popular with around 38,500 completed last years. Level 1 and 2 are increasingly popular. In 2020 a combined total of around 3,000 were taken. In 2022 that figure was over 4,500.
A common misconception hindering greater take up is that EPQs are only for more able students and should be a university-style dissertation. The reality is quite the opposite. PQs are accessible for all and the projects can be very practical and creative in nature as the community choir project shows.
A final barrier, particularly for the EPQ, is that they may be seen as a competitor to other activities already supported by schools, such as the Duke of Edinburgh or National Citizenship Service.
However, rather than being seen as an either/or situation, the far-sighted could see opportunities for two activities to work in tandem, with the PQ providing material and experience for the successful completion of other activities.
It is these barriers that have to be overcome for Project Qualifications to flourish and students reap the benefits they offer.