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Fieldwork tools and techniques

Lesson details

Learning outcome

I can identify and adapt appropriate techniques to support a fieldwork enquiry.

Key learning points

  1. Questionnaires are a tool that geographers use to gather facts and opinions about places.
  2. In an interview one person asks another questions and they answer, so it’s important to choose questions carefully.
  3. Geographers connect data to locations using maps.

Keywords

  • Questionnaire - A questionnaire is a set of questions used to collect information or data.

  • Interview - An interview means talking to people to gather information.

  • Enquiry - An enquiry is an investigation of a geographical question or issue.

  • Techniques - Techniques are the particular ways of doing things.

Common misconception

Children may think that all questionnaires have to be multiple choice selected from given responses.

Explain that sometimes it is necessary to ask opinions in an open question so that people can submit their own ideas.

Teacher tip

Children could create their questionnaire using Google Forms and then use a QR code generator to send home for parents and carers to complete. This would automatically collate replies for the children.

Equipment

Children will create their own questionnaire to interview the local community.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
When would you use a questionnaire in an enquiry?

to test someones general knowledge
to ask questions for fun
Correct answer: to collect information or data

Q2.
What would be included in the term 'media'?

Correct answer: TV
Correct answer: newspapers
opinions of family members
Correct answer: the internet
Correct answer: radio

Q3.
OS maps are refreshed .

Correct Answer: annually , every year, once a year, yearly

Q4.
What does residential land use mean?

shops
farms
Correct answer: houses
factories

Q5.
An is an investigation of a geographical question or issue.

Correct Answer: enquiry, Enquiry

Q6.
What evidence could be used to identify a local issue?

Correct answer: media
Correct answer: opinions of local people
Correct answer: maps
the colour of houses in the area
Correct answer: fieldwork

6 Questions

Q1.
means talking to people to gather information.

Correct answer: An interview
An observation
A map
A photograph

Q2.
Match the keywords to their definitions.

Correct Answer:techniques,are particular ways of doing things

are particular ways of doing things

Correct Answer:questionnaire,a set of questions used to collect information or data

a set of questions used to collect information or data

Correct Answer:enquiry,an investigation of a geographical question or issue

an investigation of a geographical question or issue

Q3.
Good questionnaires could include these features:

Correct answer: questions that are clear and easy to understand
long questions with lots of technical words
Correct answer: questions with a selection of responses to choose from

Q4.
Which of these are fieldwork techniques?

Correct answer: map annotation
Correct answer: questionnaires
writing enquiry questions
Correct answer: photographs
Correct answer: observation

Q5.
When collecting local opinions through interviewing, we should try to ask .

a few people
Correct answer: as many different people as possible
just one person

Q6.
Why do geographers annotate maps with fieldwork data?

Correct answer: to remember the location of data collected
Correct answer: to help identify any spatial patterns
because it looks pretty

To help you plan your 4 geography lesson on: Fieldwork tools and techniques, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...