Community and Family Studies 2018 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• follow the syllabus closely to be able to apply knowledge, understanding and skills of Community and Family Studies content in the various sections of the examination
• practise multiple choice questions under timed conditions
• understand the various Glossary of Key Words in relation to different parts of the syllabus and use terminology to demonstrate understanding
• use the line spaces, marks and timings as a guide as to how much to write
• include specific and varied examples in their responses as well as specific syllabus terminology
• not rewrite the question or repeat themselves throughout their response
• look for specific links between concepts, read the whole question and address all parts of the question in their response
• answer the Option that they studied and not another option or multiple options
• answer clearly using full paragraphs, providing specific examples and explicit links to wellbeing in Section II, especially in part (c) rather than through away comments such as “this impacts on an individual's physical wellbeing”.

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly articulate at least two distinct advantages and disadvantages of presenting primary data in graphs and tables
• provide specific examples of graphs and tables to support their points.

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensure the question is read carefully and key components are clearly identified, such as advantages and disadvantages where students are required to respond to both elements of the question
• clearly describing characteristics and features of graphs and tables.

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• obtain correct information from the graph
• provide details about the implications for society in relation to the data represented in the graph.

Areas for students to improve include:

• applying the data from the graph and linking to the question, as opposed to describing the information found in the graph.

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to:

• articulate their knowledge of contributions made by TWO of the Category B groups using an example(s), draw a clear link to how those contributions may influence community attitudes to the group. 

Areas for students to improve include:

• recognising that ‘existing’ or ‘being’ a member of a group is not a contribution
• ensuring that they provide different contributions for each group, or, if providing the same contribution, for example volunteering, provide different examples of how these contributions occur in each group.

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate the ability to assess issues associated with social parenting
• provide relevant examples to make judgements in relation to the effects of social and technological changes on social parents.

Areas for students to improve include:

• referring to social and technological changes and their effect on social parents. Many students showed a lack of syllabus knowledge and referred to the social activities of parents, rather than social parents
• understanding the key word ‘assess’ when writing their response.

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• show detailed understanding of the steps of the research process, recognise the strengths of the process undertaken and make a judgement on the areas that were lacking in the stimulus Independent Research Project and the impact this could have on the investigation
• suggest improved steps and justify the importance of those steps.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the research process.

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• name a specific service and clearly link this service to one of the issues identified in the survey information (a)
• clearly link how the services provided would assist youth with the identified issue(s) (a).
• explain consequences to both youth and the community if all three of the issues were not addressed (b)
• recognise ‘consequences’ as plural, which required more than one consequence for both youth and the community (b)
• incorporate specific examples (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• being able to apply information relevant to youth (a)
• showing a link of what the service offers and how this would assist youth (a)
• addressing key words such as plural words ‘consequences’ (b)
• providing consequences for both youth and community (b)
• addressing the key word ‘explain’ (b).

Question 27

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly explain the strengths and the weaknesses of two different sampling methods being suitable and not suitable in regards to the stimulus research question. For example, explaining why the stratified random sampling method could be suitable and the convenience sampling method is less suitable when being used to determine the impact of socioeconomic status on people accessing health services.

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding of terminology relating to sampling methods
• being able to be discuss sampling methods as well as being able to explain reasons as to why they might be suitable.

Question 28

In better responses, students were able to:

• to identify various parenting roles and how these have changed over time for each gender and the implications this has for/on society
• provide relevant examples of gender expectations in a changing society.

Areas for students to improve include:

• recognising that ‘gender expectations’ is not gender role socialisation
• using contemporary examples to demonstrate knowledge of a changing society
• analysing parenting roles rather than parenting/parenting styles/task allocation in the home

Question 29

In better responses, students were able to:

• refer to the Education Act and show ways that schools regulate attendance (a)
• provide an accurate example of ONE community support and ONE health service and how it contributes to the wellbeing of adults and families (b)
• provide detailed information about pieces of legislation and entitlements that support the aged (c)
• make judgements about legislation and entitlements that support the aged (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• provide specific ways that schools monitor attendance (a)
• not referring to the benefit of attending school (a)
• explaining how the chosen supports contribute to the wellbeing of adults and families (b)
• make reference to both relevant legislation and entitlements (c). 

Question 30

In better responses, students were able to:

• address how an individual’s formal or informal education affected both access to and acceptance of technology (a)
• clearly show the cause and effect of specific technologies used in the home, on both physical and economic wellbeing of individuals (b)
• support the judgements they made regarding how employers meet their responsibilities when adopting technology in the workplace (c)
• provide an explanation about how specific types of wellbeing was affected (c)
• provide a variety of examples (c). 

Areas for students to improve include:

• clearly showing the link between how education affects both access to and acceptance of technology with the support of appropriate examples (a)
• making reference to physical and economic wellbeing (b)
• providing specific examples of technology (c)
• linking their point to wellbeing (c).

Question 31

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide specific and relevant information about needs being met through paid and unpaid work (a)
• provide relevant examples of seasonal work (b)
• provide examples of the suitability of the work patterns to an individual (b)
• provide detailed information regarding managing multiple role expectations using technology and negotiating and sharing roles (c)
• make a judgement of how multiple role expectations can be managed
• provide a link to the effects on wellbeing to individuals (c)
• include relevant examples (c). 

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the language of explanation to show “how” individuals needs are met through paid and unpaid work and provide relevant knowledge and understanding of needs being met through paid and unpaid work (a)
• developing deeper knowledge and understanding of both work patterns, self-employment and seasonal work (b)
• providing examples across the lifespan, adolescence, adult and aged (b)
• multiple role expectations needed to be clearly explained, as listed from the syllabus (c)
• more specific examples of technology and negotiating and sharing roles were required and also a link to both a judgement on how these can be managed effectively and then how this could link to wellbeing (c).