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1129 Lower Secondary Global Perspectives Checkpoint Instructions - tcm143-652605
1129 Lower Secondary Global Perspectives Checkpoint Instructions - tcm143-652605
1129 Lower Secondary Global Perspectives Checkpoint Instructions - tcm143-652605
Version 1.0
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4 Glossary ................................................................................................. 10
There are changes to the assessment criteria for Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Global
Perspectives for first assessment in 2023. You are strongly advised to read this document
carefully. For more information go to page 11.
The latest document is version 1.0, published May 2022. Previously, information about Cambridge
Lower Secondary Checkpoint Global Perspectives was included in the curriculum framework.
1 Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Global Perspectives
This document provides a detailed description of the requirements for Cambridge Lower Secondary
Checkpoint Global Perspectives. It explains what learners need to do and the criteria teachers need
for marking their work.
Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Global Perspectives is intended for the final year of lower
secondary education, Stage 9. It is designed to assess the skills described in the Cambridge Lower
Secondary Global Perspectives Curriculum Framework, with a particular emphasis on research,
analysis and evaluation.
Assessment overview
Learners work individually to write a Research Report that must be between 800 and 1000 words.
With the support and guidance of their teacher, learners identify an issue that is global in nature.
This means they identify something that is a problem for countries or groups of people throughout
the world. They then formulate a research question based on that issue.
Learners then respond to the research question, exploring both a global perspective and a national
perspective on the issue. The national perspective does not have to be from the country in which the
learner lives. It is important that they identify and explain a clear difference or similarity between the
global and national perspectives chosen. It is also important that both are clearly perspectives on
the issue, i.e. a viewpoint on an issue based on evidence and reasoning. The report should also
explain how the global perspective chosen is genuinely global in nature. This could be because it is
a viewpoint held by many people in different countries or a business or organisation operating
across a number of different countries.
Learners should conduct their own independent research on the issue, using a range of sources,
and analyse the issue, identifying and discussing its causes and consequences. In cases where an
issue does not have clear causes learners may consider wider explanatory or contributory factors or
reasons.
They should then propose one national or local course of action (for the country from which their
national perspective was drawn) which is likely to help to resolve the issue.
Learners should also evaluate some of their sources of information, fully explaining their credibility.
This should include reasons why they consider their sources to be credible, while also commenting
on any limitations to the credibility of each source.
The conclusion of the Research Report should reflect upon how the research conducted has
impacted on the learner’s own personal perspective.
While different learners may conduct research on the same topic, each learner’s report must be a
distinct piece of work on a specific issue within their chosen topic, which comprises only their own
research and ideas. Each learner must devise their own research question (with guidance from their
teacher). This research question must be used as the title for their report.
For example, a report could be based on the topic of Employment. The research could focus on the
following issue as a question: Should there be a legal minimum wage?
There are 40 marks available for the Research Report, which is internally assessed by teachers and
externally moderated by Cambridge International.
Assessment objectives
The assessment objectives (AOs) are:
AO2 Reflection
The skills in the assessment objectives match the strands in the Cambridge Lower Secondary
Global Perspectives Curriculum Framework.
Total 40 (100%)
Assessment purposes
Purpose of the assessment:
• To reward learner achievement in relation to the Global Perspectives programme, with particular
weight on achievement within the skills of research, analysis, reflection and communication.
• To provide a formal synoptic assessment of the skills developed throughout the programme.
• To provide formal feedback to the school and the learner’s parents or carers about the learner’s
achievement.
• To give the learner an assessment experience that is preparatory for the IGCSE™ or O Level
Global Perspectives.
• To provide some diagnostic feedback to teachers in relation to their internal moderation, and
strength of learner evidence present in the sample.
Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Global Perspectives should not inform judgements related
to:
• school admissions
• division of learners into different class or tutor groups (also known as setting or streaming)
• performance of teachers or centres
• employment.
The teacher should carry out all of the above with the class as a whole and in small groups.
All work submitted must be learners’ own work, but teachers can support and guide learners in a
general way.
The teacher must ensure that the ownership of the work lies with the learners.
Internal moderation
If more than one teacher in your centre is marking Research Reports, you must make arrangements
to moderate or standardise your teachers’ marking so that all learners are assessed to a common
standard. You can find further information on the process of internal moderation on the samples
database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples
The marking process is straightforward and the system automatically calculates the total marks for
each learner. Descriptors are provided to help teachers select the marks that most accurately reflect
each learner’s work.
Further guidance on how to submit work and marks through the Online Learning Area is available on
the Exams Officer section of our website.
2 Assessment criteria
The Research Report must be between 800 and 1000 words. Where work exceeds the word limit, teachers must not credit beyond the first 1000
words.
There are 40 marks available for the Research Report. These descriptors are on the Online Learning Area at learning.cambridgeinternational.org.
Teachers select the descriptors that most accurately reflect each learner’s work and the total marks are automatically calculated by the system.
AO2 – Reflection
I Reflection (4 marks) (3 marks) (2 marks) (1 mark) (0 marks)
Reflects on how their Reflects on how their Reflects on how their Attempts to reflect on No creditable response.
personal perspective personal perspective personal perspective how their personal
on the issue has on the issue has on the issue has perspective on the
changed or developed, changed or developed, changed or developed, issue has changed or
making reference to making reference to but with no real developed.
research conducted research conducted or reference to research
and the national or the national or global conducted or the
global perspective perspective analysed. national or global
analysed. perspective analysed.
3 Assessment outcomes
Once teachers have marked the individual Research Reports, they are sent to Cambridge
International for moderation. Learners can achieve either Bronze, Silver or Gold.
The learner is likely to be able The learner is likely to be able The learner is likely to be able
to: to: to:
• attempt to research an • conduct research, using • conduct research, using
issue, using some some relevant information relevant information from a
information from different sources range of sources
More information on assessing Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint Global Perspectives can
be found on the Online Learning Area at learning.cambridgeinternational.org.
4 Glossary
This glossary is provided to support your understanding of the content of this curriculum
framework. The definitions are intended to be sufficient to guide an informed reader.
Assessment criteria – refer specifically to the skills assessed in Cambridge Lower Secondary
Checkpoint Global Perspectives.
Strand – a collection of learning objectives in the curriculum framework that forms an area of
learning.
The requirements for Lower Secondary Checkpoint Global Perspectives have been amended. The
latest version is 1.0, published May 2022. Previously information about Cambridge Lower
Secondary Checkpoint Global Perspectives was included in the curriculum framework.
• We have removed references to Programme Topics. Research Reports now need to be based
on a global issue, rather than a Programme Topic.
• In cases where an issue does not have clear causes, learners will now be given credit for
considering wider explanatory or contributory factors or reasons.
• For Evaluation, learners are now expected to consider the credibility of sources rather than
only bias.
• When considering different perspectives, learners can now receive credit for explaining a
difference or a similarity.
• The assessment criteria have been edited to make the intended standards clearer. This is
particularly the case for Information skills and Referencing sources.