SENIOR SCHOOL Extended Project Qualification The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an A Level standard qualification, which allows pupils to explore a topic of interest, carry out research and then create either a 5,000 word report and present their findings to a panel. Jack and Zoja reflect on their experience. Cause of the Financial Crisis Three A Levels and an Extended Project Qualification – well that didn’t sound like a lot of work after having just completed 10 subjects at GCSE, so I decided to give it a whirl. “I can do it” I told myself, “should be a breeze.” So here I am, two years on, about to face my A Level exams and with my EPQ 99% complete, and I’ve been asked to consider: “Was it worth it?” The jump from GCSE to A Level is much more significant than I had let myself believe. But with supportive staff and slowly mastering the art of careful planning, we all seemed to rise (eventually) to the challenge. Adding in an EPQ is a big ask. My EPQ has been on the cause of the financial crisis of 2008-09, a subject I have always been passionate about and wanted to extend my understanding of. But what I have learnt from having undertaken it is much more than just about the financial crisis. An EPQ has no constraints of a syllabus, like A Levels do. You are genuinely free and encouraged to take your research in any direction you desire. This was a revelation to me and gave me an insight into what degree level learning might be like. It forced me to take a level of responsibility for my studies which I had never experienced before, and to liaise with staff and experts in the field who I would never have had the opportunity to talk to at such a level otherwise. It has also given me something extra on my CV and my UCAS applications which came up in every interview I attended. So in short, yes, it’s been a huge mountain to climb – a ‘breeze’ it was not, and I have certainly had moments of doubt when I’ve wondered what I’d taken on. But standing here, about to cross the finishing line, I can say the pain is tolerable and (I think!) absolutely worth it. Jack Pritchard, Year 13 Nudge Theory The title of my EPQ is ‘Will nudge theory create a nanny state?’. The whole idea of nudge theory arises from behavioural economics. Behavioural economics looks at different effects on decision-making, and therefore assumes that there are limits to rational decision making. Thus, ‘nudges’ are behavioural policies implemented by governments that try and steer people’s decisions in a certain direction, by exploiting the biases they experience in decision-making. In my project, I investigated ethical issues occurring through application of nudges. Whether it is actually effective in making people better decision makers, or is it just blindly leading them in a certain direction that is only desirable for the government I chose to research this topic because it is an area of influential popular science which supports my chosen university degree course. My view is that governments have great influence on the lives of people through the policies they generate and therefore have great influence on shaping our society. I came to the conclusion that this theory has not yet existed long enough for its effects to become apparent. However, explicit ethical guidelines should now be produced in order to minimise any possible negative impact of nudge theory. An important by-product of doing an EPQ is that it has provided me with many practical skills that I am sure I will find useful in the next stage of my education. Zoja Pejovic, Year 13 29
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