Geography subject report · May 2009

May 2009 extended essay reports Page 1 © International Baccalaureate Organization 2009 GEOGRAPHY Overall grade boundaries Grade: E D C B A Mark range: 0 - 7 8 - 15 16 - 22 23 - 28 29 - 36 The range and suitability of the work submitted A wide range of topics was presented. Most essays were relevant to the subject but a number were more sociological than geographical. The best essays were sharply focused and provided the opportunity to research in depth, analyse data and present an argument. These essays provided a clear answer to the research question while the weaker essays were unable to adhere to the aims and objectives outlined in the introduction. The essays that adopted a spatial approach, which analyzed primary or secondary data and focused on a small area familiar to the author, were the most successful. Descriptive essays ba sed entirely upon secondary material did not score highly and those that adopted a fieldwork report style were self-penalizing with regard to the new criteria. Candidate performance against each criterion A: research question The research question was usually clearly stated in most essays though there were a number where this element was unclear or entirely missing. Supervisors should ensure that the research question is made very clear at the very start of the essay. Problems often arose when the research question steered the essay towards speculative outcomes that could not be supported by evidence and such essays rarely scored highly. B: introduction Weaker essays did not place the investigation in a firm theoretical and spatial context and in such case s references to the worthiness of the study were often flimsy and personal, extending to no more than a profession of interest in the