Course Companions for AS / A Level Edexcel Psychology

The author is clearly knowledgeable and good at making complex topics simpler

A Baiden, Psychology Teacher & Peer Reviewer

Keep students on the right track in Edexcel A-Level Psychology with these clear and comprehensive course notes. Written in student-friendly language, organised in specification order and with clear explanations of core concepts.

Versatile resource: use either as teaching notes, as an alternative to the textbook or as topic handouts, or upgrade to editable Word version to adapt for your pupils’ specific needs.
  • Clear learning outcomes at the start of each chapter for focused work
  • Accessible notes – at an appropriate level and in sufficient depth – ensuring clear explanations of core concepts
  • Integrated tasks stimulate students interest!
  • Thought-provoking visual images and diagrams to stimulate all learners
PLUS! End-of-topic consolidation questions test and assess students’ knowledge!

It is comprehensive, explanatory, makes concepts accessible for all types of students and aids learning using practical activities and questions.

D Thompson, Teacher of Psychology, Doha College & Peer Reviewer
Exam focus!
  • Exam tips throughout the text – help students to apply their knowledge
  • Exam-style questions for each chapter in both AS and A Level style
  • Detailed mark scheme with commentary and model answers – essential exam practice

Topics 1-3 suitable for both
  • AS Level 8PS0
  • A Level 9PS0

What do teachers say about this resource? (7678)

Overall, I felt this was a well-laid out resource that would be a good guide for the topic. It is accessible and yet not dumbed down. The interleaving of interesting information increases the relevance of much of the text to the modern world and experiences students would be connected to. I think the key terms at the start of the chapter are really helpful. Good for making quick quizzes and recall activities. The overview and learning outcomes make it clear what is going to be covered.
Scene-setting questions are helpful for priming the brain/activating schema. The use of mind maps breaks up the text and enhances memory. The instruction to try and recall the map from memory is a good example of retrieval.
The explanations are clear and concise. The reassurance that students need to worry about remembering certain things at particular stages is good attention to stress-reduction (which we know can impair memory) - good strategy! The boxes indicating clearly what is extra/necessary information is helpful. The critical thinking boxes (such as the one about the dopamine hypothesis) are helpful for developing evaluation skills. The end-of-chapter activities are very useful - using psychology to teach Psychology! The side-boxes of context and ‘issues and debates’ are very helpful for connecting even older studies to current/well-known/interesting events. I teach IB and find that most of this would be relevant. It’s useful for me to see how I could use a resource like this to design a course that leads nicely into the Psychology IB. I would also consider using a guide like this as a basis for an elective Psychology course.

A Baiden, Psychology Teacher & Peer Reviewer

This is an excellent resource for both experienced teachers and teachers new to teaching Psychology. It is well laid out and provides enough detail - it includes breadth and depth of the topic. It is comprehensive and makes difficult content accessible for all students. It would be a valuable tool for teachers to have. The pages are not too busy, so easy to study from. It breaks down the mathematical calculations for quantitative analysis and breaks the material down into manageable chunks. A student could place many of the pages on the wall of their room, look at them, and remember what is on the page... The layout makes the content accessible for all students. The key concepts/definitions are a good summary for students... The questions with answers helps students to practise answering questions, and informs them of the level of detail to include. During this time of COVID and blended/remote learning this is a useful resource for students to have at home for independent learning, as work can easily be set. This resources maps very well to the specification. The unit has theory with a practical component.. The theory is comprehensive with the identification of how the brain works with the different parts and their functions, chemicals/hormones and outcome of excess/insufficient levels, etc... the practical component in this case is correlational data collection and analysis. The resource has this as a subsection which students can use as an example. This is a requirement of the specification.

D Thompson, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

It is a fantastic resource.

S Cordy-McKenna, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

Really good... Key terms at the beginning of each chapter a good way to introduce the key terminology... Clear and easy to read and clearly linked examples.. The question recaps and exam style questions at the end of each section are very effective for rechecking and assessing student understanding... Will be effective in encouraging the students to not only gain an understanding of the topic but also to identify how it links to other elements of psychology.

M Aldred, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

What a fantastic resource. a brilliant and informative resource which could be the companion to the A level (paper 1) that the students and teaches have been crying out for. Would you purchase this resource?
YES DEFINITELY!

H Williams, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (7389)

It is an excellent resource. It is very well researched and detailed. The explanations are clear and straightforward. The evaluation is substantial and makes innovative points. My students need straightforward, no nonsense notes with detailed descriptions and evaluations. It is perfect.

S Cordy-McKenna, HoD & Peer Reviewer

This resource is very detailed with a wealth of useful and relevant information. It has a very professional and knowledgeable feel which will increase the confidence of students and teachers using it. This resource could potentially be used on a stand-alone basis. It is incredibly detailed and well structured, containing all relevant information. This resource definitely matches the specification. It is highly detailed and covers all elements and more. There are links to issues and debates and individual differences and developmental psychology within the resource which are very useful. The key question sections are also very informative.

K Elks, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

A good resource, supportive to the delivery of Topic 2. Includes accurate, detailed notes and activities to develop student knowledge and understanding of the topic.

R Hubbard, HoD & Peer Reviewer

Particularly liked places where students can carry out tasks themselves and the use of exam questions and mark schemes included.

H Williams, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (8066)

Excellent, clearly written in language that the student could understand... contains just about all the student needs for this module of the course

H Williams, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

I liked the resource and think it matches the specification very well.