Edexcel A-Level Politics | Paper 2 | 2027 Predicted Paper | Question 4(a) Mark Scheme
Question 4 Mark Scheme: Ecologism
Question 4 is a 24-mark Political Ideas essay, worth 8 marks each for AO1, AO2 and AO3. The command phrase “To what extent” means students must compare genuine areas of agreement and disagreement within ecologism, use the prescribed thinkers to support the ideological strands, and reach a sustained judgement about which side of the debate is stronger.
The specification requires students to study deep green, shallow green and social ecology, together with Leopold, Carson, Schumacher, Bookchin and Merchant. Environmental consciousness and sustainability are both explicit core principles.
Levels of response
Level | Marks | Characteristics |
Level 1 | 1–4 | Superficial knowledge, little meaningful comparison, and largely descriptive or unsupported conclusions. |
Level 2 | 5–9 | Some accurate knowledge and some comparison, but analysis and evaluation are uneven or only partly developed. |
Level 3 | 10–14 | Mostly accurate knowledge, generally focused comparative analysis and some substantiated judgements. |
Level 4 | 15–19 | Accurate, carefully selected knowledge, coherent comparison and mostly substantiated evaluation leading to focused conclusions. |
Level 5 | 20–24 | Thorough and effectively selected knowledge, perceptive and sustained comparative analysis, and consistently substantiated judgements leading to a fully focused conclusion. |
Pearson's published mark schemes confirm the 20 to 24 Level 5 band and the requirement for sustained AO2 comparison and substantiated AO3 judgement.
Question 4(a)
Question
To what extent is ecologism divided over the importance of environmental consciousness?
The key phrase is “importance of environmental consciousness”. Students should not simply explain what environmental consciousness means. They need to decide how far the different strands agree that changing how humans understand themselves in relation to nature is central to solving environmental problems.
Pearson defines environmental consciousness as a state in which a person's sense of self is realised through a deep identification with the non-human world. The specification associates this directly with deep-green thinking, while shallow greens adopt enlightened anthropocentrism and social ecology locates environmental destruction primarily in existing social structures.
Indicative content
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