Religious Studies

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GCSE 2009- Delivering the new specification in
September 2009Unit 4

• Religious Studies

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Aim of Event

• During the course of the session delegates will
• understand the assessment implications of the new
  specification
• be taken through the impact of the changes to the
  new specification
• have the opportunity to explore delivery
  strategies applicable to the new specification
• learn about the total package and how it will
  help you achieve better results

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• The session will consist of two parts
• Part ONE
• Changes in the questions
• Changes in the marking process
• Technical advice for candidates when taking the
  paper.
• Part TWO
• Differences in the specification content

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Part ONE

• The assessment and marking of the new
  specification.

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The assessment implications of the new
specificationThe specification which can be
examined for the first time in 2010 has new
assessment objectives. GCSE RS now has to assess
50 of AO1 and 50 of AO2.This means AO1
Describe, explain and analyse using knowledge and
understandingAO2 Use evidence and reasoned
argument to express and evaluate personal
responses, informed insights and differing
viewpoints
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Which questions are aimed at the different
assessment objectives?

• Look at the layout of the new questions
• AO1 Will be assessed in the a) and c) questions
• AO2 Will be assessed in the b) and d) questions

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Changes to the ways marks are awarded in the mark
scheme

• a) Questions ( no change from the old
  specification)
• These questions are based on the Keywords
  Glossary which
• is Appendix 4 in the specification ( Pages 107
  -108)
• Usually they take one of two forms
• Either asking for a definition of the word
• OR asking for an example of the word
• 2 marks are available. 1 mark is awarded for a
  partially
• correct answer and 2 for a fully correct answer

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b) Questions (changed from the old specification)

• These questions now assess AO2 not AO1 so they
  are asking for
• evaluation of issues, beliefs and teachings
• The b) questions ask candidates to provide TWO
  reasons for
• their own point of view
• Candidates can either give
• two reasons agreeing with the statement,
• two reasons disagreeing with the statement
• or say they are unsure and give two reasons
  either side.
• ALERT.. candidates should not give three reasons
  or answer
• this in the old d) format.

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c) Questions (very similar to old specification)

• Questions have not changed from the old
  specification, students
• will be asked to show they can apply the
  knowledge and show
• understanding.

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Marking (c) questions

• Marks will be awarded singly
• i.e. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 (rather than in pairs
  2,4,6,8)
• In this sub-question marks will be awarded for
  Quality of
• Written Communication (QWC)
• This means students must try to answer the c)
  questions in
• clear English spelling words correctly, using
  sentences and
• paragraphs and making use of specialist
  vocabulary

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c) Levels and marking

• In c) sub-questions the level will be awarded
  according to the
• Religious Studies content, the mark within the
  level will then be decided
• by the QWC
• The levels are essentially
• Level 1 Little understanding of the issue
• Level 2 - Basic understanding of the issue
• Level 3 A more developed understanding of the
  issue
• Level 4 A clear understanding of the issue

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d) Questions have changed.

• The stimulus quote is retained. This is intended
  to be controversial and
• provoke arguments for and against the point of
  view stated, it does not
• matter which view the candidate holds about the
  quote as long as they
• can justify this with reasons.
• The d) sub-question is now divided to help
  candidates focus
• on the stimulus.
• For each stimulus candidates are asked
• i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer
• ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree
  with you

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Marks for d)

• The d) sub-question is marked out of 6 over all,
  but this is split into two
• parts of 3 marks. This is very different from
  the old specification which
• gave 4 marks overall. This reflects the
  increased weighting on AO2
• ALERT - when teaching candidates to answer this
  question they must
• split the for and against arguments into the (i)
  and (ii) parts. If they
• mix the two in one answer they will not gain all
  the marks available.

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d) Marking

• In d questions each sub-question will be marked
  completely separately
• Each part (i) and (ii) have 3 marks and will be
  marked
• 1 mark a simple reason
• 2 marks a developed reason OR two simple
  reasons
• 3 marks a fully developed reason OR two
  developed
• OR three simple reasons

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Activity One - Discussion
Were you aware of the changes to the assessment
objectives? The 50 weighting towards AO2? As
far as your teaching is concerned, what impact
might this have? What sort of things will you
have to consider when approaching the issues? Do
you have a clear understanding on how to mark the
new questions and what skills the candidates will
need to answer them?
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Part TWO

• Content changes in the specification.

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Dont throw everything away!

• There is more similarities than differences in
  content

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Content changes in the specification

• The most obvious change is the loss of section
  five.
• The paper is now split into four sections and
  there is no coursework.
• Parts of what was section five can now be found
  in the four new
• sections.
• Religion in the media is now a thread throughout
  the whole
• specification. This encourages teachers to use
  media to explore the
• issues rather than tagging it on at the end.

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QUESTIONS

• SECTION ONE

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Section one - believing in Allah.

• The old

• The new

• The main features of a Muslim upbringing and how
  this might lead to belief in Allah.
• How religious experience, as seen in the
  numinous, conversion, miracles and prayer, may
  lead to belief in Allah.
• The argument from causation and how it may, or
  may not, lead to belief in Allah.
• Why scientific explanations of the origins of the
  world may lead some people not to believe in
  Allah.
• How Muslims respond to scientific explanations of
  the origins of the world.
• Why unanswered prayers may lead some people not
  to believe in Allah.
• How Muslims respond to the problem of unanswered
  prayers.
• Why evil and suffering many lead some people not
  to believe in Allah.
• How Muslims respond to the problem of evil and
  suffering.
• How two television and/or radio programmes and/or
  films about religion might affect a persons
  attitude to belief in Allah.

• How religious upbringing in a Muslim
  family and community can lead to or support
  belief in Allah. The nature of religious
  experience for Muslims, as seen in the numinous,
  conversion, miracles, prayer, and how these may
  lead to or support belief in Allah. How the
  appearance of the world (design and causation)
  may lead to or support belief in Allah. How the
  search for meaning and purpose in life may lead
  to or support belief in Allah. How the presence
  of religion in the world may lead to or support
  belief in Allah.
• How non-religious explanations of the
  world and of miracles may lead to or support
  agnosticism or atheism. How unanswered prayers
  and the existence of evil and suffering
  (including moral evil and natural evil) may lead
  people to question or reject belief in Allah. Why
  the existence of evil and suffering raises
  problems for people who believe in Allah as
  omnipotent, benevolent and omniscient. How
  Muslims respond to this problem.

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The media bullet point believing in Allah.

• Examples could be
• specifically religious programmes that might
  encourage or
• discourage belief in Allah. For example,
  documentaries about a
• religious group.
• a story on a TV soap opera which is particularly
  supportive of
• religious beliefs or could put off
  non-believers. The emphasis
• being on how the fictional stories can be
  believed as true.
• a secular programme exploring the wonder of the
  universe for
• example David Attenboroughs Life in Cold
  blood. It is
• possible that this non-religious programme
  presents the
• wonders of the universe in such away that the
  viewer is
• convinced that the world could not just have
  happened by
• accident (this can be linked to the work on
  design and
• causation)
• the way that religious people are presented in
  general in

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OVER TO YOU activity two

• The (a) questions from this topic could be.
• Make up three examples.

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QUESTIONS

• SECTION TWO

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Section Two - matters of life and death

• The new

• The old

• Why Muslims believe in life after death and how
  beliefs about life after death affect their
  lives.
• Non-religious reasons for believing in life after
  death (near death experiences, ghosts, mediums,
  evidence of reincarnation).
• Why some people do not believe in life after
  death.
• The nature of abortion, including British
  legislation, and why abortion is a controversial
  issue.
• Different Muslim attitudes to abortion and the
  reasons for them.
• The nature of euthanasia, , including British
  legislation, and why euthanasia is a
  controversial issue.
• Muslim attitudes to euthanasia and the reasons
  for them.
• Arguments for and against the media being free to
  criticise what religions say about matters of
  life and death.
• The causes of world poverty
• How and why one Muslim agency is trying to end
  world poverty.
• How an issue raised from matters of life and
  death has been presented in one form of media,
  for example a television or radio programme, or
  in a film, or in the national daily press
  including whether the treatment was fair to
  religious beliefs and religious people.

• Differences among Muslims in their
  attitudes to life after death. Why Muslims
  believe in life after death. Reasons for belief
  in life after death not specific to any religion
  including near-death
• experiences and the paranormal. Why some
  people do not believe in life after death.
• The nature of abortion, including current
  British legislation and non-religious arguments
  concerning abortion. Different Muslim attitudes
  to abortion and the reasons for those attitudes.
  Differences among Muslims in their attitudes to
  contraception, and the reasons for them.
• The nature of euthanasia (assisted
  suicide, voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia),
• including current British legislation and
  arguments concerning euthanasia. Differences
  among
• Muslims in their attitudes to euthanasia
  and the reasons for them.

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Poverty and a Muslim organisation bullet points.

• Examples could be
• Muslim Aid
• Islamic Relief
• However, it is important to note it is about
  world poverty. Not work in the UK.

The media bullet points section two

• There are two areas of study here
• the media and its right to criticise
  religion/religious belief
• the treatment of life after death, abortion,
  euthanasia and poverty in the
• media.
• Examples could be
• life after death a film such as Ghost it
  does not have to be specifically Muslim
• abortion soap storylines or press coverage
• euthanasia Whose life is it anyway? or
  press coverage
• poverty press coverage, news reports,
  fundraising TV programmes.
• The emphasis on the treatment being fair or
  unfair

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OVER TO YOU

• The (b) questions for this topic could be.
• Make up three examples.

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QUESTIONS

• SECTION THREE

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Section three marriage and the family

• The old

• The new

• Changing attitudes in the United Kingdom
  to cohabitation and marriage. The purposes of
• marriage in Islam, including the main
  features of a Muslim marriage ceremony.
• Differences among Muslims in their
  attitudes to sex outside marriage (premarital
  sex, promiscuity and adultery), including the
  reasons for the attitudes.
• Changing attitudes to divorce in the
  United Kingdom. Differences among Muslims in
  their
• attitudes to divorce (including
  re-marriage) including the reasons for the
  attitudes. Changing attitudes to homosexuality in
  the United Kingdom. Different Muslim attitudes to
  homosexuality, including the reasons for the
  attitudes. The changing nature of family life
  (nuclear family, extended family, re-constituted
  family) in the United Kingdom. The teachings of
  Islam on family life and its importance. How
  mosques help with the upbringing of children and
  keeping the family together.

• Changing attitudes to marriage, divorce, family
  life and homosexuality in the UK and the reasons
  for them.
• Muslim attitudes to sex outside of marriage and
  the reasons for them.
• The purpose of marriage in Islam and how this is
  shown in the wedding ceremony.
• Different Muslim attitudes to divorce and the
  reasons for them.
• Muslim attitudes to homosexuality and the reasons
  for them.
• Muslim teachings on family life and its
  importance.
• How mosques help with the upbringing of children.
• How mosques keep the family together.
• Different methods of contraception and the
  reasons for them.
• Different Muslim attitudes to contraception and
  the reasons for them.
• How an issue arising from marriage and family
  life has been presented in one form of media, for
  example television or programme, or in a film, or
  in the national daily press including whether
  the treatment was fair or unfair to religious
  people.

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The media bullet point marriage and family life
Note here that in sections 2-4 only ONE example
is needed. In section three examples could
be East is East The Masood family in
Eastenders Various soap storylines about family,
sex before marriage, homosexuality, divorce
etc. HOWEVER Note that the emphasis on
whether the treatment was fair to religious
beliefs and religious people.
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Over to you

• The (c) questions from this topic could be
• Make up three examples.

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QUESTIONS

• SECTION FOUR

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Section four religion and community cohesion
(was social harmony)

• The old

• The new

• How and why attitudes to the roles of men and
  women have changed in the UK.
• Different Muslim attitudes to equal rights for
  women in religion and the reasons for them.
• The nature of the UK as a multi-ethnic society,
  including the problems of discrimination and
  racism.
• Government action to promote community cohesion
  in the UK, including legislation on equal rights
  for ethnic minorities and religions.
• The work of a Muslim organisation to help asylum
  seekers and/or immigrant workers in the UK,
  including the reasons for the work and its
  importance and significance.
• Why Muslims should help to promote racial
  harmony.
• Differences amongst Muslims in their attitudes to
  other religions (exclusivism, inlcusivism,
  pluralism)
• The UK as a multi-faith society, including the
  benefits of living in a multi-faith society.
• Issues raised fro religion by a multi-faith
  society conversion, bringing up children,
  interfaith marriages.
• Ways in which religions work to promote community
  cohesion.
• An issue in the media fair or unfair to
  religious people.

• The growth of equal rights for women in
  the United Kingdom.
• Differences among Muslims in their
  attitudes to the roles of men and women,
  including the
• role of women in religion, and the
  reasons for them (equality and sexism).
• The nature of the United Kingdom as a
  multi-ethnic society, including prejudice, racism
  and
• discrimination. The teachings of Islam
  which help to promote racial harmony,
• The contribution of ONE modern Muslim
  person or organisation to racial harmony,
• and the Islamic basis for this work.
• The quality, variety and richness of life
  in the United Kingdom as a multi-faith society,
• including considerations of religious
  freedom and religious pluralism. Differences
  among
• Muslims in their attitudes to other
  religions (exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism)
  and the
• reasons for them.

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Community cohesion -Government action to promote
community cohesion in the UK, including
legislation on equal rights for ethnic minorities
and religions.
There is quite a lot of information on this on
websites and your schools should have a community
cohesion policy. It is now a statutory thing for
all schools to promote. The LA will also have an
equality and diversity officer who can provide
you with more information, if needed. The
selection of new text books also cover this in
enough detail.
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The work of a Muslim organisation to help asylum
seekers and/or immigrant workers in the UK,
including the reasons for the work and its
importance and significance
This will involve investigating groups that do
this work in the UK. e.g. The Islamic Cultural
Centre and The London Central Mosque. There are
many myths around about asylum seekers and
immigrant workers and this is an opportunity for
us to challenge these and contribute to the
schools duty to promote community cohesion.
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Over to you

• The (d) questions from this section could be..
• Make up three examples.

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Part three

• Last minute things to note.

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Final points!

• Candidates need to use a BLACK pen.
• Candidates need to choose one question, from
  each section, and mark
• this with an X at the top of the answer page.
  They must not swap
• questions half way through the answer.
• There is more space than needed to answer the
  questions BUT if
• more space is needed on (b), for example,
  cross out the (c) and keep
• writing. When the candidate needs to start
  (c) then write (c) and
• answer that and so on if more space is
  still needed use the pages
• at the back. ONLY IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES
  USE ADDITIONAL
• PAPER.
• Candidates should not write outside the box!
• Any others.???

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