GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

What will students learn?

1. Critical thinking

The idea of religious studies is to understand different viewpoints and be able to analyze certain opinions from prominent figures and be able to critically rebut certain concepts that your mind may not agree with conceptually. A study showed religious education improved the critical mind for a better understanding of life in general.

“A pivotal study claiming that the more people learn to think analytically, the less religious they become, has been proven false”

2. Religious knowledge

Students will learn, recognise, deal with, distinguish between, and organise religion. World religions will be discussed and studied, how each religion has a different viewpoint based on nuances that eventually made them differ with each other, while still having many similarities. The main focus is:

• Christianity • Judaism • Islam

3. Liberal world view understanding

We study religion to delve into how religion interacts with all of these aspects of our world. Studying religion increases cultural awareness. Being able to understand key concepts in the major religions of the world develops you as a more broadly educated citizen, whatever your career path. Certain topics are never really discussed or understood how they should be, and Religious Education gives the student opportunities to discuss and debate

Exam Board Edexcel Syllabus code 1FA0

topics from a young age that become very relevant as they go through adulthood.

• To be able to make moral decisions based on different scenarios.

• To understand the concept of religion and justice.

• To critically debate on various topics.

• Students will understand the problem of evil.

• Students will look at causes of evil and suffering.

• Students will debate the inconsistent elements of life in general (natural order of the earth).

• Students will look at positive achievements of Thomas Aquinas and other relevant figures.

• Students will explain the problem of Evil (Theodicy).

• Students will understand the Black community and other ethnic minorities.

• How religion plays a role in the life of the community of the poor.

• How religion encourages the rich to help and support the poor.

Skills and understanding

• Critical Thinking

• Local and global citizenship

• Numeracy skills

• Technological literacy

• Seeing patterns, trends and relationships

• Respecting difference