General feedback
Students should:
- read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
- have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
- use the first page of the answer booklet for an extended response to develop a plan to assist in the logical sequencing of information
- engage with what the question is asking rather than presenting a pre-prepared response
- relate to the question throughout the response rather than just at the beginning
- sustain their judgements, where appropriate, throughout the response with a clear connection to the question
- communicate using language and terms appropriate to the study of religion to support their response
- incorporate significant areas of religion, where appropriate, to illustrate the response
- address the question asked and in extended answers, express ideas clearly to form a cohesive response
- review their response to ensure that they address question requirements.
Section I
Question 11
In better responses, students were able to:
- identify the main aims of the Christian ecumenical movement
- accurately describe specific initiatives or actions of the National Council of Churches or the NSW Ecumenical Council to demonstrate the impact of the ecumenical movement
- clearly articulate the impact of the ecumenical movement on Australian society.
Areas for students to improve include:
- providing contemporary examples from the Australian context linked to the National Council of Churches (NCCA) or the NSW Ecumenical Council
- making a clear distinction between ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, ensuring that any reference to interfaith dialogue is linked to the work of either the NCCA or the NSW Ecumenical Council.
Question 22
In better responses, students were able to:
- accurately describe the global distribution for two religious traditions
- support the stated distribution with details that may have included the increase or decrease in adherents, or accounting for the spread or confinement of a religious tradition in a geographical area or nation
- provide statistical data to support the response.
Areas for students to improve include:
- effectively engaging with the question by identifying specific countries across the world where adherents in a particular religious tradition are dominant
- providing accurate global distribution statistical data.
Section II
Question 23 – Buddhism
In better responses, students were able to:
- accurately outline one ethical teaching from one of the three areas: bioethics, sexual ethics or environmental ethics (ai)
- clearly and accurately explain how the ethical teachings from (ai) are reflected in the chosen area of ethics (aii)
- explain the expression of beliefs in the significant practice selected and integrate relevant details, evidence and terminology to support ideas (b)
- integrate the statement to connect the practice to the expression of beliefs in Buddhism (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- identifying a specific ethical teaching rather than describing a principal belief or the chosen area of ethics as the teaching (a)(i)
- demonstrating an understanding of how the expression of beliefs is reflected in a significant practice (b)
- supporting explanations with relevant evidence related to the significant practice (b).
Question 24 – Christianity
In better responses, students were able to:
- accurately outline one ethical teaching (ai)
- provide effective links between aspects of the significant practice, beliefs in Christianity and the statement in the question (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- providing detail about the ethical area through relevant topics and terminology (aii)
- integrating the statement about practices in each paragraph (b)
- clearly articulating the principal beliefs of Christianity in connection to significant practices (b).
Question 25 – Hinduism
In better responses, students were able to:
- accurately outline one ethical teaching from one of the three areas: bioethics, environmental ethics or sexual ethics (ai)
- integrates relevant and accurate terminology to explain how ethical teachings are reflected in the ethical areas (aii)
- explain the expression of beliefs in the significant practice selected and integrate relevant details, evidence and terminology to support ideas (b)
- integrate the statement to clearly show how a significant practice expresses Hindu beliefs (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- identifying a specific ethical teaching rather than describing a principal belief or the chosen area of ethics as the teaching (a)(i)
- avoiding being overly descriptive about the ethical issues (aii)
- demonstrating an understanding of how the expression of beliefs is reflected in a significant practice (b)
- using the statement to connect principal beliefs to the significant practice (b).
Question 26 – Islam
In better responses, students were able to:
- identify an ethical teaching and provide a key feature (ai)
- provide a clear, accurate and detailed explanation of how ethical teachings impact aspects of religious expression within an area of ethics (ai)
- demonstrate detailed understanding of the relationship between aspects of the practice and principal beliefs supported by relevant evidence (b)
- effectively integrate the stimulus throughout the response in a valid and convincing manner (b)
- consistently engage with the question and integrate accurate terminology (aii) and (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- engaging effectively with the key word and addressing all aspects of the question, particularly where stimulus statements are provided
- understanding the specific principal beliefs demonstrated in the chosen practice, and ethical teachings that relate to their area of study(aii)
- ensuring that relevant evidence is used that is relevant and appropriate to the focus of the question.
Question 27 – Judaism
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide an accurate outline of one ethical teaching of Judaism, for example, Tikkun Olam is the repair of the world (ai)
- provide a well-developed explanation of how the ethical teaching outlined in (a)(i) is reflected in Judaism in bioethics, environmental ethics OR sexual ethics, integrating relevant and accurate terminology drawn from Judaism (aii)
- provide a well-developed and detailed explanation of how death and mourning or marriage or synagogue services expresses the beliefs of Judaism, effectively integrating the statement and relevant and accurate terminology into the response (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- using terminology appropriate to the religious tradition of Judaism
- avoiding writing overly descriptive responses, instead focusing on writing succinct responses that reflect the question’s key word
- including relevant examples drawn from the religious tradition, Judaism, including from the sacred text.
Section III
Question 28 – Buddhism
In better responses, students were able to:
- effectively analyse the impact of one significant person or school of thought on the expression of Buddhism
- integrate the statement, relevant terms and evidence from significant aspects of the religion, such as sacred texts and significant writings.
Areas for students to improve include:
- focusing on the impact on the religious tradition rather than on the broader world
- presenting an understanding of the specific elements of the quote that is sustained and developed throughout the response
- avoiding overly descriptive and biographical content.
Question 29 – Christianity
In better responses, students were able to:
- effectively integrate the ideas in the statement and illustrate how these ideas related to the significant person or school of thought
- use relevant and detailed information about the significant person or school of thought’s impact on the tradition drawn from course content and sacred text incorporate the ongoing/contemporary impact of a significant person by demonstrating how they changed, enriched or inspired the tradition.
Areas for students to improve include:
- effectively engaging with the statement throughout the response
- supporting the response with detailed and accurate information
- providing an analysis of the impact rather than a description and biographical detail
- writing a cohesive response that maintains an effective and logical argument with a strong introduction and conclusion.
Question 30 – Hinduism
In better responses, students were able to:
- accurately analyses the impact of the significant person or school of thought on Hinduism
- integrate the statement, relevant terms and evidence from significant aspects of religion such as sacred texts and significant writings.
Areas for students to improve include:
- focusing on the impact to the religious tradition rather than on the broader world
- providing clear evidence to support the contributions of a significant person or school of thought, such as relevant contemporary examples and sacred text references
- avoiding overly descriptive and biographical content.
Question 31 – Islam
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide a detailed and accurate analysis of the impact the selected person or school of thought had on the religious tradition of Islam
- integrate the ideas in the statement and show how they relate to the selected significant person or school of thought and their impact
- select and engage with a range of detailed and relevant evidence of impact to support the analysis
- incorporate accurate terminology throughout the response.
Areas for students to improve include:
- analysing the impact of the selected person or school of thought using a range of evidence from different contexts
- integrating the statement within paragraphs to shape the analysis, rather than appending it to the end of a paragraph or section
- improving the cohesiveness of the response by writing well-structured paragraphs
- supporting the response with detailed and accurate information.
Question 32 – Judaism
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide detailed information about the impact and contribution of the significant person or school of thought on Judaism
- analyse the impact of the significant person or school of thought by demonstrating how they changed, enriched or inspired Judaism
- integrate subject-specific terminology throughout the response.
Areas for students to improve include:
- avoiding descriptive or narrative biographical detail
- integrating the statement consistently throughout the response
- addressing the key word, ‘analyse’ rather than providing a description or explanation.
Section IV
Question 33
In better responses, students were able to:
- demonstrate a sustained and reasoned analysis of how the values and actions of one religious tradition foster inner peace
- integrate a range of explicit examples from sacred texts, principal teachings and key teaching authorities of the religious tradition
- consistently integrate evidence of how the religious tradition provides a pathway to inner peace
- use a range of relevant subject-specific terminology.
Areas for students to improve include:
- demonstrating a clear understanding of the Religion and Peace syllabus content by identifying key components, making connections between them, and drawing out implications
- accurately applying relevant references from sacred texts throughout the response to demonstrate how religious traditions are a pathway to inner peace
- integrating the statement throughout the response in a sustained manner.
