JCE Religious and Moral Education study plan
JCE Religious and Moral Education · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Religious Traditions and Belief Systems & Skills of Inquiry, Reflection and Analysis
Map the major world religious traditions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, African traditional religions) onto a comparison chart covering founder/founding narrative, core texts, key beliefs about the divine, afterlife, and ethical codes.
Define the vocabulary of belief systems (monotheism, polytheism, henotheism, pantheism, animism, agnosticism, atheism) and classify each tradition's dominant stance with a one-line justification.
Practise the inquiry skill of distinguishing descriptive from evaluative claims by rewriting five evaluative statements about a tradition as neutral descriptive ones.
Identify three reliable academic sources (encyclopaedia entries, textbook chapters, peer-reviewed overviews) and record their publication details for later citation.
Your checkpoint
A completed two-page comparative chart of at least six traditions plus a 300-word reflection distinguishing descriptive from evaluative language.
Religious Traditions and Belief Systems & Skills of Inquiry, Reflection and Analysis
Compare how at least four traditions answer the problem of suffering and the nature of the afterlife, tabulating similarities and differences.
Explain the role of sacred texts and interpretation (exegesis, oral tradition, canon formation) in shaping belief and practice.
Analyse how a single ritual or festival functions within its tradition, linking symbol, community, and belief.
Draft five exam-style short-answer questions on Domain 1 and write model answers under timed conditions.
Your checkpoint
A timed 30-minute practice set of five short answers scored against a self-made mark scheme, with a written note on every lost mark.
Moral and Ethical Decision-Making & Skills of Inquiry, Reflection and Analysis
Outline the main normative ethical theories (deontology, utilitarianism/consequentialism, virtue ethics, natural law, divine command) and state the central test each applies to an action.
Apply each theory to one shared dilemma so the differing conclusions are visible side by side.
Explain the distinction between absolute and relative morality, and between intention, act, and consequence in moral evaluation.
Construct a structured ethical argument (claim, evidence, counter-argument, response) on a contested issue and identify its weakest premise.
Your checkpoint
A one-page matrix applying four ethical theories to a single dilemma, plus a 400-word structured argument with an explicit counter-argument and rebuttal.
Moral and Ethical Decision-Making & Skills of Inquiry, Reflection and Analysis
Analyse how religious ethical codes (for example the Decalogue, the Sermon on the Mount, sharia principles, ahimsa, ubuntu) translate into concrete guidance on a modern issue.
Evaluate the strengths and limits of conscience, reason, and scriptural authority as sources of moral judgement.
Distinguish moral, legal, and customary obligations using three worked examples.
Answer two extended-response questions on Domain 2 within time limits and self-assess against the criteria.
Your checkpoint
A full timed mock section on Domains 1-2 (45 minutes) with self-marked scores and a list of the three weakest sub-topics to revisit.
Personal and Social Responsibility & Religion, Culture and Society
Define personal and social responsibility in religious and civic terms, giving examples of rights paired with corresponding duties.
Explain how religious communities contribute to social welfare through charity, education, and advocacy, and note criticisms of that role.
Analyse a case of religion interacting with culture (for example inculturation, secularisation, or religious pluralism in a plural society) and identify the tensions involved.
Describe how religion shapes law, family life, and public ritual in at least two contrasting societies.
Your checkpoint
A 500-word case analysis of one religion-culture interaction, citing at least two sources and stating both supportive and critical perspectives.
Religious and Moral Themes in Literature and the Arts & Religion, Culture and Society
Identify religious and moral themes (redemption, sacrifice, justice, compassion, guilt, pilgrimage) in a chosen literary text, poem, or film and support each identification with a specific quotation or scene.
Explain how artistic form (imagery, symbol, narrative structure, music, visual composition) carries moral or religious meaning, not just content.
Compare how two different works treat the same theme and account for the difference in historical or cultural context.
Evaluate the artist's stance: is the work affirming, questioning, or subverting the tradition it draws on?
Your checkpoint
A 600-word analytical commentary on one literary or artistic work, quoting at least three specific passages or details and naming the techniques used.
Skills of Inquiry, Reflection and Analysis & Personal and Social Responsibility
Practise source analysis: summarise an argument, identify its assumptions, and judge the reliability and bias of its author.
Synthesise two domains in one essay, for example linking a religious ethical code to a question of social responsibility.
Reflect in writing on how your own background and commitments affect your reading of religious and moral material, and how to keep analysis fair.
Build a personal error log from earlier practice and drill the five most frequent mistakes.
Your checkpoint
One integrated essay (about 700 words) combining two domains, plus a completed error log with corrective actions for each recurring mistake.
Religious Traditions and Belief Systems & Moral and Ethical Decision-Making & Personal and Social Responsibility & Religious and Moral Themes in Literature and the Arts & Religion, Culture and Society & Skills of Inquiry, Reflection and Analysis
Complete two full timed mock papers under exam conditions and mark them against the official-style criteria.
Revise the highest-yield facts across all six domains using condensed cue cards and spaced recall.
Rehearse extended-response structure (introduction, developed points with evidence, balanced evaluation, conclusion) until it is automatic.
Plan exam-day timing and question-selection strategy, including how long to spend per mark.
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed mock papers with scores, a final one-page condensed revision sheet per domain, and a written exam-day timing plan.
Milestones
Week 2: Can name the founder/founding narrative, core text, and central ethical code of at least six traditions without notes, and correctly classify descriptive versus evaluative statements in a quick self-test.
Week 4: Scores at least 60% on the timed mock section for Domains 1-2 and can apply four ethical theories to a new dilemma without prompts.
Week 6: Can identify a religious or moral theme in an unseen short passage and name the technique carrying it, and can explain one religion-culture interaction with both supportive and critical perspectives.
Week 8: Scores at least 70% on both full mock papers, with no domain below 50%, and completes each paper within the time limit.