Brett Rollo Assessment 2 18041213

Religion and belief systems in Australia

Studies of Religion – Year 12
Research Task and Presentation
Context

Students will choose a religion that is practiced in Australia and will discuss that religion in depth focusing
on how the religion has changed or has not changed, what the religion stands for, how the religion has
shaped Australia, and the impact the religion has had in Australia. Students must only discuss the religion
from 1945 – present.

Task number: 1 Weighting: 20% Timing: Term 1, week 8

Outcomes assessed
A student:
 H1 - explains aspects of religion and belief systems

 H2 - describes and analyses the influence of religion and belief systems on individuals and
society

 H3- examines the influence and expression of religion and belief systems in Australia

 H9- coherently and effectively communicates complex information, ideas and issues using
appropriate written, oral and graphic forms.

Nature of the task

Students are to select a religion that exists in contemporary Australia and research this religion and its role
in Australia from after 1945. Some religions students might like to consider: Catholicism, Christianity,
Islam, Aboriginal Dreaming, Buddhism etc. If you practice a certain religion try to perform research on a
religion that is not your own.

Question- How has your selected religion impacted or influenced Australia society and individuals
in the years after 1945?

Students may want to consider some of the following sub headings (aim for one minute each point) -
- Brief explanation of selected religion.
- What influence has the religion had in Australia (how many people practice the religion, how many
churches etc)?
- What are the ideals of the religion (what do they believe in, what do they strive for, what is the
message they are trying to push)?
Extra-
- What role has dispossession played in the maintenance of the selected religion (E.g. Aboriginal
peoples dispossession of the land, how do they maintain a relationship with their traditional
religion)?

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Nature of the task (continued)
Oral Presentation, Accompanied with Visual Component (4-5 Minutes total)

Student presentations should be no longer then 5 minutes and consist of an oral component and visual
component, such as a supporting power point or Prezi presentation.
Transcript-
 Students will provide the teacher with a transcript of their research/speech prior to the commencement
of their assessment.
Marking criteria
Students will be assessed on how well they:
 Present research that was found with evidence to support their opinion (Graphs or statistics).
 Analyse their selected religion and explain the influence this religion has had on contemporary
Australia.
 Communicate an understanding of their selected religion and the religions impact on Australia.
 Explain the ideals of the selected religion.
 Follow presentation guidelines and time limits.
Feedback provided
 Feedback will be provided to students as needed and assistance will be provided to students when it is
required.
Differentiation
 If a student cannot present an oral task they will be provided the option to present in front of only
the teacher and one or two of their peers that they choose.
 Option B for presentation- Students can make a multi modal presentation. (power point voice
overed with their oral presentation.
 An extra task has been provided in the sub headings for students who wish to delve deeper into
their research.

Marking guidelines

A student: Mark range

 H9- Sophisticated understanding and excellent effectiveness when presenting
information through oral and visual presentation.
 H3- In depth and critical examination of influence and expression of religion in
Australia.
18-20
 H2- Coherent description and sophisticated analysis of the influence of religion and
belief systems on individuals and society.
 H1- Sophisticated and in-depth explanation about aspects of religion and belief
systems.
 H9- Thorough coherence and great effectiveness when presenting information
through oral and visual presentation.
 H3- Thoroughly examines the influence and expression of religion in Australia.
14–17
 H2- Thorough description and analysis of the influence of religion and belief systems
on individuals and society.
 H1- Thorough explanation about aspects of religion and belief systems.

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 H9- Sound understand and good effectiveness when presenting information through
oral and visual presentation.
 H3- Sound examination of influence and expression of religion in Australia
9–13
 H2- Sound description and analysis of the influence of religion and belief systems on
individuals and society.
 H1- Sound explanation about aspects of religion and belief systems
 H9- Basic understanding and effectiveness when presenting information through oral
and visual presentation.
 H3- Basic examination of influence and expression of religion in Australia
4-8
 H2- Basic description and analysis of the influence of religion and belief systems on
individuals and society
 H1- Basic explanation about aspects of religion and belief systems
 H9- Limited understanding and effectiveness when present information through oral
and visual presentation.
 H3- Limited examination of influence and expression of religion in Australia
1–3
 H2- Limited description and analysis of the influence of religion and belief systems
on individuals and society
 H1- Limited explanation about aspects of religion and belief systems

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Discuss

The idea of assessment is a very daunting and intimidating time for students in most settings whether it is
formal or informal assessment if a student knows that they are being assessed they are very quickly stressed
and overwhelmed which can further lead to the students having anxiety. This is because many students fear
not having the time, or ability or balance and organisation to complete these assessments to a high standard
that they believe is helping them progress. The stress of assessment is not limited to students as teachers also
are able to feel the stress of assessment from a different perspective. Teachers are tasked with creating
assessments, monitoring students progress, marking and providing feedback as well as having the pressure
of their students receiving high outcomes based on their teaching methods. So if assessment causes all of
this stress to all parties involved why is it so important in an education setting? This paper will aim to
discuss assessment, the effect of assessment on students in terms of stress, anxiety and overall well being
and will also discuss the importance of assessment and feedback. Furthermore, this discussion will analyse
ways in which understanding assessment and feedback can be useful in the context of a religion studies key
learning area.

What is assessment? According to Trigg “Educational assessment is the process of documenting, usually in
measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs” (2013, pp.9). Furthermore, the department of
education states that assessment is “the ongoing process of gathering, analysing and reflecting upon
evidence to make informed and consistent judgements to improve future student learning” (Department of
Education cited in Trigg, 2013, pp.9). The next question to answer is why does assessment stress students
out so much? The idea of assessment is what stresses students out, it is not the actual assessment itself but
instead what the assessment stands for. An example of this is students having the idea that the outcome of
these higher school assessments weigh heavily on their post school lives such as being able to find
employment (Putwain, 2011). Jackson refers to this worrying about the results of school work effecting
students post school lives as ‘credentials discourse’ (Jackson, 2006 cited in Putwain, 2011). Putwain
describes credentials discourse as the “desire to perform well in examinations due to their implications for
post- school life” (2011. Pp. 722). Continuing, there has been research that was undertaken in 1998 that had
similar results to that of Putwain. Even though the research is nearly 15 years apart the results around
student attitudes towards assessment are very similar. In the research it was stated that “The relationship
between fear of failure and achievement goals and subjective wellbeing amongst performance avoidance-
oriented students has been found to have a deleterious effect on their satisfaction with their progress, self-
esteem and life satisfaction” (Smith & Sinclair, 1998, pp.5). Regardless of the 13 year gap between the two
academic papers, the findings were very similar in saying that fear of failure and not achieving goals was a
big part of what caused stress for students when it came to assessment. Again, relating back to this idea that

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failure of an exam will affect post school life, such as employment opportunities or opportunities for further
education. Assessment however bad it seems is also very necessary in the development of students. On one
hand it causes many students a lot of stress and anxiety, however assessment is the only way for the teacher
to monitor where a student is at and help them progress to better results. “The best teachers recognize the
importance of ongoing assessments as the means to achieve maximum performance” (Tomlinson et al, 2005,
pp.13). For a teacher to be able to understand the needs of their students a teacher needs to understand the
importance of assessment. The stress that assessment causes teachers stems from the forever increasing
standards that need to be met. With these constantly increasing standards comes the responsibility of teacher
carrying the weight of student outcomes on their shoulders and due to this, teachers face higher stress and
anxiety in this high-stake era (Dunn et al, 2009).

If assessment causes so much stress why is it considered to be so important? Again, this relates to
assessment being important as it gives a teacher the opportunity to assist students who need help.
Assessment also gives teachers the opportunity to assess where students are sitting in terms of progress and
ability and skill. Assessment is also a good concept to get used to as it is not just based in a school setting,
because it is part of our everyday lives (Taras, 2005), this includes a post school setting such as employment
or tertiary study. However, the importance of assessment does not take away any of the negative presence
that comes with it for both student or teacher (Taras, 2005). One of the most powerful components in
assessment is the feedback that is returned once the assessment is submitted and marked. This feedback is
truly what provides growth to the students and that is why it is so powerful, as feedback gives teachers the
opportunity to annotate and tell a student what they did write and what they can improve on to do even
better then next time around. According to Shute “Feedback used in educational contexts is generally
regarded as crucial to improving knowledge and skill” (2008, pp.153). This statement has been supported by
studies that state that feedback is what provides a drive for increased success and progress (Shute, 2008).
Scholars take many different views when it comes to feedback however, the opinions always circle back to
the fact that feedback is very important to a student’s progress. Regardless of whether feedback is negative
or positive if a student understands the meaning behind it, they will be able to learn and progress (Hattie et
al, 2007).

In religion studies it is important to understand the importance of assessment, this is because assessment is
not only for measuring a students ability and progress in the course but assessment can be used to build the
necessary skills to complete research and perform inquiry based learning and this is just a few of the reasons
as to why it is important. It is also important for students to understand the importance of feedback as
progress comes from increased complexity (Burn et al, 2014, pp.2) and an effective way of increasing
complexity is for students to get feedback and continually build on their skills knowledge and abilities.
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In conclusion one of the main reasons students feel anxiety and stress is because they fear the possible
failure and expectations that come with it. They fear the idea that the outcome of their assignment will have
a negative effect on their post school lives. They fear that failure will affect their ability to get a job or
access to tertiary education. However regardless of the negative presence of assessment it is very necessary
for students to have assessment so that they can improve. Assessment then leads to the teacher being able to
give students feedback which allows the students to see what they have done right and what they can
improve to take the step towards getting better results. Finally understanding the importance of assessment
in religion studies let alone any school in higher school education is important so students can learn new
skills and improve themselves.

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References

Burn, K., Counsell, C., Foster, R., & Fordham, M. (2014). Assessment. Teaching History, (157), 2-2

Dunn, K. E., & Mulvenon, S. W. (2009). Let's talk formative assessment ... and evaluation? ().

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.

Putwain, D. (2011). How is examination stress experienced by secondary students preparing for their
General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations and how can it be explained? International
Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 24(6), pp.717-731.
Shute, V. (2008). Focus on Formative Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 153-189
Smith, L. and Sinclair, K. (1998). Stress and Learning in the Higher School Certificate.
Taras, M. (2005). Assessment: Summative and Formative: Some Theoretical Reflections. British Journal of
Educational Studies,53(4), 466-478
Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J.M. (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by
Design: Connecting Content and Kids, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Trigg, V. (2013). What is assessment? Idiom, 49(1), 9-12.