Ok #TeamRE GCSE teachers. When you are teaching Ethical Themes, do you start with general ethical theories and then apply to the issue, or start with the issue and then discuss ethical viewpoints in it?
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Sort of, but also Christian ethics isn't just Jesus or the Bible. Islamic ethics isn't just prophets. There are ways of interpreting those and lots of additional parts too.
There is so much that could be introduced! But we are not the only subject that suffers from GCSE simplification. Try talking to a chemist on the issue and you will have to politely make your excuses after 45 mins :)
I get that and I'm not trying to introduce more. (And for sure not Finnis and Hoose!) But I wonder if a wee primer on say, NML, DCT in 10 commandments, and Utilitarianism might help speed up and build depth.
Also just find it weird how we switch pedagogy of ethics without really thinking why.
Definitely! Though Jesus and the prophets are central. The works of Fletcher, Hoose, Finnis et al aren't widely known by average Christians (which isn't implying shallowness either... Just that the lived experience of faith communities may not centre round hermenuetical questions, more discipleship)
I also teach quite early about different ways for making moral decisions from a faith basis. So following rules such as the catechism or reading the Bible and making a decision. We then apply that to each issue. If they get the theory of approach it means they have less to revise.
I think I do generally too, but been reflecting that this is different from KS5 where the spec starts with a theory or thinker and then goes onto application.
Not sure where I'm going with this but find it interesting.
Might it depend on the topic/enquiry question focus?
e.g. My topic might be 'How can Situation Ethics help people to make moral decisions?' and then I would apply it to different issues.
However if I were studying abortion, I'd teach the basics and then teach the theory to be applied.
Yes possibly...I'm wondering if switching it round so there is a primer on Christian ethics /Islamic ethics /Secular ethics before teaching themes might help students get a sense of how things connect? GCSE specs don't mention specific schools of thought which can make it appear disjointed.
My golden thread for this is ‘making moral decisions’ and then from that ‘interpretation’. This provides a foundation for them to understand how the themes work.
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Also just find it weird how we switch pedagogy of ethics without really thinking why.
Not sure where I'm going with this but find it interesting.
e.g. My topic might be 'How can Situation Ethics help people to make moral decisions?' and then I would apply it to different issues.
However if I were studying abortion, I'd teach the basics and then teach the theory to be applied.