A Worldviews Journey: Disciplinary Knowledge and the Curriculum

As Head of Department in a Secondary School, I had heard the idea of ‘worldviews’ and disciplinary knowledge and was keen to understand more. From talking to others and attending conferences it soon became apparent that while this move is potentially very positive for our curriculum, it is not straightforward. Mentioning ‘worldviews’ occasionally would not be sufficient.

I started with Making Every RE Lesson Count by Louise Hutton and Dawn Cox. This offers a clear summary of the concept of worldviews and disciplinary knowledge, which gave me confidence in understanding the shift in thinking in the RE world. I also gained some idea of how this could be implemented in the classroom.

I am lucky to have the opportunity to work with Jennifer Jenkins on the REC’s Curriculum Handbook; a project to bring to life religion and worldviews curriculum frameworks. I also benefitted from a Farmington Scholarship which hugely expanded my understanding. My contribution has been to connect worldviews thinking and disciplinary knowledge, in order to support teachers across the Key Stages, in their understanding and practical approaches.

Two ‘stand out’ moments had a big influence on my thinking. Firstly, encountering Tim Hutchings and Celine Benoit’s research with teachers and worldviews opened my eyes. Their research shows that a grasp of ‘worldviews’ is varied and inconsistent in the RE world. This led me to ask how teachers can reach a consensus on what is meant by worldviews?

The second ‘stand out’ moment was aligning the Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus and worldviews thinking with Jennifer Jenkins and Alice Thomas. We imagined a curriculum where progression and connections in knowledge were embedded throughout. We realised we were talking about a complete change of approach and vision, not just the addition of some worldviews to what we already had. This was an exciting, and scary, realisation!

This journey started over two years ago. My thinking is certainly in a very different place. Although I feel more secure in my understanding of the religion and worldviews approach, I would not claim expertise, as we are all still learning. I think one of the most important aspects of my work was to network and talk to many different people about the changes. The aim of the work is to support teachers with the new approach. There are a wealth of CPD opportunities out there for RE teachers, I feel that supporting others to access guidance and support has been a key part of my contribution.

When I look back to the start of this journey, I can see my understanding has grown and changed. A religion and worldviews approach does not describe stand-alone lessons at the start of each year, where pupils reflect on their own worldview. For the new approach to be effective and meaningful it must be embedded through single lessons, medium and long-term plans, with careful consideration of progression and sequencing. It is important for pupils to encounter a wide range of different worldviews, covering individual, community and global worldviews. This endows the breadth and depth of understanding needed if pupils are to reflect on and explore their own worldviews. Disciplinary questions used to frame the subject knowledge helps to ensure a breadth and depth of exploration. This could be achieved by analysing data, personal stories or art to offer a rich and connected understanding of worldviews in all their forms. When I look back at my experiences, learning and understanding, it is clear there is a way to go, but I feel positive and hopeful as to the value of this shift within the subject.

Dawn Cox and Louise Hutton (2021) Making Every RE Lesson Count: Six Principles to Support Religious Education Teaching, Crown House Publishing