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Researchers from Coventry University, Durham University and the Woolf Institute have been researching how the experience of school- based RE prepares young people for the religious diversity of University life. The research explores the relationships between UK university students’ religious literacy, their experiences of religious education (RE) at school, and what the researchers call their ‘interfaith learning and development’, a multidimensional concept representing students’ ability to engage with, and relate across, religion and worldview difference.

This research represents the first step in exploring how different types of RE might prepare students for the challenges of university and beyond, in which they are often faced with a variety of identities different from their own.

A briefing paper Worldviews, religious literacy and interfaith readiness: Bridging the gap between school and university on the research was published in October 2024.

As you read the briefing paper you may find the following questions helpful to consider:

• Which of the 4 policy recommendations are relevant in your setting? Who do you need to share them with?
• Research suggests a religion and worldviews approach to RE engenders greater religious literacy in some cases, but this potential is not fully realised. How might teachers develop their approach to RE so that it can be?
• How are you developing pupils’ ability to recognise diversity within religious and non-religious worldviews?
• Do pupils have the opportunity and skill to take part in inter-worldview dialogue? Are teachers trained and supported in these dialogue facilitation skills?

In February 2024, prior to the publication of the policy briefing Professor Matthew Guest and Dr Lucy Peacock shared the following information on their research:

Research Summary

Since 1981, the World Values Survey has gathered data on global social, political, economic, religious and cultural values. This report outlines the latest findings on the UK, with comparisons to other countries.

Researchers

The Policy Institute

Research Institution

King’s College, London

What is this about?

The research is about contemporary UK religious values, including the likelihood of belief in God, heaven and hell or life after death; the degree of religious tolerance, and the popularity of atheism.

What was done?

A survey questionnaire was administered to 3,056 UK adults (18+). Once analysed, the resultant data were organised in a concise report, including comparisons to international trends.

Main findings and outputs

Readers are encouraged to download and read the report from the link given below. However, here are some examples of the main findings:

• The share of Britons who say they believe in God and heaven has been in decline for decades, but belief in life after death and hell has remained stable – and by international standards the UK ranks relatively low on belief in all of these.
• While younger people are less religious than older people, they are more inclined to believe in life after death.
• The UK public are among the least likely internationally to identify as religious, with atheism also growing in popularity.
• The share of the British public who say they are a religious person has halved since the early 1980s.
• The UK public are among the most trusting of people of different religions, and among the most relaxed about other faiths.
• Despite Britons’ declining religiosity, confidence in churches and religious organisations has increased in recent years.
• Confidence in religious institutions in Britain has begun to rebound after being in decline.

Relevance to RE

The report provides excellent background material for policy and curriculum. Its report of increased confidence in religion and a high UK level of religious tolerance underlines the importance of an education in religion and worldviews and the alignment of such education with existing social values. The individual report data offer valuable resources for classroom teaching, when a social science approach to religion and worldviews is being used.

Generalisability and potential limitations

The generalisability of the data is high; reliable, broad and produced by expert researchers. The focus is on the UK, but the international comparisons mean that this is not done in an isolated way.

Find out more

The full report is freely downloadable from https://www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-institute/assets/lost-faith-the-uk’s-changing-attitudes-to-religion.pdf (published in May 2023, accessed on 6 July 2023).

Research Summary

Jacomijn van der Kooij and colleagues provide a clear and concise definition of worldview, for use in RE curriculum development and pedagogy.

Researchers

Jacomijn van der Kooij, Doret de Ruyter and Siebren Miedema

Research Institution

VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

What is this about?

Whilst the original article is about what worldview means in relation to RE, and is a very interesting and detailed read, the summary below under Main findings and outputs should give curriculum developers and teachers at least a start and a framework for getting to grips with the issue – and you can follow up the link to the original article if you have library access and want the wider context.

What was done?

The researchers looked over literature on worldview and distilled some principles for curriculum and pedagogy in RE, as summarised in the Main findings and outputs section.

Main findings and outputs

1. Every religion’s a worldview, but not all worldviews are religious, because they don’t all recognise the existence of the transcendent.
2. There are organised and personal worldviews; organised are systemic, whereas personal can be developed through a bricoleur approach, taking elements from different sources.
3. Worldviews aren’t just views on life, the world and humanity. More is needed. Membership of a political party, for instance, isn’t a worldview.
4. There are four conditions – having views on matters of ultimate concern, including ontological, cosmological, theological, teleological, eschatological, and ethical notions; these views must influence thinking and acting; a worldview has moral values related to understanding of the good life and the well-being of other people; a worldview gives meaning in a person’s life, and on the meaning of life, or an understanding of the purpose of human beings in general.
5. So, an organised worldview is one that has developed over time as a coherent and established system. It has sources, traditions, values, rituals, ideals, or dogmas, and a group of believers.
6. But a personal worldview can be held without being articulated. Somebody’s answers to existential questions may not be clear-cut, the person may be continuing to reflect. If somebody’s moral values are what give meaning to him or her, these can constitute a personal worldview, though people can have personal worldviews in the absence of moral values: aesthetic or other ones may be central. A personal worldview can be based on a meaning in life or can be one where a belief in pointlessness replaces this; it must affect thoughts and actions to qualify as a worldview, though other practical factors may also affect the person’s decisions.
7. RE shouldn’t only focus on religions as organised systems, but also on differences between people who identify with the systems, and how the personal worldviews of pupil or their parents are developing. Depending on the school, pupils’ worldviews might be expected to be developing in relation to one organised worldview (‘learning in religion’) or several (‘learning from religion’).

Relevance to RE

Curriculum developers and teachers need a clear concept of worldview, as applied to RE, in order to consider what to include in the curriculum and how to approach it in the classroom.

Generalisability and potential limitations

This isn’t the only way in which the concept of worldview has been understood, but it was developed with RE in mind, is widely cited, and may well be of good use.

Find out more

Jacomijn C. van der Kooij , Doret J. de Ruyter and Siebren Miedema, “‘Worldview’: the Meaning of the Concept and the Impact on Religious Education,” Religious Education, 108 (2) (2013): 210-228.

Research Summary

This academic paper presents an analysis of a small-scale research project, investigating how best School X can promote the religious tolerance of the students attending. The paper explores current literature and adopts a reflexive approach, in which the paradigm of the research is explored and new knowledge is presented. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and the findings suggest that by teaching more KS3 RE, and making use of speakers and classroom religious adherents, student religious tolerance can be improved. The paper argues that a change in curriculum is necessary to improve student religious tolerance and that a model of distributed leadership and continuous change is best in implementing new policy at the school. Other findings are discussed but, at present, remain the subject of later research.

Researchers

Milo Bellamy

Research Institution

N/A

What is this about?

Defining best practice to best improve the religious tolerance of students at school.

What was done?

Student attitudes were evaluated with what they best think promotes tolerance and what hinders the promotion of tolerance in the school. This was achieved through questionnaires, gathering both quantitative and qualitative data from students and follow up interviews with multiple students.

In addition, a test group was given a short course on Islam, whilst a control group were not. Associations with Islam were investigated in both groups through questionnaires that allowed students to discuss word associations following teaching, or not teaching, a small module on Islam. Interviews were also utilised to triangulate the data.

Main findings and outputs

Religious tolerance can be improved by

1. teaching more KS3 RE
2. making use of speakers and classroom religious adherents.

Relevance to RE

A discussion concerning the aims of RE in schools and how best to facilitate and promote tolerance of diverse faiths.

Generalisability and potential limitations

By virtue of the nature of research that takes place in one school it should be recognised that context of other schools may be different from that of school x. The context of School X is an outer London state school, facing challenges to gain adequate teaching time, starting the GCSE course a year early, and not given the same number of hours other humanities are given. The school does, however, commit all students, unless withdrawn, to the Religious Education GCSE. The limitations of the GCSE may also hinder the aim of generalised religious tolerance, especially in the case of rising islamophobia.

The research is generalisable as all schools in the UK should give some provision to Religious Education. Further, it is an aim of the government to improve religious tolerance in schools. As such, most schools would benefit from implementing the findings of this paper in order to improve religious tolerance.

Find out more

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aZY7hScNnk6zmA4K92V-TIVrg5ogYkMKZVFE6UgTca4/edit?usp=sharing

Research Summary

A practitioner action research community of practice of teachers and mid-level policy enactors was formed, to engage with the question of how to enhance RE /R&W in primary schools serving socially disadvantaged children. The members’ professional values and assumptions were explored, and the needs of primary teachers in contexts of social disadvantage were assessed. The advantages of effective school-community partnerships were highlighted, leading to a recognition of the importance of learning outside the classroom in RE / R&W. A model was developed, centring on the importance of spaces for encountering the lived experience of religion, asking challenging questions, and sharing learning objectives.

Researchers

David Lundie, Waqaus Ali, Michael Ashton, Sue Billingsley, Hinnah Heydari, Karamat Iqbal, Kate McDowell & Matthew Thompson

Research Institution

School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Glasgow, Glasgow; Knowledge to Action, Blackburn; School of Education, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool; Outwoods Primary School, Warwickshire; Liverpool Community Spirit; Forward Partnership; St Cleopas Primary School, Liverpool

What is this about?

This is about improving RE/R&W provision for primary age children in areas of social disadvantage. It is about the importance in this respect of learning outside the classroom, especially encounters with lived religion, pursuing challenging questions, and sharing learning objectives.

What was done?

There were three cycles of action research. In each cycle, problems were identified and success criteria envisioned. Data was collected to support deliberation in each cycle. For the first and second cycles, there was an online training needs analysis of 26 teachers. For the second and third cycles, interviews and surveys with primary age pupils were undertaken, as well as surveys of places of worship and discussions with NASACRE.

Main findings and outputs

1. Two-way authenticity: there is a need for authentic encounter between the voices of marginalised young people and authentic representation of lived faith. What gets in the way of this: turning field sites into museums or illustrations of textbook accounts of faith, or silencing ‘difficult’ questions from pupils.
2. Importance of sharing learning outcomes: schools and field sites should understand one another’s purpose in the relationship. A respectful and safe atmosphere is needed, with understanding the lived experience of faith; an openness to questions, as well as opportunities for reflection, resisting the tendency to treat places of worship as either a museum or an extension of the classroom.
3. Children ’emphasised the importance of hearing the visitor speak about their beliefs in their own words, how they live and worship, beliefs about God or gods, services they attend, how their religion is different to others, traditional stories, charity work and the relevance of religious buildings they are visiting’ (page 8).
4. ‘A majority of the children said they would welcome the opportunity to ask questions about another person’s religion and how they lived, and that they would feel comfortable expressing their own views, though they did not feel that it would be appropriate to challenge a person’s religious beliefs. 79% agreed that visiting places of worship and welcoming religious visitors was useful in helping them understand a particular faith’ (page 8).
5. Many places of worship said they welcomed when teachers shared their learning aims ahead of a visit to enable them to understand pupils’ levels of prior learning.
6. Making the most of the opportunities from learning outside the classroom requires careful partnerships, effective preparation, the sharing of learning objectives and a willingness from pupils and field visitors alike to encounter challenging perspectives. The authors recommend the setting-up of an online portal to allow teachers and places of worship to link to one another, access self-evaluations, exemplification materials, and share aims and lesson plans.

Relevance to RE

The research illustrates the potential benefits of learning outside the classroom in RE / R&W, but also the work and care needed to maximise these. Teachers and others should be guided by it to develop genuine partnerships, based on the needs of schools and partner faith communities; and to prepare visits thoroughly, with close attention to the purposes brought by all participants and the kinds of questions children might pose and the experiences they might have.

Generalisability and potential limitations

Whilst action research studies are not generalisable as such, relying on contextual validity, the mixed-methods approach and professional rigour of this study mean that it is more than worthy of the attention of those seeking to address related concerns. Moreover, the findings regarding best practice in RE/R&W through school-community relationships are (at the very least) useful starting points for colleagues wishing to develop such relationships; and a reminder of the importance of these.

Find out more

David Lundie, Waqaus Ali, Michael Ashton, Sue Billingsley, Hinnah Heydari, Karamat Iqbal, Kate McDowell & Matthew Thompson (2021): A practitioner action research approach to learning outside the classroom in religious education: developing a dialogical model through reflection by teachers and faith field visitors, British Journal of Religious Education, DOI:10.1080/01416200.2021.1969896
The article is available open-access.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01416200.2021.1969896

Research Summary

The research is a case study of the Faith and Belief Forum’s School Linking programme, in the light of the proposed move towards a religion and worldviews curriculum in England. Through analysis of a large quantitative and qualitative data set, it emerged that though pupils report knowledge increases from participation in the programme, the type of knowledge gained does not accurately capture the religious and worldview plurality of the programme’s participants. The author finds that the weakness is due to the intergroup contact theory of the programme, and that a different type of contact theory, decategorisation, would offer improved pupil learning in future and be more compatible with a worldviews approach.

Researchers

Lucy Peacock

Research Institution

Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University

What is this about?

What are the implications of a move to a Religion and Worldviews curriculum for contact-based interfaith programmes in schools? What type of knowledge do pupils get from these programmes, and is it sufficient to convey the complexity of religious and non-religious worldviews?

What was done?

Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through 1,488 teacher and student surveys, teacher focus groups and participant observation in schools. 52 classes from 45 English schools were involved, of different religious characters. There were baseline and endpoint surveys (before and after participation in School Linking), pupil reflection forms; and participant observation and focus groups to assess how School Linking promotes peaceful relations.

Main findings and outputs

• Pupils reported learning more and more about the faiths and beliefs of their linked school, and feeling more and more confident to work with their peers there.
• But when they were asked to provide examples, these tended to be based on oversimplified or inaccurate ‘facts’.
• The language that the teachers used contributed to the problem, because it often homogenised groups. It appeared to draw from the perceived demands of RE teaching, reflecting current curriculum frameworks and examination demands.
• So exchanging individualised information (‘decategorisation’) would be better than assuming that individuals simply represent groups such as Muslims or Jews (‘secondary transfer’). Perceptions of group homogeneity should be actively questioned in the process. Interfaith programmes need to interact with the changing RE / R&W landscape.

Relevance to RE

The research probably has more relevance to RE / R&W than the article itself suggests. The article concludes that a different model is needed for interfaith programmes in schools, and that this model is in step with RE / R&W. However, the decategorisation model proposed might inform not only interfaith programmes but, in turn, all RE / R&W practice based on direct dialogue and encounter; so could be considered by teachers in relation to discussions taking place within their own classes, or during visits to faith or non-religious worldview communities. The findings of the research are useful to consider whilst planning curriculum around point 9 of the CORE national entitlement, specifically the part on direct encounter and discussion with individuals and communities.

Generalisability and potential limitations

The samples are fairly large. The research combines quantitative with qualitative approaches carefully. The data are analysed thoroughly and the analysis coheres with general themes of religion and worldview plurality and other sources on religion and worldview complexity.

Find out more

The original article is:
Lucy Peacock (2021) Contact-based interfaith programmes in schools and the changing religious education landscape: negotiating a worldviews curriculum, Journal of Beliefs & Values, DOI: 10.1080/13617672.2021.2004708

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13617672.2021.2004708

Research Summary

Schools were linked to a selected and trained faith practitioner for an extended period of time, enabling an ongoing relationship to develop. The extended connection allowed for greater depth of dialogue, and thus, improved learning about the religion and culture of the faith in question. Schools reported that the project had reinvigorated their Religious Education and provided valuable professional development for staff.

Researchers

Mark Plater
Funding by All Saints Educational Foundation

Research Institution

Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln

What is this about?

Usually when schools have faith visitors (or make visits to places of worship) this is for a one-off, brief experience, and does not provide time for pupils and faith practitioners to get to know each other and to feel fully relaxed in discussing the complexity of issues that might be explored. Creating opportunity for longer term connections, it was hoped that genuine friendships might develop, enabling a much deeper level of connection and understanding.

What was done?

Funding was obtained to support six schools in a pilot programme, providing funds to release classroom practitioners for training events, and other project expenses. Faith practitioners from the selected religions were then identified, police checked, and trained by the Leicester based St Philip’s interfaith centre before being introduced to the relevant schools. Schools were then free to develop activities with their selected faith practitioner as appropriate to their needs.

Main findings and outputs

Two participating schools were unable to proceed with the programme for various reasons, but all of the others benefitted enormously from the programme, claiming that it had, strengthened teacher confidence in teaching about that religion, broken down stereotypes and assumptions, and given RE teaching an increased profile in the school.
Ongoing reports were provided on progress at three points during the programme, and a final report summarises the main outputs and overall impact.

Relevance to RE

First hand experience of dialogue with people from faith traditions is vital in order to make RE come alive and feel relevant and meaningful. However, there are benefits in developing long term dialogue relationships with a person of faith, rather than in brief encounters such as are usually organised (one-off speakers, or short visits to places of worship), helpful though these are.

Generalisability and potential limitations

This was a small-scale pilot study, and hoped-for further funding to expand the project is still being sought. Also, the project was interrupted by Covid and lockdowns, and some schools giving greater emphasis to Core subjects during the time that the study was in flow.

Find out more

https://bgro.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/884/

Research Summary

From the Conclusion section of the report (on page 39):

‘RE is vital in preparing pupils to engage in a diverse and complex multi-religious and multi-secular society. However, this review has also identified that there are significant challenges that limit high quality in RE, including:

• insufficient time to teach an ambitious RE curriculum
• school decisions that are not taken in the best interests of all pupils, such as decisions concerning the statutory teaching of RE, the opportunity to take a qualification in religious studies, or early examination entry
• a lack of consideration about what it means to ‘be scholarly’ in objective, critical and pluralistic RE
• a lack of clarity on what constitutes reliable knowledge about religion/non-religion, leading to teachers embedding unhelpful misconceptions
• teaching approaches that do not support pupils to remember the RE curriculum in the long term
• approaches to assessment that are poorly calibrated to the RE curriculum
• insufficient development of RE practitioners to address gaps in professional subject knowledge

That said, this review shows that there are well-warranted and constructive ways forward that could support improvements in RE. The literature suggests that many of these are already taking place in the sector in subject communities and in some schools. The significant interest that RE attracts from a range of organisations and associations may also indicate that there is sufficient capacity to support improvements in RE in primary and secondary schools for the benefit of pupils.’

Researchers

Ofsted

Research Institution

Ofsted

What is this about?

This is a research review, which ‘explores literature relating to the field of RE’. Its stated purpose is ‘to identify factors that contribute to high-quality school RE curriculums, the teaching of the curriculum, assessment and systems.’ It states that ‘there are a variety of ways that schools can construct and teach a high-quality RE curriculum and ‘there is no single way of achieving high-quality RE’. It:

• outlines ‘the national context in relation to RE’
• summarises a ‘review of research into factors that can affect the quality of education in RE’
• considers ‘curriculum progression in RE, pedagogy, assessment and the impact of school leaders’ decisions on provision’

(Quotations are from page 3 of the report.)

What was done?

The review drew on a range of sources, including specialist RE research outputs and Ofsted’s own Education Inspection Framework. These sources are summarised, and a range of factors are identified that can affect the quality of education in RE.

Main findings and outputs

The report’s general conclusions were presented in the Research summary section, above. There are other findings specific to particular issues, and some examples of these follow.
(In relation to knowledge, high-quality RE may have these features – ):

• ‘consideration of the knowledge that pupils build through the RE curriculum, because accurate knowledge about religion and non-religion can be beneficial for achieving different purposes and aims for RE.
• High expectations about scholarship in the curriculum to guard against pupils’ misconceptions.
• What is taught and learned in RE is grounded in what is known about religion/non-religion from academic study (scholarship).
• Carefully selected and well-sequenced substantive content and concepts.
• ‘Ways of knowing’ are appropriately taught alongside the substantive content and are not isolated from the content and concepts that pupils learn.
• A consideration of when pupils should relate the content to their own personal knowledge (for example, prior assumptions)’.
  (From page 9.)

(In relation to assessment, high-quality RE may have these features – ):
‘Different types of assessments are used appropriately:

• Formative assessments can help teachers identify which pupils have misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge, and what those specific misconceptions or gaps are. This can inform teachers about common issues, so they can review or adapt the curriculum as necessary. Formative assessments are less useful in making judgements about how much of the whole curriculum has been learned and remembered.
• Where summative assessments are used for accountability purposes, leaders can ensure that they are sufficiently spaced apart to enable pupils to learn the expanding domain of the curriculum.
• The purpose of the test should guide the type of assessment, the format of the task and when the assessment is needed.
• RE assessment needs to relate to the curriculum, which sets out what it means to ‘get better’ at RE.
• Leaders and teachers can consider whether existing assessment models in RE do in practice treat the curriculum as the progression model.
• Leaders and teachers can design RE assessments that are fit for purpose, in that they are precisely attuned to the knowledge in the RE curriculum that they intend for pupils to learn.
• Leaders who ensure that assessments are not excessively onerous for teachers.
• Professional development opportunities for leaders and teachers to reflect on how different assessment questions and tasks in RE can frame teachers’ and pupils’ expectations about engaging with religious and non-religious traditions.
  (From page 35.)

Other areas considered, with their own identification of factors that may support high quality, include systems, culture and policies; teacher education and professional development; and teaching the curriculum.

Relevance to RE

This report is of high relevance to RE and has, understandably, received much attention and discussion. Possibly its key strength in relation to relevance is its summary of a very wide range of sources into identification of characteristics that high-quality RE may have. This research report has contained its own necessarily brief summary of the original report, but readers are strongly encouraged to access the original report itself from the link provided at the end.

Generalisability and potential limitations

This is a very wide-ranging and comprehensive report, whose list of references would itself be valuable to researchers, master’s students or other interested professionals (there are 246 notes to published sources, and some individual notes are to multiple sources).

Find out more

The full report can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-review-series-religious-education

Research Summary

Interestingly, though focused on the media, the Inquiry’s report is not only for the media, but for everyone. From the Introduction: ‘Today, the UK is characterised by an incredible variety of beliefs, histories and perspectives. Complete agreement and uniformity is neither possible nor desirable. To live together well, it is beholden upon all of us to learn to listen to our fellow citizens and to do so with respect and curiosity before we move to judgement. Learning not just what people think, but why they think it, is essential in bridging gaps and crossing social and cultural divides. This is the broadest suggestion we would like to make – that our society can be richer, more harmonious and more confident in itself if we all learn to listen and empathise with that which we do not believe or support. A media that is diverse, curious and sensitive to the enormous variety of beliefs in the UK today can play a key role in fostering that society and we hope that our recommendations are useful tools to achieve that end.’ (p.4)

Researchers

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Religion in the Media

Research Institution

The APPG on Religion in the Media report might best be described as a cross-institution output:

‘All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament. They are run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords, though many choose to involve individuals and organisations from outside Parliament in their administration and activities.’ https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/members/apg/

What is this about?

The inquiry set out ‘to explore how to encourage a media environment which is conducive to a rounded, informed public understanding of religion and the role religious literacy can play in achieving this end.’ (p.4)

What was done?

As well as ‘desk research’ (consulting existing publications), the inquiry had three methods:

• Analysis of 55 written submissions, from different organisations and individuals (in academia, journalism, think tanks, faith groups, etc.).
• Analysis of responses to ‘bespoke’ questions sent to media organisations including broadcasters and regulators.
• Seven ‘oral evidence’ discussion sessions, engaging with 58 panellists in total: again, academics, faith group representatives, education and media specialists.

Main findings and outputs

The meaning of religious literacy is contested, but having considered the evidence, the APPG arrived at its own definition: ‘It incorporates knowledge, competency in engaging with religious ideas and people and the respect which derives from viewing religion to be a valid source of beliefs and values.’ (p.9) There is concern that religion is often reduced to its visual or liturgical facets, and that coverage can sensationalise, stereotype, contain basic errors, or fail to represent diversity. However, by avoiding these mistakes, the media can significantly increase public understanding of religion and broadcasters can inform while they entertain.
Seven ‘central recommendations’ are brought out:

• Journalists and programme-makers should aim to explore the ‘lived experience’ of religion as well as its doctrinal, ritual, and ceremonial elements.
• Newspapers and broadcasters should audit and publish full accounts of their religion and belief workforce statistics to provide a better sense of who is working in the industry so that disparities can be addressed.
• Religious literacy training should be formally incorporated into professional media qualifications and journalists’ continuing professional development.
• Newspapers should take greater care with the pictures and headlines they choose, recognising that this is all most viewers will see.
• Independent regulation should be looked at again by policymakers because there remain significant issues around access to regulatory redress. In particular, groups should be able to make complaints on the grounds of discrimination.
• The current religious programming hours required of the BBC should be protected in future reviews.
• The remit of public service broadcasters should be redrafted to include the purpose of promoting religious literacy and all public service broadcasters should explore how they can use the full width of their output to increase religious literacy.

Relevance to RE

There are, perhaps, two main types of relevance to RE:

1. Teachers could use some of the seven recommendations as test criteria, for selecting media-based teaching resources and / or helping pupils to analyse and evaluate these. How far does this text / clip / image reflect lived experience of religion? Is this headline fair, balanced and appropriate? Would any groups or individuals have cause for complaint about it?
2. Curriculum developers and teachers could translate some of the recommendations into their own practice. How can we reflect the ‘lived experience’ of religion, as well as its doctrinal, ritual, and ceremonial elements, in curriculum plans and lessons? How can we ensure that curriculum plans, and lessons, cover religions and non-religious worldviews in fair, balanced and appropriate ways? Would any groups or individuals have cause for complaint about our curriculum plans or lessons?

In general, there are good points in the report to raise with pupils about the importance of accurate media reporting, and about how important RE / R&W is if you want to work in journalism or the media.

Generalisability and potential limitations

The report is the result of a very wide-ranging, thorough, multi-levelled inquiry and the findings are presented in some considerable detail. The findings are up-to-date (the report was published in April 2021).

Find out more

The report is available for free download from https://www.appgreligioninmedia.uk/publications-reports

Research Summary

This project presents 5 case studies exploring how RE is being re-imagined in schools. It is a showcase of classroom practice which goes some way towards meeting the learning proposed in the new National Entitlement for Religion & Worldviews.
The project builds on the recommendations of the Faiths Unit’s 2015 report RE for Real – The Future of Teaching and Learning about Religion & Belief by providing examples of an emerging shift in RE towards understanding religion and worldviews as dynamic, lived, and interpretable phenomena and concepts.

Researchers

Dr Martha Shaw & Prof Adam Dinham

Research Institution

London South Bank University & Goldsmiths, University of London

What is this about?

This project is based on the premise that there is much brilliant, innovative RE going on all around the country but that it is patchy and could be extended. This project highlights some key examples of innovative practice, which speaks to the new direction proposed for Religion & Worldviews. It is intended to complement debates about change in policy and practice, with evidence of existing new practices from which others can learn.

What was done?

The project has worked with 5 schools to explore examples in practice of aspects of the new National Entitlement. We invited submissions of interest to participate then undertook a series of visits to the schools, in close collaboration with teachers:

Visit 1: Summer Term 2019 (May-June), to discuss the national plan and how the school is already or might respond to it. We worked together during and following this visit to consolidate the potential connections to at least one element of the national entitlement, then to devise a piece of concrete classroom practice in advance of our return visit.

Visit 2: Autumn Term 2019 and Spring term 2020 (September-February), to observe and reflect on the example of teaching and learning which has been identified and developed. The example was developed into a ‘case study’ including a short video and PDF providing a narrative.

Main findings and outputs

The five case studies explore ways of teaching and learning about religion and worldviews as fluid, lived and interpretable phenomena. The focus of each case study is different and relate to:
– Dealing with Controversy
– Multiple interpretations of lived religion
– Whole school lived religion as meaning making
– Encountering worldviews as lived and fluid
– RE Trail as discovery for children and their parents
The case studies can be found here.

Relevance to RE

The case studies are offered as resource for teachers to explore new ways of approaching the study of religion and worldviews in the classroom. Teachers might use these as inspiration to try something new. Teacher educators might also use these as examples of ways to embrace the teaching of religion and worldviews as dynamic, lived and interpretable phenomena and concepts. These examples showcase ways of promoting religion & worldview literacy in the classroom.

Generalisability and potential limitations

These examples are not representative of all the creative and innovative practice that goes on. Neither do they embody the totality of the vision outlined by CORE. Rather, they are intended as examples of some of the exciting ways in which teachers are interpreting innovation in the Religion & Worldviews classroom.

Find out more

Shaw, M (2019) Towards a Religiously Literate curriculum – Religion and Worldview Literacy as an Educational Model, Journal of Beliefs & Values, Journal of Beliefs & Values. Online: Sept. 2019.

https://www.gold.ac.uk/faithsunit/current-projects/reforreal/case-studies/