Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) A research project with Primary teachers and pupils
Research Summary: Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) A research project with Primary teachers and pupils
For the last two years, the team at Culham St Gabriel’s have supported teachers in four primary schools across England to explore how their children can engage with, and learn about, Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). This report summarises the outcomes and the experiences of those teachers and their children from Phase II of the project. The report explores how teachers can develop a ‘FoRB lens’. Teachers are then able to support their children to apply that lens when teaching existing units of work or lessons. In other words, this approach does not necessarily require the development of new units of work or lessons, rather the application of an approach.
The report builds on the Phase I report which established clear FoRB learning outcomes for EYFS, KS1 and KS2. Additionally, taken together the reports include examples and ideas which other teachers may wish to try out in their own classrooms. This research strand is arguably the first attempt from anywhere in the world to explore how children in schools can learn about FoRB and FoRB principles.
In your school or in your local group or network or across your multi academy trust
Ensure that pupils are enabled to reflect on their own backgrounds, values and positions as part of religious education.
How could you apply a ‘FoRB lens’ to the RE lessons that you are teaching?
What are the implications of implementing FoRB principles across RE?
Consider the recommendations on page 13 of the report below
Read the report on the project by Josh Cass and featuring the work of four primary school teachers to see what worked well and what was trickier. What can you apply to your own setting?
Also look at the previous information, briefing papers and a recording describing the project in more detail, all available on the FoRB page of the Culham St Gabriel’s website.
Research Summary: Education and children’s well-being
The researcher analyses the health and well-being strand of Scottish educational policy. She notes that it draws partly on physical health promotion, partly on ideas about emotional and social literacy and partly on social care; but the idea of flourishing (leading a life that can be valued), though the most educational of the various versions of well-being, is absent. There is a tendency to see well-being as a prerequisite rather than an outcome of education. Teachers and other professionals usually repeat this view, but examples are given where high quality learning is deemed to be an important feature of a thriving childhood. Learning can be an experience of joy. Well-being needs to be seen at two levels: children need to be well in order to access the curriculum, but more deeply, learning should be of the kind to help them to flourish and live well. These are important issues for RE teachers to consider. How can RE content and pedagogy build children’s well-being?
Researcher
Jennifer Spratt
Research Institution
University of Aberdeen
What is this about?
This research is about the concept of children’s well-being, within the Scottish educational system. How does the concept of well-being relate to learning?
How does Scottish educational policy use the concept of well-being?
Is well-being seen as a prerequisite of learning, or as an outcome of learning?
How are the policies interpreted and used by teachers, in practice?
How do teachers’ choices and actions affect pupils’ present and future well-being?
What was done?
Relevant literature, e.g. education policy documentation, was analysed. Interviews were then carried out with nine policy professionals (six at national, three at local level) and sixteen teachers (across two education authorities). The teachers were a mixture of primary and secondary, all with health and well-being responsibilities in their schools.
Main findings and outputs
Health and well-being is an important strand of the Scottish Curriuculum for Excellence: the policy draws on physical health promotion, ideas about emotional and social literacy and social care; but the idea of flourishing is absent.
‘Flourishing’ is equivalent to Aristotle’s eudaimonia or good life. Well-being policy tends to assume that children’s well-being is important as an underpinning of learning in school, but well-being can also be an outcome of learning, or even a kind of learning. All of these are important.
Children, through learning, should discover their own individuality, develop intellectual freedom and democratic fellowship, challenge injustice and understand human emotion.
Children’s own perspectives on learning are important and they should be listened to by teachers. Good pedagogical practice in this respect is like a partnership. Well-chosen curricular content and pedagogical methods can foster this quality.
Examples are given. A Geography teacher teaches about inequality so that children reflect on what they have and develop empathy with others. An English teacher uses literature to promote understanding of universal human themes as well as helping pupils to build communicative and expressive skills. A Science teacher begins topics by asking pupils about what they might be interested in, how they would like to learn and how they will share what they have learned.
It is worth emphasising that the purpose of this kind of pedagogy is not to build children’s well-being in order to improve their ‘performance’, but to develop a form of education that helps to secure their well-being and develop their individuality.
Relevance to RE
The research poses a set of curricular and pedagogical questions to RE teachers:
When developing topics for study, how can we try to ensure that the content has interest and value for learners? Are there particular aspects of RE that have the potential to help learners to develop important qualities of well-being, such as challenging injustice or understanding human emotion?
With regard to pedagogy, are there styles of learning or types of activity that have the potential to help learners to develop important qualities of well-being, such as their individuality, their freedom of thought or their democratic abilities?
What do learners say about the value of RE to them as people rather than achievers? What do they say are the kinds of RE content and pedagogy that develop their individuality and well-being? What kinds of opportunities do we create for them to have these conversations with us?
Generalisability and potential limitations
The document analysis has a Scottish basis and the number of interviewees is relatively small. However, the research identifies and addresses questions worth reflecting upon, for any practitioners of education, certainly including RE practitioners.
Find out more
Childhood wellbeing: what role for education?, British Educational Research Journal 42.2 pages 223-239 (published online 2 November 2015), 10.1002/berj.3211
Does Religious Education Work? An analysis of the aims, practices and models of effectiveness in RE in the UK
Research Summary: Does Religious Education Work? An analysis of the aims, practices and models of effectiveness in RE in the UK
The project sought to trace the practice of Religious Education from official policy pronouncements, through professional interpretation, into classroom practice. Spanning secondary schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, faith schools and non-faith schools, the researchers drew on perspectives from theology, philosophy and anthropology to understand the purpose and practice of RE for students and teachers. The researchers carried out focus groups with policymakers and experts, ethnographic observation in classrooms in 24 schools across the UK, textbook and policy document analysis, and a survey of Year 11/S4 pupils in order to understand the definitions teachers and students gave of good RE, and the reasons for studying it.
The project uncovered confusion as to the aims of RE, with the subject often being over-burdened with expectations beyond the substantive study of religions. These included contribution to faith nurture, collective worship, multi-cultural understanding, anti-racist education, discussion of contemporary ethical issues, critical thinking skills, social, civic, sex and relationships education. In addition, RE was often expected to deliver good results in high status tests (GCSE and Standard Grade) in significantly less classroom time than was given to similar subjects such as History. Teachers were often keen to present RE as a rigorous subject in the academic humanities, alongside History and Geography, while a majority of pupils saw the subject as more akin to Citizenship and PSHE.
Researchers
Professor James Conroy, Dr David Lundie, Professor Robert Davis, Dr Philip Barnes, Professor Tony Gallagher, Professor Vivienne Baumfield, Dr Nicole Bourque & Dr Kevin Lowden
Research Institution
University of Glasgow
What is this about?
The project was structured around three fundamental questions:
what are the stated policy intentions for RE in schools?
how are these intentions enacted through the pedagogical practices of teachers in classrooms?
what is the impact of RE on students and how is this evaluated?
What was done?
An ‘hourglass’ model was used to understand RE from policy into practice. At the top of the hourglass, at its widest point, are the ‘blizzard’ of policies, aims, interests and pedagogical models proposed by various stakeholders in the RE field – government, faith groups, academic and practitioner bodies. The hourglass narrows toward classroom enactment, and widens again when considering the diverse impacts of RE practice among pupils, faith communities and wider society.
Textual analysis was used to trace the influence of national policies on the textbooks, exam syllabuses, Agreed Syllabuses and other resources used in the classroom.
Ethnographic observations were carried out in 24 schools across Scotland, England (including several in Greater London) and Northern Ireland. Ethnographers spent a minimum of 10 days in each school, with a focus on students in the 14-16 age group (Year 10/11 in England, S3/4 in Scotland). In addition to observing lessons, researchers carried out student focus groups, teacher focus groups, analysis of student workbooks and visual displays, and the shadowing of a student through their school day, to understand RE’s similarities and distinctiveness relative to the wider curriculum.
Analysis of ethnographic fieldnotes focused on 9 key themes:
The role of examinations in setting the aims and content of RE
The fit between teacher, pupil and school values in the RE classroom
The level of resource and support given to RE
The language and treatment of immanence and transcendence, touching on pupils’ levels of religious experience and religious literacy
The level of intellectual challenge offered by RE
The frequency and practices of engagement with texts, including pedagogical and sacred texts, in the RE classroom
The impact of teachers’ pedagogical style on the experience and perceived aims of RE
The role and approach to multi-cultural awareness in the RE classroom
The implicit and explicit truth claims made about religions in the RE classroom.
A practitioner enquiry strand encouraged teachers in participating schools to carry out their own small-scale action research projects linked to the aims of the overall project.
A survey of students in participating schools was carried out in 2011, and students from some participating schools were invited to a forum theatre performance in which we elicited feedback on our interpretation of the findings by playing out fictionalised vignettes from the research data.
Main findings and outputs
Despite the confusion that exists about the meaning and purpose of the subject, the researchers concluded that it is meaningful to talk about RE as a single subject across faith and non-faith schools.
The examination syllabus has enormous power to drive, and also to distort, the meaning and purpose of the subject.
Religious education often stands in a counter-cultural position within schools, requiring a pedagogical openness which is uncommon in other academic subjects at qualification level.
Relevance to RE
The research points to a need for a shared sense of meaning in the RE classroom, an understanding not just of particular doctrines, practices or concepts in a religion, but of what it would be for the believer to find meaning in such concepts.
Teachers who demonstrated a ‘committed openness’, steering a course between dogmatic commitment and undifferentiated relativism, were best able to introduce students to these concepts in a way that did not distort students’ own beliefs and world views.
Headteacher support was acknowledged as vital to the provision of good RE, including adequate resourcing, specialist teachers and curriculum time.
Generalisability and potential limitations
The research project deliberately sought out schools which were confident of their RE provision, so cannot make any claim to be representative of RE across the UK. Nonetheless, even in schools which identified themselves as examples of good practice, there were significant challenges faced by RE.
Some elements of the research fieldwork, carried out in 2008-2010, may be dated, coming before widespread academisation, the 2013 REC Curriculum Framework and the revised GCSE and A-Level standards.
Find out more
Conroy, J C, Lundie, D et al. (2013) Does Religious Education Work? A multi-dimensional investigation. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Research Summary: Does Critical RE work in practice?
Critical Religious Education (CRE) is a pedagogy of religious education developed by Andrew Wright and various colleagues over the past two decades. Increasingly commentators have called for examples of it in practice. Over the past seven years a writing group associated with The Forum of Religious and Spiritual Education (FORASE) at King’s College London has been developing practical materials aimed at supporting teachers. An introductory scheme of work, aimed at year 7 students, has been trialled in a number of schools in and around London. In 2013, focus group interviews took place in four of these schools in order to ascertain the reception that the materials had received. The data suggest a very positive response to the introductory scheme of work and the CRE approach in general.
Researcher
Angela Goodman
Research Institution
King’s College, London
What is this about?
Critical RE, as developed by Andrew Wright and others, has been a strong influence on RE curriculum and pedagogy.
However, some commentators have offered criticisms of it, including a lack of practice examples.
The Forum of Religious and Spiritual Education (King’s College, London) has addressed this concern, developing materials including an introductory scheme of work for year 7.
This report is of the trial of the introductory scheme of work in schools in and around London.
What was done?
An introductory scheme of work, based on Critical RE, was developed and then trialled in schools in and around London.
In 2013, focus group interviews the took place in four of these schools, in order to ascertain the reception that the materials had received.
The interview data were then analysed to bring out key findings and recommendations.
Main findings and outputs
FORASE and the investigation of practice have developed Critical RE significantly
Teachers support the approach of Critical RE.
Further materials are needed in order to embed Critical RE further into teachers’ practice.
Initial teacher education providers should consider incorporating Critical RE into their programmes.
Students enjoy the approach and are able to meet the intellectual challenges involved.
Relevance to RE
The research suggests that the Critical RE approach could be investigated by teachers as a way to bring intellectual rigour to RE teaching, challenging students to debate different truth-claims and investigate and analyse different worldviews. A particular emphasis is that rather than any expressed viewpoint being held up as worthy or right, in the classroom, all should be subject to justification, evidence, argument and debate.
Generalisability and potential limitations
The researcher makes the following statement:
. . . it must be acknowledged that any conclusions from this study are contingent as a result of the sample used. It is also important to highlight the fact that the study did not include any direct access to the students’ actual learning and thus conclusions are based on teacher perceptions alone. The author is currently undertaking further research into the actual impact of the approach on student learning.
Find out more
The full article is: Angela Goodman (2018) Critical Religious Education (CRE) in practice: evaluating the reception of an introductory scheme of work, British Journal of Religious Education, 40:2, 232-241.
Developing opportunities for diversity and progression in Religious Studies at A Level
Research Spotlight: Developing opportunities for diversity and progression in Religious Studies at A Level
October 2023
Hayley Ellen
Questions for consideration:
How can schools and colleges collaborate with Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) departments in universities as part of an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and enrichment strategy?
How can we highlight the transferable skills and progression opportunities offered by the study of Religious Studies at A Level?
How can schools and colleges support universities to address the decline in enrolment in TRS at higher education level?
How can we improve the perception of Religious Studies (RS) at A Level within schools and colleges?
This project was born out of a college wide focus on EDI which led to an in-depth audit of potential opportunities and aspects of our RS A Level course. Due to specification requirements, time constraints and student need it was clear that whilst we would make the most of opportunities to look at EDI within our teaching time, we should also look for subject related opportunities to explore EDI beyond the classroom.
I work as Head of Department in a large, inclusive Sixth Form College in Essex which offers both Philosophy and RS at A Level. I also wanted the project to support our students to consider what it would be like to study TRS or a related subject at a higher level. To do this I arranged a series of lunchtime subject talks. I used the Theology and Religious Studies in Higher Education site to identify contacts in Higher Education and emailed to ask them outlining the EDI project and asked if they would be interested in delivering a talk. I did not specify the topic but asked if the talk could be either an extension of an A Level topic, for example one talk focussed on the question ‘Is God Male?’ or on a topic not included in the A Level course, for example contemporary food ethics in Judaism and Jainism.
To further encourage students to consider studying RS at a higher level I planned a whole day event titled ‘why study TRS at university?’. This involved a programme of talks including;
Making an application to study TRS
Subject taster lecture
Why study TRS at university, what skills you could develop and what careers it could lead to.
This event was very successful, and we hope to have several students applying for TRS courses next year. To build on this project over the next academic year I am now in the planning stage of organising a RS and Philosophy conference for colleagues in local schools and have begun to explore the possibility of streaming our lunchtime talks to other schools, widening the impact of the project.
My message to other teachers is:
Send emails out to HE institutions and local employers in related fields asking if they would like to collaborate, for example I arranged for a local Hospice to deliver a talk on the ‘The ethics of end of life care’.
Look at the TRS website-it is fantastic and has so many excellent resources on it.
Think about how you could use enrichment opportunities to go beyond the specification and explore EDI in your subject.
If you want any information about this project please email me: ellenh@colchsfc.ac.uk
Analysing ‘decolonising pedagogy’ in secondary school Religious Education Lessons
Research Spotlight: Analysing ‘decolonising pedagogy’ in secondary school Religious Education Lessons
December 2023
Canterbury Christ Church University John-Paul Riordan, Alexandra Brown, Katie Clemmey, Ciro Genovese, Nqobile Nkala, Sobantu Sibanda Questions for consideration:
How might decolonial thinking be influencing RE classroom pedagogy?
How might a classroom teacher, who wishes to decolonise their practice, go about that?
How can/should classroom ‘decolonising pedagogy’ be understood and explored?
Who are we and what are we doing?
This project is a partnership between four secondary school RE teachers each with one of their own classes, and a team of five educational researchers from Canterbury Christ Church University. We are interested in understanding and explaining how decolonisation may be influencing secondary school RE classroom pedagogy. The phrase ‘decolonising pedagogy’ is ambiguous and could mean ‘the decolonisation of pedagogy’ and/or ‘pedagogy that aims to decolonise’ (we explore both). Two of the educational researchers are specialists in secondary RE (KC and CG), two in decoloniality (NN and SS), and one in classroom pedagogy analysis (JPR).
Why are we doing that?
The concept of coloniality is disputed (Veracini, 2013). One definition sees coloniality as “ongoing structure[s] of domination” (Paradies, 2016, p. 84). That understanding allows us to consider domination occurring in classrooms as potentially a type of coloniality. Additionally, school subjects (in particular history and RE) sometimes investigate colonialism. Some learners are educated in overtly colonised educational systems, such as classrooms in South Africa during the Apartheid era.
The ‘Decolonising the Curriculum’ and ‘Why is my curriculum white?’ movements challenge domination assumptions (Arday, Belluigi & Thomas, 2021). ‘Decoloniality’ is complex and can be understood in different ways (Gu, 2020). Attempting to capture decoloniality in a “new abstract universal” can, according to Mignolo and Walsh (2018, p. 1), be part of the problem. Since the ‘decolonial turn’ (Grosfoguel, 2007) many struggled with what ‘decolonialising pedagogy’ might be (Walton, 2018). Literature on decolonising pedagogy in secondary schools exists, but research regarding RE is rare. Decolonisation in school is not only about curriculum content and resources.
How are we doing that?
We used four video-based research methods. First, we made video recordings of four secondary RE lessons with four different teachers in four different schools. We asked the teachers to do no special preparation and to let us video record a lesson on an RE topic of their choice. Second, we invited each teacher to watch their lesson back and video recorded them as they ‘thought aloud’. These teacher interviews lasted between one and two hours depending on what the teacher decided. Third, we asked six volunteer pupils to watch video clips of the lesson for 30 minutes whilst again we video recorded their ‘thinking aloud’. Clips were chosen by the research team and the class teacher for pragmatic reasons as we thought watching the whole lesson back would have meant those interviews would be too long. Fourth, we invited all four teachers for a video-recorded focus group interview with the five researchers in the team. In total we recorded about 11 hours of video data and that is all available in the UK Data Service for research and teaching purposes (please get in touch if you want access). We are exploring these video data using a variety of research designs. For example, one approach is to use Grounded Theory.
What have we found out?
The first theme we wrote about is ‘persuasion and control’ in the classroom. Literature on pedagogical persuasion was discussed and explored by Alexander et al., (2002) who argued that persuasion is neither inherently good nor bad. ‘Control’ of learners by teachers has long been discussed by teachers, policy makers, and researchers according to Maguire, Ball and Braun (2010). Managing disruptive behaviour of pupils in classrooms is a big concern of many teachers (Nash, Schlösser and Scarr, 2016). We present how often persuasion/control occurred during one of the lessons, then analyse three transcript excerpts to illustrate ‘decolonising pedagogy’ in practice.
The second theme we explored is ‘agreement and disagreement (including conflict)’ in the classroom. Decolonisation can involve disagreement and sometimes conflict. We think children need to learn about ‘healthy disagreement’ in the classroom. The project is ongoing.
Feedback and questions welcome (please contact John-Paul on john-paul.riordan@canterbury.ac.uk).
An Approach to Decolonising Religious Education
An Approach to Decolonising Religious Education
November / December 2021 research of the month features Krystian McInnis
Krystian presents an approach to decolonising the curriculum drawing on his research with black students.
Historically, from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, religion and education have been at the epicentre of all European empires (Gearon et al. 2021). Whilst decolonising has had little uptake in recent years, with much left to the outskirts of British academia, a more detailed focus has been found in the US, Sub-Saharan Africa (Matemba 2021) and Canada (Cote-Meek & Moeke-Pickering 2020). The senseless killing of George Floyd however, brought to the forefront not only a conversation regarding race and racism, but the need to see institutional and structural change within society and education. With this the case, my research focuses on exploring decolonising religious education through the Black student perspective, a voice far too often neglected in both society and academia.
Positionality
I feel it vital, at this early stage, in line with postcolonial theorists’ work, to state my position as a Black male secondary practitioner and researcher. With my research exploring decolonising religious education, my cultural identity allows me to write from a position of strength. With very few academics writing within this sphere, and an even fewer number Black; my insider perspective is both valuable and necessary within this topic. Furthermore, my perspective allows for not only my voice, but others like me to have their voices heard and listened to, often a privilege not afforded within education.
Having been educated within the British education system myself from EYFS to postgraduate studies; I know too well of the diversity deficiency regarding religion and culture in secondary education. Moreover, from African-Caribbean lineage, consisting of a recent and brutal past of colonised heritage, I am acutely aware of my culture’s erasure from the British curriculum, confined to an annual acknowledgment of slavery in the month of October (Campbell 2020). Therefore, for me it has been pivotal to explore and research in this space, to bring about a long overdue change, exploring literature, neglected for far too long.
Furthermore, my position as an insider within the topic of decolonising the curriculum I feel is multi-layered and vital. With a severe lack of representation within education, much of the conversation appears to be stagnant with very few academics or school practitioners pushing the conversation forward. With approximately 2.3% of teachers in the UK Black compared to 85.7% White whilst in leadership positions 2.6% Black compared to 95% White, this arguably could be why within secondary education the conversation has not progressed much further. What must be noted however, is the impact this has on students. With a lack of representation, coupled with a non-diverse and colonial-centred curriculum, students with backgrounds similar to mine will continue to not see themselves truly reflected within their educational lifespan, bringing about complex identity issues which we see present in society today.
What is meant by Decolonising?
In recent years, calls for decolonisation have echoed through educational communities with much discussion regarding form, content and interpretation of the curriculum from the colonised and former colonised (Arday and Mirza, 2018). In addition, the debate on decolonising the curriculum has not been more central within history than it is today. However, much of this debate surrounds Higher Education. Arguably, exacerbated by the death of George Floyd, the conversation within academia and education most notably erupted with the infamous, Rhodes Must Fall Campaign, which called for the removal of the Cecil Rhodes statue at Oriel College Oxford (Chaudhuri 2016; Chigudu 2020; Makori & McKay 2020). It is paramount however to assert that decolonising the curriculum is not merely demanding the removal of statues or previously taught material, or the erasure of White history, but rather for an additional lens to be provided, exploring the voice of the ‘other’, the ‘colonised’, the intentionally forgotten. This additional lens allows for a holistic view of historical events, taking into account the lives and experiences both positive and negative of all those involved.
Postcolonial Theory
In attempting to define postcolonial theory there are a plethora of definitions available, which has caused much debate over the years. Commonly accepted however, is that of a critical academic study of the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on the human consequences of the control and exploitation of colonised people and their land. In addition, present within postcolonial theory is a false dichotomy between postcolonial theory and postcolonial criticism. Nevertheless, the key works and contributions of Aime Cesaire (Discourse on Colonialism), Frantz Fanon (Black Skin White Masks), Edward Said (Orientalism) and Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed) are a good starting point for exploration within this field. Whilst through a historical lens, postcolonial theory analyses texts, literature and prose, it is also important to note its analysis regarding race, culture and religion. By magnifying the socio-political layers of literature, postcolonial theorists show that aesthetics are not objective, disinterested or natural but rather politically constructed to put white European literature on a pedestal whilst simultaneously disregarding Black, native and aboriginal aesthetics (Eglinton 2019).
Key findings from my semi-structured interviews
Students had a lack of awareness regarding decolonising Religious Education. Students who were interviewed were aware of the need to diversify and add more ‘people that look like us’, but decolonising was a phrase they had not come across
Students were only able to make links between colonial and History; in particular, slavery however, felt this was limited to the British Empire
Students were unaware that Religion and education has played a pivotal role in the colonising of countries and expanding colonial empires
There appears to be a wider misunderstanding of what a decolonised curriculum is, with many practitioners believing it is in part to remove aspects of White British History rather than to include the voice of the oppressed
For a successful decolonised curriculum, cross-curricular collaboration will be curricular to ensure that students are getting a holistic picture, rather than it confined to one area of subject
Many practitioners appear to be apprehensive regarding decolonising the curriculum due to workload and time pressures. However, decolonising religious education does not mean new schemes of work per se, but rather for example additional resources and worksheets showing a different viewpoint
Decolonising Religious Education
My research, still in its early stages, has attempted to explore decolonising religious education taking into account the Black student voice and experience. What was stark however, through my semi-structured interviews, was that the students had no understanding or awareness of the politicised phrasing ‘decolonising the curriculum’ or ‘decolonising religious education’. Whilst students were able to suggest that they felt Religious Education did not represent them fully and needed to be ‘more diverse’ and argued they wanted to see ‘other cultures and backgrounds’ in their lessons and books, they believed that decolonising referred solely to a colonial past which was only relevant to History and the British Empire. Students did however; assert that Religious Education is more diverse than other subjects are.
Furthermore, what was more interesting is that students appeared to make no connection between the colonial past and its role within religion. Missionary work, most remarkably, was central to both the expansion and maintenance of the British Empire (Reichard 2015; Velho 2007; Vandrick 2018; Meier 2018). What this did however make me note, is that within religious education this is not an aspect often covered, nor is there investigation of the Church within History except most notably the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. I argue that perhaps a decolonised curriculum would explore the effects of missionary work in society today in particular within Sub-Saharan Africa.
As aforementioned, decolonising the curriculum requests for the inclusion of content, to both supplement the current curriculum and provide an overlay, exploring the views and perceptions of the ‘other’, the previously colonised. An example of this could be the teaching of key figures, such as Gandhi within religious education. Whilst much conversation appears to surround his teachings, it neglects to highlight his fight was directly against the decades long oppression of the British Empire on India. Additionally, perhaps the teaching of Martin Luther King Jnr, often portrayed as the epitome of pacifism, in direct opposition to Malcolm X, could be studied including recognition that the US government deemed King an ‘enemy of the state’.
Ideally, the impact of my research will help bring about the necessary decolonising of Religious Education and subsequently wider curriculum too. Whilst there is some suggestion Religious Education is already decolonised, I assert that this is not the case, however, arguably in some places the process has certainly started.
Discussion Questions
Are there, could there be, or should there be links between the worldview agenda and curriculum decolonisation in RE?
What would decolonising the RE curriculum actually mean in practice, not just rhetorically?
Discuss and identify some ways in which your own RE curriculum could be decolonised: come up with two or three specific examples of changes that could be made. Think about content, but also approach.
References
Arday, J., and H. S. Mirza, (2018) Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, Whiteness and Decolonising the Academy. London: Palgrave.
Chigudu, S. (2020) Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford: a critical testimony, Critical African Studies, 12:3, 302-312
Cote-Meek, S., Moeke-Pickering, T. (2020) Decolonizing and Indigenizing Education in Canada, Canadian Scholars
Eglinton, Y. (2019) Postcolonial Literacy Criticism: An introduction Handbook, Textual Matters
Gearon, L., Kuusisto, A., Matemba, Y., Benjamin, S., Petro Du, P., Koirikivi, P., Simmonds, S. (2021) Decolonising the religious education curriculum, British Journal of Religious Education, 43:1, 1-8
Matemba, Y. (2021) Decolonising religious education in sub-Saharan Africa through the prism of anticolonialism: a conceptual proposition, British Journal of religious education 43:1, 33-45
Meier, V. (2018) Neither bloody persecution nor well intended civilizing missions changed their nature or their number, Critical Romani Studies, 1:1, 86-126.
Reichard, J. D. (2015) Mutually transformative missions: A postcolonial, process-relational Pentecostal missiology, Missiology, 43:3, 245–257
Vandrick, S. 2018. Growing up with God and Empire: A Postcolonial Analysis of Missionary Kid Memoirs, Blue Ridge Summit
Velho, O. (2007) ‘Missionization in the post-colonial world: A view from Brazil and elsewhere’, Anthropological Theory, 7:3, 273–293
How should RE teachers respond to expectations to cover more subject matter with less time?
Where do non-religious worldviews fit in?
Or should it be less about fitting stuff in, than reimagining RE more broadly?
These are some of the questions that motivated a group of teachers and researchers to come together to think about RE beyond the conventional framing of the world religions paradigm. The group’s discussions were supported by Culham St Gabriel’s Trust to form the After Religious Education project.
After RE aims to explore the nature of the educational representation of religion(s) and to support the development of a new vision for Religion Education (Religion and Worldviews). Its primary question is:
What ought to be the educational logic governing the presentation and representation of the subject matter of Religious Education?
The project draws attention to the limitations of the predominant world religions paradigm in the educational representation of religion(s). Drawing on the expertise of academic specialists in Religious Studies and Education Studies along with skilled and experienced teachers, the project seeks to reimagine Religious Education by recognising the complexity of subject matter while acknowledging the pedagogical challenges.
There’s no getting away from the complexity of the subject, so this project offers a framework of seven principles for dealing with it:
Purposes/aims first: education always begins with an intention, purpose or aim. While teachers have a variety of intentions and influences underpinning their practice, the general purpose of holistic formation (Bildung) allows diverse aims and intentions to be aligned and harmonized.
Agency: acknowledging the agency of teachers in selecting and representing the curriculum content, as well as bringing it to life in the classroom. This means trusting the judgement of teachers.
Pedagogical reduction: we can’t present everything. Selection, simplification and representation are fundamental to teaching. Reduction should not be accidental or prejudiced, but should be self-conscious and considered.
Exemplarity: examples are of something so there is nothing ‘sacred’ about the examples themselves. Teachers are freed from overspecification of subject matter.
Resonance: effective teaching and learning requires a curriculum that resonates with the ‘lifeworld’ of students.
Interpretability: subject matter is not just there, but always arises through interpreting the world. Good RE has a methodological emphasis which highlights that subject matter (knowledge, skills, attitudes, values) is contextual and perspectival.
Decolonising: all knowledge has a history which is not neutral. RE should explore the margins and the unfamiliar and select examples that show diversity.
Instead of only studying examples of ‘religions’, this approach encourages the study of the nature and implications of the term ‘religion’.
This approach can also be called exemplary teaching: because we can’t teach everything, we must select general examples that speak to our students about what we consider worthwhile. The questions for teachers: What are the selected examples chosen for? What are they trying to communicate? What diverse examples could be used (beyond the tried and tested)?
The framework does not begin from the point of view of settled content that must be taught and learned, but by first thinking about what one is trying to achieve and then seeking exemplary content in order to bring that about. This framework employs Wolfgang Klafki’s 5 questions for didactic analysis (https://www.afterre.org/framework): the questions allow for diverse, contextualised, interpretive responses, that acknowledge the agency and responsibility of the teacher, and the emerging autonomy of the student.
Lewin, D., & Korsgaard, M. T. (2024) The power of exemplarity in religious education. Journal of Curriculum Studies , 1-12. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2024.2309973
Lewin, D. (2023) After religious education: lessons from continental pedagogy. Journal of Religious Education, 71(3), 197-211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-023-00211-2
Lewin, D., Orchard, J., Christopher, K. & Brown, A. (2023) Reframing curriculum for religious education, Journal of Curriculum Studies. DOI: 10.1080/00220272.2023.2226696
An Opportunity for RE?
Unpacking the CaAR: What the Landmark Recommendation Means for RE
The Curriculum and Assessment Review has recommended that Religious Education becomes part of a national curriculum — a major step many in the sector have advocated for. In this video, Kathryn Wright and Fiona Moss explore why this recommendation matters, what it could mean for schools, teachers and young people, and what happens next.
A bold step for RE: Why the review got it right
In this blog, our Chief Executive Dr Kathryn Wright argues that the Curriculum and Assessment Review is right to recommend embedding Religious Education in a new national curriculum. She highlights how a national benchmark would bring equity, consistency and better provision for all pupils, replacing the current fragmented and unjust system. This a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the RE community to unite and shape a coherent, modern and inclusive curriculum.
An opportunity for RE? Discussing the Interim Report
Kathryn Wright (CEO) and Fiona Moss (Education and Programmes Manager) have a brief conversation about the Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report chatting about opportunities, challenges and hopes before the final report is published in the Autumn.
Kathryn Wright, CEO Culham St Gabriel’s Trust, discusses the once in a lfetime opportunity to revisit the place of RE in the curriculum in this blog.
British Religion in Numbers in the Classroom
Resource Spotlight: British Religion in Numbers in the Classroom
April 2023
One benefit of a Religion and Worldviews approach is the capacity to bring contextualising, contemporary information and data into the curriculum. But how to do this?
This month we present three teachers’ work in bringing current data about religion and belief into their lessons. Our teachers are Claire Ramalli, a Secondary teacher, and Nadia Nadeem and Debbie Yeomans, who are Primary teachers. Claire, Nadia and Debbie used ‘British Religion in Numbers’, a comprehensive, searchable database to present a range of statistics on faith in Britain.
Check out the website here, there is lots of fascinating information: www.brin.ac.uk
Debbie Yeomans presents their work in a research report and video, explaining how the teachers brought to life two chosen sets of data for the classroom. These data sets concern ethnic or cultural representations of Jesus, and they ways Muslims and Islam are portrayed in the British media.
As well as Debbie’s presentation, you will find the teaching information and further research, and a recording of Debbie, Claire and Nadia presenting at RExChange Research of the month: BRIN in the classroom
