Viewing archives for Young people and religion

Research Summary

This is a critique of history textbooks. It analyses the language they use, what they leave out, the stories they tell and from whose point of view, and the ethical issues they sidestep, for example, the plight of Palestinian refugees. As shown below, it is very relevant to RE teaching.

Researcher

Michael H. Romanowski

Research Institution

Qatar University

What is this about?

Textbooks are a dominant educational tool, which do not deserve a reputation as impartial resources that teach facts and skills. They have to be used and approached critically.

What was done?

The methodology is to survey and scrutinise the language textbooks use, the narratives they promote, whose points of view they serve, what they leave out and what ethical issues they avoid.

Main findings and outputs

The findings are that through language choice, promotion of certain narratives and partial interests, omissions of content and avoidance of ethical issues, textbooks tend to give privilege to some voices and leave out others. However, this lack of balance can be addressed in the classroom.

Relevance to RE

RE teachers should find particular use in the professional practice strategies that are suggested, which are transferable to RE textbooks:

• Don’t assume that pupils have prior knowledge of terminology. Take time to discuss the important words used, their possible meanings and the perspectives behind their use.
• Teach pupils how a textbook’s version of an event is limited and one of many. Get them to ask questions about why an event is covered, whose viewpoint is given, whose left out, whose interests are served, whether the account is believable and backed up by other sources.
• Draw on the ‘six facets of understanding’ of Wiggins and McTigue, asking students to explain (why is that so?), interpret (what does it mean?), apply (where else can I use this knowledge?); develop perspective (whose point of view is this?), empathy (do I understand it?) and self-knowledge (how does who I am shape my views?).

Generalisability and potential limitations

It shouldn’t be assumed that the problems are found in all or most RE textbooks, but the professional practice strategies offer good ways for teachers to teach pupils to use materials critically and develop understanding and responsibility.

Find out more

Michael H. Romanowski, ‘Reading Beyond the Lines’, in James R. Lewis, Bengt-Ove Andreassen and Suzanne Anett Thobro (eds.), Textbook Violence, Sheffield (Equinox): 2017, 7-23.

Research Title

The Story Tent – Developing Intercultural Learning in Primary Schools

Research Summary

This PhD thesis explored the possibility of applying Scriptural Reasoning (SR) principles to promote Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in primary schools. It did so by using storytelling and interfaith dialogue to encourage pupils to exercise ICC in classroom settings.
My research title was “An inquiry into the development of intercultural learning in primary schools using applied Scriptural Reasoning principles”.
My hypothesis was that ICC could be promoted in primary schools using faith stories delivered by faith representatives through applied SR practices.
My aim was to test this hypothesis through practical classroom research.
My objectives were:

1. To develop and refine a teaching strategy intervention that employed an age-appropriate adaptation of SR with a view to promoting ICC among primary school children.
2. To measure ICC displayed by the children during the intervention against a model currently employed by the Council of Europe’s education programmes.

This thesis takes its philosophical position from the work of Ricoeur and combines a phenomenological and interpretive approach to religious education to develop pupils understanding of both the “other” and the “self.” From this theoretical position, an age-appropriate intervention was developed based on the principles of SR in collaboration with the Cambridge Interfaith Programme. The resulting “Story Tent” RE themed day built on the established work of Julia Ipgrave’s dialogic and Esther Reed’s narrative approach to religious education.

Researcher

Dr Anne Margaret Moseley

Research Institution

Warwick Religious Education Research Unit

What is this about?

SR is an approach to studying scriptures in interreligious encounters, originally in an academic context. Its focus is on developing an understanding of religion, as experienced by faith participants through shared dialogue around sacred texts. It is a practice where people of different faith traditions come together to share their sacred texts in an environment of mutual trust and respect. Exploring difference and learning to disagree well is at the heart of the approach.
In this research I explored whether it was possible for primary aged pupils to engage with SR principles and whether this approach to reading sacred texts might encourage intercultural communication. I wanted the research to be built on applications of good classroom practice, but I also wanted to give the work a solid theoretical foundation in current academic research. Before the Intervention I developed a theoretical framework through a consideration of two primary research questions, each with associated subsidiary considerations.

1. What are the possibilities for and challenges to the development of SR strategies for promoting ICC?
2. How might SR practices be adapted to suit the experience, skills and cognitive levels of primary age pupils for them to exercise ICC?

What was done?

The underpinning work utilised Action Research methodology through a cyclical approach which took place over two iterative cycles in three different schools, each with its own distinctively different religious ethos and demographic make-up. It was unusual in combining the contributions not only of teachers and researcher but also faith representatives from local communities.
The Intervention was delivered in three schools over two iterative cycles. A research team was brought together to deliver the Intervention that consisted of academics, religious education teachers and community faith representatives.
A total of eighty-seven KS2 pupils (children aged nine to eleven years), from three different schools participated in the research. Data was collected during the Story Tent Intervention day through pupil self-assessments at the end of each teaching session, and by transcribing recordings of focused group work and research team interviews. Follow-up interviews were completed the following day with a representative sample of seventeen pupils from the three schools, using a semi-structured interview developed by the Council of Europe, “The Autobiography of Intercultural Encounter” (AIE). The data was combined to produce pupil case study portfolios and ATLAS.ti was used to support the coding process and analysis of the data.
Useful Resources:
Moseley, Anne (2018) An inquiry into the development of intercultural learning in primary schools using applied scriptural reasoning principles. PhD thesis, University of Warwick. (Available to view on the Warwick University library catalogue e-thesis – WRAP)
The Story Tent blog at CIP https://www.interfaith.cam.ac.uk/news/storytent [Accessed: Feb 2019]
Council of Europe (2009) Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters. Available at: https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/autobiography/Source/AIE_en/AIE_context_concepts_and_t heories_en.pdf [Accessed: Feb 2019].

Main findings and outputs

Primary Findings

1. Story proved to be an age appropriate genre for primary pupils to connect with and provided a familiar context in which pupils were quickly inspired and facilitated engagement. It enabled pupils to investigate difference through an authentic encounter of sacred texts with the support of a community faith representative. It provided a space where ICC could be practiced, and interpretations could be developed using applied SR principles.
2. The concept of the Story Tent “meeting” place facilitated an environment which enabled pupils to explore a “third space” place of translation, in which different viewpoints could be held in tension and explored together. Through the process of trialogue in this structured space pupils could encounter the “other” in a way that was not compromising to personal faith positions.
3. Drama proved to be an effective environment for pupils to exercise ICC. The process of working together to discover and interpret a story and present the findings provided a context in which many of the competences were being exercised in the moment.

Secondary Findings

1. Some of the competences were more frequently demonstrated than others suggesting the possibility of a hierarchy of competences. These differences were most noticeable in those skills that required cognitive thinking. From the pupils’ responses, explaining and relating were more frequently demonstrated than interpreting or critical cultural awareness.
2. Just as there appears to be a cognitively-related hierarchy among the skills-orientated ICC, there also appears to be an interactional hierarchy among the attitude-orientated ICC. For example, those pupils who were able to tolerate ambiguity were more likely to demonstrate a wider range and number of competences than those who did not.
3. Personal religious identity also impacted the pupils’ responses to the Intervention. It tended to have a polarizing impact. Those who expressed no faith position during the Intervention tended to demonstrate average overall Competence, whilst those who identified a personal faith position exhibited either high or low Competence. Pupils who had a strong sense of personal identity and were open to others and able to tolerate ambiguity were more likely to demonstrate critical cultural awareness and higher levels of overall Competence.
4. The Story Tent Intervention proved to be a significant learning experience for the Action Research team. The process of presenting and participating in the Intervention provided a space where a community of learning developed and all those taking part were being challenged by the experience.

Relevance to RE

1. Using Story – The research suggests that story is a powerful vehicle for pupils to interpret meaning without the need for irreducible truth claims. It provided a context where pupils could step out of themselves and imagine different worldviews alongside their own.
2. Using groups of 3 for discussion – The research suggests that pupils working together in groups of three provided a space for trialogue which moved beyond the position of binary dialogue to provide a space where multiple interpretations were possible.
3. Using Drama to develop ICC – The research suggests that the drama session provided a context for pupils to exercise ICC and recognises its potential to explore the views of the “Other”.
4. Using faith community members – The findings from this research suggest that adult and pupil participants demonstrated similar responses to the intervention indicating there is significant value to the involvement of members of faith communities.
5. Using the Council of Europe AIE structured interview tool – The research found that the AIE interview tool was an effective resource which enabled pupils to reflect on their intercultural learning.

Generalisability and potential limitations

Whilst it is difficult to draw conclusive evidence from the Intervention as the data sample size was small, the breadth of religious and demographic composition of the research schools provided an opportunity to explore responses to the Intervention over significantly different groups of pupils which provided an interesting comparison.
During the project I became aware of the limited opportunities the team had to fully explore the contributions of the teachers beyond the Story Tent Intervention day. Whilst the faith representatives were able to see how the Intervention worked out in different contexts over the two iterations, the teachers only encountered the experience in their own school contexts. This led to different roles emerging within the research team in which the faith representatives became more involved with the development of the Intervention and the teachers took on a more advisory role in assessing how the pupils had responded to the encounter.
Whilst the AIE interview provided a useful tool for comparison, I was aware of some limitations. Some competences were more difficult to observe, for example, very few pupils demonstrated non-verbal communication, which is by its very nature not communicated verbally. It would have been interesting to video pupils’ interactions to explore this dimension further, although there would be considerable ethical implications to this course of action. Pupils also demonstrated competences that were not included in the framework for example, an ability to collaborate and work together made a huge difference to pupils’ experience of the encounter and yet it is not recorded within the ICC framework applied.
This research drew heavily on the work of Byram and the Council of Europe to build an ICC framework for the Story Tent Intervention. However, during the research a new framework emerged from the Council of Europe. Whilst there is considerable overlap with previous models, there are significant differences, in particular a section that incorporates “Values” for intercultural competence. I chose not to change my research design midway and would further argue that Byram’s model and the AIE interview are still conceptually relevant.

Find out more

Moseley, Anne (2018) An inquiry into the development of intercultural learning in primary schools using applied scriptural reasoning principles. PhD thesis, University of Warwick. (Available to view on the Warwick University library catalogue e-thesis – WRAP)

http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/112822/

Research Title

‘Growing, Together?’

Research Summary

‘Growing, Together?’ (2018) looks into how schools might unlock potential for powerful two way support by involving their local inter-generational community in creative projects to help them with RE and SMSCD. What sort of development are we aiming for when it comes to spirituality and RE, if it is to be of long term value?

Researchers

Liz Mills

Research Institution

Farmington Institute

What is this about?

‘Growing, Together?’ (2018) looks into how schools might unlock potential for powerful two way support by involving their local inter-generational community in creative projects to help them with RE and SMSCD, especially in terms of their provision for spiritual development. What sort of development are we aiming for when it comes to spirituality and RE, if it is to be of long term value?

What was done?

This was a piece of Action Research practically trialling a series of creative projects over the course of 2 years, linking a school with its local inter-generational community to see what potential might be unlocked for a better understanding of spiritual development and ways to encourage it in the longer term.

This was coupled with extensive reading into spiritual development, especially in later life, and ongoing work as a teacher; as well as practical involvement in groups for older people, locally and nationally, and networking with others involved in inter-generational community projects involving schools.

Main findings and outputs

That spirituality is not necessarily something which develops in a conventional ‘progress’ model, but more something that develops like a photo being ‘developed’ or realised, at any stage in life. There is much potential to be gained by involving older people in schools’ work in this area, though there are barriers to overcome. The next stage will be to investigate further ways to overcome the barriers, in order to harness the potential.

Relevance to RE

Teachers might develop their own ways to involve the local inter-generational community in RE. They might be helped by reading about the barriers that appeared and how these were overcome.

Generalisability and potential limitations

This is small scale research, which others may be interested in following up and developing.

Find out more

http://www.farmington.ac.uk/?s=growing%2C+together%3F

Research Title

The Doughnut and the Hole: Spiritual Development in Primary schools

Research Summary

‘The Doughnut and the Hole’ (1997), aimed to try to find through talking with teachers, advisers, children, researchers and reading widely, some simple, appropriate ways to encourage Spiritual Development in Primary Schools. The resulting images from this research have been useful in further work by myself and others. Seeing ourselves as spiritual in the sense of being Holy Doughnuts: Holy Wholes with Holy Holes, and the need to allow time for openings: as Windows, of wondering about the Wows and Ows of life; as Mirrors (of reflecting on this;) and Doors (of opportunity to express and act on what is being learnt from this). This piece of research can be found via the link below and supports other work in which I am now involved.

Researchers

Liz Mills

Research Institution

Farmington Institute

What is this about?

‘The Doughnut and the Hole’ (1997), aimed to try to find some simple, appropriate ways to encourage Spiritual Development in Primary Schools.

What was done?

This was a piece of Action Research in schools involving interviewing and working with teachers, children, parents and governors as well as background networking with advisers and researchers around the country, together with wide reading.

Main findings and outputs

What is spiritual development? Here a simple definition image was offered: a Holy Doughnut. An image which might help us see ourselves as ‘spiritual’ in the sense of being like doughnuts with holes: Holy Wholes with Holy Holes. Secondly, how might spirituality be developed? Here an alternative understanding of the word ‘development’ was offered: development as a process of realisation, like developing a photo, rather than a continuous push for ‘progressive’ development.

Three images resulted from this research, to help schools to plan practically. Windows (of wondering about the Wows and Ows of life), Mirrors (of reflecting on this) and Doors, (of opportunity to express and act on what is being learnt from this).

Relevance to RE

Teachers might use the research to help develop appropriate, inclusive ways to understand the term spiritual development in primary schools; and to do practical, creative work with this in RE, SMSCD or throughout the curriculum.

Generalisability and potential limitations

Other teachers might like to make use of and build on the ideas contained in the research.

Find out more

http://www.farmington.ac.uk/index.php/ps12-the-doughnut-and-the-hole/

Research Summary

In this thesis, I explore the introduction of creativity into Religious Education lessons. I will present a mixed methods case study research project focusing on a Year 8 all boys’ class within a large high achieving independent school. This study takes place in a largely secular classroom, in an environment where students are very highly motivated to do well. During this study, the questions I will explore are: What effect does creatively interpreting biblical text have on the students’ intrinsic motivation to work? What effect does the use of iPads with biblical text have on the students’ ability to unlock creativity? What effect does the creative interpretation have on helping students to interpret the meaning of passages?

Researcher

Mr Tom Jenkins

Research Institution

University of Cambridge

What is this about?

The use of creativity and IT to engage students in religious studies. What effect does creativity have on the students’ ability to make meaning?

What was done?

Mixed methods case study. Methods: lesson observation, pupil questionnaires, pupil interviews, and student work analysis.

Main findings and outputs

Research Question 1: What effect does creatively interpreting biblical text have on the students’ intrinsic motivation to work?
I can conclude that in my study creatively interpreting biblical text did have a positive effect on my students’ intrinsic motivation. I did anticipate that this might be so, however I did not anticipate the reasons why creativity would increase their motivation, and for me this was the interesting aspect. Students were motivated by the opportunity to be creative because it gave them a chance to express themselves, and also their viewpoints. It also gave them the freedom of choice to choose their learning, and this proved to be a valuable opportunity to the students.

Research Question 2: What effect does the use of iPads with biblical text have on the students’ ability to unlock creativity?
In response to this RQ I find that I share the view of London Knowledge Lab (Team, 2013), that the effectiveness of the iPad depends on the manner in which it is used, not in anything intrinsic to itself. For some students it was helpful to use an iPad, in particular if they struggled with more traditional ways of being creative (drawing). However, it is also clear that there were times when students would have preferred not to use an iPad, and to return to previous methods of creativity. The iPad can also be restrictive to some students, and using an iPad is as much a skill as drawing is.

Research Question 3: What effect does the creative interpretation have on helping students to interpret the meaning of passages?
This was the most interesting RQ, and I found that creatively interpreting the meaning of passages does have a positive effect on the students’ ability to interpret the meaning. Some of the pieces of work I examined on the Good Samaritan were quite powerful, and they captured the heart of the passage very strongly. It appears that applying the parable to a modern day example helped the students understand the concept of social responsibility, and how to be ‘active’ rather than ‘passive’ members of society. I can also conclude that because the students had to create their own versions of the bible passages, they had to understand them in great detail. This was very clear in even the most basic responses to the task, and it became a clear indicator of ability and progress. The use of creativity also had a final unexpected effect on the students, which was that it made them reflect upon themselves and each other. During the course of creating their own Good Samaritan and Sower parables, the students reflected upon chances they have had to be helpful to one another. Applying the bible passages to the modern world also accomplished a further thing, which was to make religious education relevant to the students of today.

Relevance to RE

This research will help inform RE teachers about the benefits of using creativity in RE lessons, it will also provide some ideas as to how this can be done. This project will also stimulate conversation over how to make RE relevant in today’s society, and it will reference good pieces of literature on this viewpoint.

Generalisability and potential limitations

This was a small scale study, carried out with a small sample number, in a school with a 1:1 iPad scheme.

Find out more

Title: Making Meaning. A Critical Examination of the Effects of Creativity on the Meaning Making and Motivation of High Attaining Year 8 Students Studying the Gospels

Research Summary

We Need to Talk about RE (London: Jessica Kingsley, 2017) is a collection of essays by established and emerging RE leaders commenting on theory, practice and policy around RE. The book focuses mainly on the English system, with European and wider global contexts referred to. Each chapter is a grounded, research-informed provocation. The book is edited by Dr Mike Castelli (currently Executive Chair of the Association of University Lectuters in Religion and Education) and Dr Mark Chater (currently Director of a charitable trust supporting RE).

Researchers

Mike Castelli, Mark Chater & Linda Woodhead

Research Institution

Several

What is this about?

The book as a whole promotes public discussion on what is needed from a new model of RE. The book argues that we need to talk about RE for several reasons: because so much is changing in the culture of schools; because teachers of RE are ‘cultural and religious heroes caught up in a conflicted education system’; because the kind of RE practised UK is unique, but gravely in danger of dismemberment and neglect; because of the urgent need to find consensus about the purpose and place of RE; and because wider society needs better ways of dealing with religious and cultural ‘otherness’.

What was done?

Each of the fifteen authors uses a distinctive methodology based on their own professional experience as teachers, researchers, practitioners, policy makers or consultants.

Main findings and outputs

Each chapter, written by a different author, offers a manifesto for change. The postscript, written by a serving teacher of RE, argues passionately for change based on clarity of purpose.

Relevance to RE

Trainee and serving teachers will find the book a stimulating, provocative and hope-inspiring daily companion to their practice.

Generalisability and potential limitations

There is no programmatic set of findings or recommendations.

Find out more

Castelli, M. And Chater, M (2017) ed. We Need to Talk about Religious Education: Manifestos for the Future of RE.London: Jessica Kingsley Publishing.

Research Summary

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:

1. what are the stated policy intentions for RE in schools?
2. how are these intentions enacted through the pedagogical practices of teachers in classrooms?
3. 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:

1. The role of examinations in setting the aims and content of RE
2. The fit between teacher, pupil and school values in the RE classroom
3. The level of resource and support given to RE
4. The language and treatment of immanence and transcendence, touching on pupils’ levels of religious experience and religious literacy
5. The level of intellectual challenge offered by RE
6. The frequency and practices of engagement with texts, including pedagogical and sacred texts, in the RE classroom
7. The impact of teachers’ pedagogical style on the experience and perceived aims of RE
8. The role and approach to multi-cultural awareness in the RE classroom
9. 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.

http://www.secularism.org.uk/uploads/does-religious-education-work-by-prof-c-conroy.pdf

Research Summary

This is a summary review of a very large and influential European research project on religion and education – Religion in Education. A Contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries?’ or REDCo. The project involved specialist researchers from Germany, Holland, England, France, Norway, Russia, Spain and Estonia and ran from 2006-2009. It focused on the role of RE in European societies, especially how it might help promote dialogue between religions, in the context of citizenship education, based on Robert Jackson’s interpretive approach to RE. The article gives the background, research methodology and findings of the project; the findings especially are of relevance and use to RE teachers, helping to define and defend RE’s purpose in contemporary society and point towards the forms of teaching that serve it.

Researcher

Wolfram Weisse

Research Institution

University of Hamburg

What is this about?

• What was the REDCo project (2006-2009)?
• What were its research methodologies?
• What were its findings?
• How do they help to clarify the purpose of RE in contemporary Europe, including the UK, and what do they suggest about the forms of teaching that enable RE to fulfil its purpose?

What was done?

This article is a summary review of a major 3-year project investigating RE through a range of methods (questionnaire, interview, analysis of video-recorded lessons, etc.) in 8 European countries.

Main findings and outputs

• Religion needs renewed attention within European education systems, in relation to promoting dialogue and handling or reducing conflict.
• A multinational study enables comparison and highlights potentials, as do mixed research methods: participant observation, semi‐structured interviews, questionnaires (qualitative and quantitative) and videoing of RE lessons were all used. Students in the 14‐ to 16‐year age group were studied in all the countries.
• Their views and experiences of RE were established (positive and negative).
• From the project’s detailed findings (e.g. over 8000 pupil questionnaires were analysed), recommendations for RE were brought out. These follow:
  Education should promote active rather than passive tolerance, i.e. getting young people from different cultural and religious backgrounds to actually engage and work together.
  Religious diversity needs to be actively valued, at school and university level.
  Both religious and non-religious world-views should be included.
  These changes will not be possible without professional teacher education.
• For school students still in the process of forming their opinions, encounters with people of different religions and philosophies can be an important step towards:
  Respecting others’ views, despite disagreements.
  Understanding how different cultures and religions can be expressed in different ways by different people.
  Helping to prevent the misuse of religion to generate political conflict.
  School students believe this form of RE to be desirable and possible; and they see school, rather than the family or peer group, as the place where it should happen.

Relevance to RE

This summary review is helpful to teachers in presenting evidence on the purpose of RE in society, as young people see it, or wish for. It is based on extensive expert research, and can be referred to by RE teachers when explaining and defending the subject’s importance in the curriculum, to parents or colleagues, for instance. For more detailed analysis of RE teaching within the REDCo project, readers are advised to consult individual REDCo studies, e.g. Marie von der Lippe’s research in Norway, which we have reported separately under the title: Talking about religion and diversity.

Generalisability and potential limitations

The findings have strong generalisability, having resulted from an international investigation characterised by high breadth and depth and including the UK. The data are about a decade ago at the time of writing and re-investigation would be useful.

Find out more

Reflections on the REDCo project, British Journal of Religious Education 33.2 pages 111-125 (published online 18 February 2011), 10.1080/01416200.2011.543589

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01416200.2011.543589

Research Summary

This paper focuses on how young people talk about religion and diversity in a multicultural society. More specifically, it focuses on how pupils speak about Islam and Muslims. How does their speech compare with media coverage? The research is explained, including how Gerd Baumann’s terms ‘dominant’ and ‘demotic’ discourse are understood and employed in this study. Then, the project is set within the Norwegian debate about plurality. The methodology is described, and there is discussion of some of the students’ statements and the ways of speaking to which they seem to belong. The paper’s conclusion, on the consequences of findings for school and RE, is very relevant to RE teaching, recommending that pupils’ own experiences of meetings with people from diverse backgrounds should be included more in lessons, as a way to challenge stereotypes.

Researcher

Marie von der Lippe

Research Institution

University of Bergen, Norway

What is this about?

• How do young people (13-15 years old) talk about religion and diversity, in a multicultural society?
• How, specifically, do they speak about Muslims?
• What do the terms ‘dominant discourse’ and ‘demotic discourse’ mean?
• How do these issues affect a contemporary society, i.e. Norway?
• How can pupils’ own experiences of meetings with people from diverse backgrounds be included in lessons, and what will be the effects of this?

What was done?

The data were acquired from 20 individual interviews with students aged 13–15 years. The students came from four different schools in Bergen (three public and a Christian private school) and have Christian (8), Muslim (6) and non‐religious backgrounds (6). The sample consisted of 11 girls and 9 boys with various national and ethnic backgrounds (Norwegian, Iraqi, Kurdish, Somali, Philippine, Yemeni, Creole, Zanzibaran and some with mixed Norwegian and non‐Norwegian backgrounds).

Main findings and outputs

• ‘Dominant discourse’ refers to generally accepted ways of speaking, ‘demotic discourse’ refers to individual speech or conversation that challenges dominant discourse.
• In Norway can be found several dominant discourses about diversity: including, Norway is an open, tolerant society – and on the other hand, immigration can be seen as a threat to Norwegian values. “I am not a racist, but . . .”
• Young people can draw on the dominant discourses and also on their own more positive demotic discourses, based on their friendship experiences. For example, ‘Rachel’ is a white Christian 15 year-old with friends from different cultural and religious backgrounds. She complains about racism and her mother’s negative attitudes to Muslims – but then complains about the numbers of ‘foreigners’ in Oslo.
• ‘Christian’, of similar age and background to ‘Rachel’ , also has friends from different cultures and religions. He laments media stereotypes of Muslims as terrorists but in expressing disapproval of terrorism implies that it is linked to Islam. For the researcher, the young people are trying out different points of view in the interviews, but it is clear that both dominant and demotic dicourses work on them.
• ‘Aisha’, of a black African Muslim background, speaks through dominant discourse when complaining about how Muslims are perceived in Norway (Muslim=terrorist). When she speaks about her own views and experiences, a more positive picture emerges: Muslims are different from one another, the Qur’an forbids suicide and Islam should not be linked to terrorism.

Relevance to RE

The analysis of young people’s speech about diversity is very relevant to RE, especially given that the article’s conclusion takes the form of recommendations to RE teachers. We need to teach pupils to be critical of how religions are portrayed in the media. This should help pupils to understand how they speak about others and why they do – and what consequences this may have for those affected by prejudice. It is also very important to focus on pupils’ own direct experiences with religious and cultural diversity. These tend to be more positive than the dominant discourse.

Generalisability and potential limitations

The sample is fairly small (20 pupils) and the context is Norway. Similar issues are certainly experienced in the UK, however, and RE teachers may find that the principle that young people’s direct experience of diversity is more positive than that presented in the media applies beyond Norway. At the very least, this is a useful and interesting hypothesis to test.

Find out more

Young people’s talk about religion and diversity: a qualitative study of Norwegian students aged 13–15, British Journal of Religious Education 33.2 pages 127-142 (published online 18 February 2011), 10.1080/01416200.2011.543590

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01416200.2011.543590

Research Summary

This is a report of a doctoral study on the motivation of 12–14‐year‐old religious education pupils in England. The study involved four action research cycles of teaching a topic, asking pupils about their learning experiences and building their views in to plans for the next topic. At the close, key factors for pupil motivation were identified: dialogue with difference, existential and ethical interest and personal significance. The research is of very direct relevance to RE pedagogy and gives recommendations for RE pedagogy in its conclusions, as well as remarks on how action research can be used as a teacher development methodology.

Researchers

Kevin O’Grady

Research Institution

University of Warwick

What is this about?

• According to the pupils themselves, what motivates them to engage and learn in RE? A class of 31 12-14-year old pupils were studied, over a period of about 18 months.
• Once we know what pupils say is motivating about learning in RE, what can we do with these data? The research developed by planning subsequent teaching topics in the light of what pupils had said, then collecting further data from them, so that factors in their motivation were identified over time and pedagogy strengthened over time.
• Various factors building pupil motivation were identified and described: dialogue with difference, existential and ethical interest and personal significance.
• The research gives evidence about good RE pedagogy, and also suggests that action research is an appropriate and useful way for RE teachers to build good pedagogy.

What was done?

The action research methodology involved teaching a topic, observing levels of pupil motivation during lessons and keeping notes on these, getting pupils to complete questionnaires at the close of each topic and interviewing them in groups about the questionnaire responses.

Main findings and outputs

• Topic 1 was Islam, peace and surrender. The key motivation factor emerging was dialogue, with other students (the class was about one third Muslim) or with Islamic beliefs in abstract. It meant an equal emphasis between attention to religious education content and pupils’ responses and reflections.
• Topic 2 was interfaith relations, reconciliation and peace. The central motivation factor was identified as existential interest: pupils valued the chance to focus on important human life situations and their meanings.
• Topic 3 was Inspiration, Hajj and Passover. The key motivation factor was personal significance. Students had found the idea of inspiration to be less interesting than what had developed in their discussions around the idea of commitment, in religious life and in their own lives.
• Topic 4 was Hinduism and Creation. The most motivating factors were investigating different views of the universe (i.e. Hindu and scientific) and ethical beliefs (i.e. karma).
• Overall, at the close, aspects of learning in RE most likely to motivate pupils were summarised and a recommendation made: that RE should be a dialogue with difference, aimed at building existential and ethical interest and personal significance for pupils.
• The action research methodology was effective in generating the above recommendation from pupils’ actual words. It was not found to be a neat or objective process: pupils never distinguished between their learning in lessons and their discussions during group interviews, and though the research was intended to investigate their motivation, it evidently increased it.

Relevance to RE

There are two main ways in which RE teachers can use this research. The first way is through its findings; they can prepare topics and lessons for their pupils which provide plenty of opportunities for dialogues with those of different beliefs, for reflecting upon big questions and issues of right and wrong and for thinking about what matters to pupils personally (noting that all this was done by matching content from religions to these concerns). For more details of what was taught in the lessons and how it was taught, readers are recommended to read the original article. The second way is through the study’s methodology; they can carry out similar investigations with pupils of their own. These can be small-scale to begin with (the research reported above had its origins in a shorter masters project).

Generalisability and potential limitations

The data arise from a particular context, a multi-cultural, lower secondary school classroom in Sheffield. The author takes the following position regarding their generalisability: a classroom in a different location, or with a different kind of class, presents a comparable context. Thus, the data might be used as starting points for improving pedagogy in a new setting, but it is up to the teacher to act as a researcher and re-investigate them.

Find out more

‘How far down can you go? Can you get reincarnated as a floorboard?’ Religious education pedagogy, pupil motivation and teacher intelligence, Educational Action Research 16.3 pages 361-376 (published online 28 August 2008), 10.1080/09650790802260315

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09650790802260315