Influence of students' characteristics and feelings on cognitive achievement in religious education

Abstract

Whereas educational research has provided evidence that students' characteristics affect their performance, at this stage little is known about which characteristics influence their learning processes and achievement in religious education. This article looks into characteristics that influence students' cognitive achievement in religious education on the basis of an educational intervention involving religious and other stories and everyday experiences of present-day students. They include characteristics stemming from experience of earlier learning practices at school, as well as given characteristics such as age, gender, and involvement in religious communities. The research group comprises 257 Grade 5 and 6 primary school students. Results of analyses of data by way of a structural model reveal that positive and negative feelings, prior knowledge, metacognitive beliefs about religious education, participation in religious practices, belief in God, and gender influence achievement. Four interesting paths can be traced along which characteristics influence achievement. Implications for educational practice are considered.