Pakistani Teachers' Perceptions of Moral Education through Teaching of Islamic Studies: A Qualitative Study

In Finland, religious education (RE) in public school is currently religion-based. Thus, pupils are enrolled in RE classes, according to their religious affiliation. There is usually one RE lesson a week in comprehensive school (age 7 to 16). RE is not a confessional subject. The RE curriculum, like that of other subjects, is prepared by the Board of Education. In recent years, Finnish society has changed considerably, becoming increasingly pluralistic and diverse. The number of immigrants and refugees has also increased, e.g., there are currently more than 60,000 Muslims, who represent heterogeneous ways to practice their faith. The number of pupils who participate in Islamic RE is continuously increasing. Today there are more than 9,000 pupils enrolled in Islamic RE. There is a lack of Islamic RE teachers and no established pedagogical practices. There has been an extensive societal debate in Finland as to how RE should be organized in public schools with very different approaches regarding Islamic RE perspective. It has been stated that Islamic RE enables pupils to form their own identity and that it fails to teach pupils common values of society. The chapter consists of two different parts. The first part analyzes the Finnish Islamic RE curricula and studies its development (aims and contents) over the past 20 years (1994, 2004, and 2014). The second part focuses on the challenges that Islamic RE teachers experience in their work, drawing on analyses and interpretations of theme-focused interviews with teachers. It concludes with a summary of recent Islamic RE development work and an investigation of the available Islamic RE teacher training options and the types of competencies that Islamic RE teacher training should encompass.

Teacher education is debated all over the world, and a part of this debate concerns the quality of teacher education. For religious education (RE) teacher education, however, the debate is not only about quality but also about growing diversity. In this article, we explore how RE teachers have been educated and how this has changed in Türkiye. How religious diversity has been integrated into the RE teacher education system is also explored. By teacher education/training, we mean initial (not in-service) teacher education, and by RE, we mean different types of RE provided in schools in Türkiye: compulsory, optional, and vocational RE. The findings reveal that there have been frequent changes, back-and-forth reforms, and a lack of RE teacher education philosophy in Türkiye. Therefore, establishing a consistent RE teacher education policy remains a serious challenge. Moreover, it seems that religious diversity has not been well integrated into RE teacher education in Türkiye. Currently, theology faculties only offer two courses which are overtly related to religious diversity, and both of them approach religious diversity from a historical perspective. It seems that there is a need to rethink the program structures of theology faculties to reform RE teacher education. Theology faculties may offer several programs in line with employment areas. In this way, religious diversity might also become better integrated into compulsory RE teacher education programs. However, this process should be carried out with a scientific understanding by conducting stakeholder and needs analyses.

Reviewed by: Christianity and Moral Identity in Higher Education Gary Railsback, Dean of the School of Education and Diane Wood, Doctoral Student Perry L. Glanzer and Todd C. Ream. Christianity and Moral Identity in Higher Education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2009. 288 pp. Cloth: $80.00. ISBN-13: 978-0230612402. In Christianity and Moral Identity in Higher Education, Perry Glanzer (Baylor University) and Todd Ream (Indiana Wesleyan University) explore moral education in American higher education, its demise, current directions, and future possibilities. Writing for students, scholars, and administrators in both secular and Christian colleges and universities, they argue that the demise of the pervasive moral and character education that was central to America's colleges in the colonial period "stems from the failed quest to find a nonsectarian or universal form of humanism as a basis for moral education" (p. 3). They divide their book into four parts. In Part 1, "Moral Education in Contemporary Higher Education," Glanzer and Ream pose a fundamental question, "Do we even agree about what 'moral development' means or what fostering it entails?" The authors offer a framework for understanding contemporary discourse on moral education, tracing the origins, conflict, and dissolution of a common meta-identity and approach to moral education. Glanzer and Ream then review the work of important scholars in cognitive and moral development, acknowledging that contemporary scholars do not agree on either the definition or process of moral development. They conclude Part 1 by exploring how universities might address identity conflicts and the current fractured state of moral education. Glanzer and Ream note that they have not included a nonsectarian humanism approach to moral development, primarily because they do not believe such an approach exists. For them, the American higher education system represents a vast collection of varying perspectives on moral identities, and they suggest that each institution's task is to explore and understand its respective community's moral order. In Part 2, "A More Human Education: Moral Identity and Moral Orientation," Glanzer and Ream challenge our thinking about current issues facing higher education in moral education by posing the following pivotal question: "Should universities or professors move beyond the current limited professional forms of ethics education?" They present several views that urge both avoiding and embracing moral education, before positing that education is not a neutral endeavor. Moral education and forms of ethics education "become transformed when undertaken for specific identities and moral traditions" (p. 98). The authors acknowledge that most universities promote moral ideals beyond what is required for a profession. They do so, however, by attempting to appeal to the broad, diverse human experience. The authors contend that when moral education moves beyond the minimum required of a profession and attempts to address the broader human experience, it results in either a "less than human form of moral education" or in "attempt[s] to promulgate broad agreement about what it means to be a good human" (p. 98). Universities provide an incomplete form of moral education, they explain, when they focus only on isolated roles or facets of human identity, such as "citizen," rather than on the whole of being human. Providing less-than-whole-human moral education is required in a secular culture with legal precedence in the First Amendment and the reality of the world-views held by pluralistic faculty and students. The authors suggest three approaches to promulgating agreement about what it means to be a good human being and how to foster a more human education: "common ground humanism," "secular humanism," and "religious humanism." First, common ground humanism comes from the academic community and from a political process in which the community finds consensus on what makes for human flourishing. Second, secular humanism derives from the humanities and addresses the meaning of life, thus moving beyond the simple focus on human flourishing found in the research and political approaches used in common ground humanism. However, Glanzer and Ream suggest that this approach may be appropriate only for Ivy League institutions and identify five weaknesses, which limit its use to that context. [End Page 347] Third, religious humanism comes from a set of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish universities that continue to approach their academic and...

There appears to be a notable gap in the literature concerning home ecology and moral upbringing within the Ghanaian context. This study aims to address this gap. Employing a descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach, the study used a simple random sampling technique to select eight Junior High Schools in OLA Circuit in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Purposive sampling was employed to select 25 Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers and 30 parents. Data collection was facilitated through a questionnaire. The analysis involved descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics, thus, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r), to address the research questions and hypotheses. The study revealed that the home is the foundational environment for nurturing morality and character formation, equipping pupils with practical moral reasoning and executive function skills. Moreover, schools, social media, peer influences, and extracurricular activities, such as clubs, sports, and games, play significant roles in moral development. It was also found that challenges persist in developing pupils morally. These include inadequate parental involvement, ineffective parenting styles, exposure to inappropriate media content, and the presence of unqualified Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers. The correlation between home ecology and moral development was very high, positive, and statistically significant (r = .905**, p < .000). Likewise, the correlation between moral upbringing and moral development was positive and statistically significant (r = .755**, p < .005). This indicated that engaging pupils in real-life moral practices and teaching them to apply moral principles in everyday situations positively influences their moral development. To reinforce pupils’ moral development effectively, it is recommended that the home, school, media, religious institutions, and stakeholders collaborate to ensure a unified approach to strengthen moral values consistently within the sociocultural context. It is also recommended that parent-school partnerships be reinforced through effective regular communication, collaborative activities, and integration of practical moral education into the curriculum with interactive and real-life scenarios. Furthermore, implementing media literacy programs is indispensable for pupils to evaluate media content, thus mitigating the adverse effects of inapt media exposure.

Sustainable development is promoted when the system of education provides the learners with an opportunity to equip themselves with moral values, skills, and competences that assist them in effecting personal and community positive changes. For this purpose, teachers play an important role as moral agents, and students consider the teacher a role model. Therefore, the understanding and beliefs of teachers regarding moral education play a pivotal role in grooming the personality of the learners. This comparative study aimed to assess the practices and beliefs of university teachers regarding moral education in China and Pakistan. A mixed-method approach was used and data analysis was performed by using an interactive model and ANOVA. Responses of twelve tertiary teachers were collected from Pakistan and China for qualitative analysis. Seven themes were constructed that categorized teachers’ practice in the classroom and their beliefs regarding moral education. For quantitative analysis, 300 teachers’ responses were collected using a validated questionnaire. The results showed that the majority of Pakistani teachers hold a conservative mindset. According to the Pakistani teachers’ perspective, sovereignty of divine laws, loyalty to the constitution of the state, and a sense of serving society were the ultimate aims of moral education. Chinese teachers were promoting a political ideology that stressed collectivism in a socialist approach, with family and social values being most relevant. Not a single teacher reported using a theoretical or research-based approach while teaching in the class. In the light of the dearth of literature, this study has implications for future research in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and Islamic Studies in higher education, as it is a longitudinal study that provided insight into how teachers’ beliefs and attitudes are shaped over time and from moral educational experiences.

Introduction: The grading process in secondary education is always challenging to navigate since the subjective dimension of the human parameter always seems to interfere dynamically in combination with the variety of the submitted assessment questions grounded on the grading teacher’s style. The central questions asked are: a) what are the applied assessment styles among Greek Religious Education (RE) teachers? b) What are their main assessment criteria? Moreover, c) What kind of evaluation plans are used to benefit the students? The above assessment issue is affected by the culture and mentality of each teacher. Methods: The method uses a quantitative survey designed by Google Forms to research the grading and topic patterns used by RE teachers and colleagues of humanities during their class assessments, both oral and written. Results: RE teachers have particular inclinations concerning the students’ assessment issues. They consider their discipline demanding and often prefer to apply written form assessments in class. Moreover, more methods emerged, which belong to the new school perception but are still placed statistically as auxiliary assessment weaponry. Microsoft Excel was also used for data visualization and quantitative analysis. Discussion: The assessment point of view might differ in each subject’s nature and, indeed, be planned by the objectives of each teacher. However, RE teachers and affiliated colleagues (literature teachers – affiliated colleagues should prioritise adjusting knowledge to the social realm. Limitations: The present research paper aims to stimulate educational interest regarding RE evaluation subjectivity by converting some subjective elements into precise statistical questions. Therefore, the questions used were a few but accurate, while the magnitude of the participants needed to be bigger, hindering the accumulation of more statistical information. Conclusions: Written-test assessments are prioritized, though oral inquiries are vital to the RE teachers’ methodology because of time scheduling issues explained throughout the text. The whole assessment scenery is grounded on the fact that RE discipline is considered demanding and essential. Some statistical inconsistencies undergird the necessity of applying knowledge in the social praxis to benefit Greek society. The latter lack is a drawback.

Türkiye’de son 20 yıldır özel eğitime ihtiyaç duyan öğrencilere yönelik eğitimin kaynaştırma yolu ile sağlanmasına öncelik verilmektedir. Örgün eğitimde kaynaştırma uygulamalarının kapsadığı dersler arasında din eğitimi ile ilgili dersler de bulunmaktadır. Bu dersler kapsamında kaynaştırma eğitimini veren öğretmenlerin yeterlilikleri, duygu, tutum ve kaygıları önemlidir. Bu durumun iyi araştırılması etkili bir kaynaştırma eğitimi için gereklidir. Din Kültürü ve Ahlak Bilgisi ile İmam Hatip Meslek Dersleri Öğretmenlerinin kaynaştırma eğitimi yeterliliklerinin, onların duygu, tutum ve kaygıları üzerindeki etkisinin araştırılması bu araştırmanın temel gerekçesidir.Bu çalışmanın amacı, örgün din eğitiminde kaynaştırma uygulamalarının niteliğinin artırılmasına katkı sağlamaktır. Kaynaştırma eğitiminin en önemli unsuru bu dersleri okutan öğretmenler olduklarından çalışma, onların kaynaştırma eğitimi ile ilgili duygu, tutum, kaygı ve yeterliliklerini ile çeşitli değişkenlere göre farklılaşma durumunu incelemiştir. Çalışmanın verileri Sharma, Loreman ve Forlin (2011) tarafından geliştirilen Bayar (2015) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlaması yapılan “Kaynaştırma Uygulamalarında Öğretmen Yeterliliği Ölçeği” ve Forlin, Earle, Loreman ve Sharma (2011) tarafından geliştirilen Bayar, Özaşkın ve Bardak (2015) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlaması yapılan “Kaynaştırma Eğitimi ile İlgili Duygular, Tutumlar ve Kaygılar Ölçeği” ile toplanmıştır. Çalışma neticesinde, kaynaştırma eğitimi ile ilgili hizmet içi eğitimin, öğretmenlerin duygu, tutum ve kaygıları ile yeterliliklerini pozitif yönde etkileyen bir faktör olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Cinsiyet, okul türü, lisansta eğitim alma durumu, kaynaştırma eğitimi tecrübesi ve kaynaştırmaya ilişkin özgüvenin değişkenlerinin öğretmenlerin yeterliliklerini ve duygu, tutum ve kaygılarını etkilemediği saptanmıştır. Ayıca duygu, tutum ve kaygı ile yeterliliğin pozitif ilişki içerisinde olduğu görülmüştür.

This paper, based on 355 survey responses from secondary Religious Education (RE) teachers in England (n = 238) and Scotland (n = 117), explores the background of these educators in terms of qualifications, personal (a)theistic belief, and religion. This research seeks to establish the degree backgrounds of RE teachers, what religion they belong to (if any), and the range of theistic, agnostic, and atheistic teachers currently within the RE profession. This paper, acknowledging the similar and contrasting natures of England and Scotland in terms of the history, status and purpose(s) of the subject, demonstrates that RE teachers in these countries come from diverse academic backgrounds, and that most RE teachers in England and Scotland do not believe in God(s). Nearly half of RE teachers in England and more than half in Scotland have no religion. The granulation to England and Scotland allows us to make tentative links with national census and social attitudes research, and with literature, which posits nuanced secularisation trajectories. Furthermore, the data allow us to cross-tabulate (for example, between degree background and religious beliefs), as well as with the data in extant research about the risks of sanitised and essentialised approaches to teaching religion in schools.

International Handbook of Inter-religious Education

The purpose of the study was to determine the role of female teachers in children's religious education in families in Jikubesar Hamlet, Buru Regency. And what are the factors that support and hinder the role of female teachers in children's religious education in the family in Jikubesar hamlet, Buru Regency. This type of research is descriptive qualitative. This research was conducted from 24 June to 22 July 2022 in Jikubesar Hamlet, Buru Regency. The informants in this research consisted of 7 female teachers as informants. To analyze the data obtained through observation and interviews, as well as documentation, then the data obtained were analyzed using the stages of data reduction, data assessment and drawing conclusions. The results showed that the role of female teachers in religious education in aspects of faith, worship and moral aspects of children in families in Jikubesar Hamlet, Buru Regency has been done well by female teachers in educating children. Fostering faith is already in the good category, as explained by the informants, if children have instilled faith in themselves from an early age even since they were still in the womb. In fostering children's worship is also well embedded, this is evidenced by how children teach children to worship and obey Islamic law. In terms of morals, it is also well established, as evidenced by the attitude of children at home being good and obedient to their parents, easy to manage and loving their siblings, and being able to establish good relations with other family members, and the community. The factors that support and hinder the role of female teachers in Islamic religious education for children in the family in Jikubesar hamlet include supporting factors, namely, family factors, as a strong commitment from each individual in carrying out their dual roles, communication factors where good communication and cooperation with other family members remain in the family, the factor of formal education (schools) that have taught good and non-formal "Islamic" religious education given to children is very supportive in this case entering children into TPQ in order to get religious guidance (reading the Qur'an). 'an) properly and correctly. While the inhibiting factors are the limited time between teaching assignments at school with the assistance of children at home, as well as media factors (online games, social media) as well as community environmental factors and children's play.Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui peran guru perempuan dalam pendidikan agama anak dalam keluarga di Dusun Jikubesar Kabupaten Buru. Dan faktor-faktor apa saja yagn menjadi pendukung dan penghambat peran guru perempuan dalam pendidikan agama anak dalam keluarga di dusun Jikubesar Kabupaten Buru. Tipe penelitian ini adalah deskriptif kualitatif. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dari tanggal 24 Juni sampai dengan 22 Juli 2022 di Dusun Jikubesar Kabupaten Buru. Adapun yang menjadi informan dalam penelitan ini terdiri dari 7 orang guru perempuan sebagai informan. Untuk menganalisis data yang diperoleh melalui observasi dan wawancara, serta dokumentasi, kemudian data yang diperoleh dianalisis dengan menggunakan tahap reduksi data, pengkajian data dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa peran guru perempuan dalam pendidikan agama pada aspek akidah, aspek ibadah dan aspek akhlak pada anak dalam keluarga di Dusun Jikubesar Kabupaten Buru sudah dilakukan dengan baik oleh para guru perempuan dalam mendidik anak. Membina akidah sudah dalam kategori baik, sebagaimana yang sudah dijelaskan oleh para informan, kalau anak sudah menanamkan akidah pada diri anak sejak usia dini bahkan sejak masih dalam kandungan. Dalam membina ibadah anak juga sudah tertanam dengan baik, hal ini dibuktikan dengan bagaimana cara anak mengajari anak untuk beribadah dan menaati syari’at Islam. Dalam hal akhlak juga sudah tertanam dengan baik, terbukti dengan sikap anak di rumah baik dan nurut kepada orang tua, mudah diatur serta menyayangi saudaranya, serta dapat menjalin hubungan baik dengan anggota keluarga yang lain, dan masyarakat. Faktor-faktor yang mendukung dan menghambat peran guru perempuan dalam pendidikan agama Islam pada anak dalam keluarga di dusun Jikubesar diantaranya faktor pendukung yaitu, faktor keluarga, sebagai komitmen yang kuat dari setiap individu dalam menjalankan peran gandanya, fakor komunikasi dimana komunikasi serta kerjasama yang baik dengan anggota keluarga yang lain tetap terjalin dalam keluarga, faktor pendidikan formal (sekolah) yang sudah mengajarkan tentang pendidikan agama “Islam” dengan baik dan nonformal yang diberikan kepada anak sangat menunjang dalam hal ini memasukan anak ke TPQ agar mendapatkan pembinaan agama (membaca al-Qur’an) dengan baik dan benar. Sedangkan faktor penghambatnya yaitu waktu yang terbatas antar tugas mengajar di sekolah dengan pendampingan anak di rumah, serta faktor media (game online, media sosial) maupun faktor lingkungan masyarakat dan bermain anak.

International Handbook of the Religious, Moral and Spiritual Dimensions in Education

The article, dedicated to the actual problem of spiritual and moral development and education of bachelors of the pedagogical direction, presents a meaningful analysis of the possibilities and prospects of educational and other organizations carrying out educational activities in the implementation of spiritual and moral development and education of students in social and pedagogical conditions. The directions of interaction between educational organizations and students are determined as a condition for the spiritual and moral development of students in the educational process of the university. The ideas of enlightenment and educational activities for the spiritual and moral development of students of the university, the teachers themselves, based on the basic national values and traditions of national culture. The article presents the fundamental principles of spiritual and moral education and development of bachelors. The main directions of work on the formation of basic concepts included in the structure of self-consciousness are proposed. The role of the consolidating participants in the educational process in the spiritual and moral education of young people is determined. An attempt has been made to analyze educational programs focused on solving the problems of education, development and socialization of university students.

Critical Review of Eight Highly-Rated Books on Moral Theology: Finding a Common Ground For an Ethics Education Program

Otizm; sosyal iletişimde yetersizlikler, duygusal tepkilerin gösterilememesi, tekrarlanan takıntılı davranışlar gibi belirtilerle kendini gösteren bir gelişim bozukluğudur. Otizm belirtileri yaşamın ilk yıllarında kendini göstermektedir. Bu durum otizm teşhisi konulan çocukların eğitimine erken yaşlarda başlanmasına imkân tanıması bakımından avantaj olarak değerlendirilebilir. Tanısı koyulmuş otizmli bireylerin eğitimi gerek özel eğitim okullarında gerekse kaynaştırma yoluyla devam ettirilmektedir. Otizmlilerin, din ve ahlak konusundaki eğitimi ise tartışma konusu olmuştur. Otizmlilerin dini kavram ve olguları anlamlandıramayacağına yönelik çalışmalara karşın olumlu sonuçlara ulaşılmış araştırmalar da mevcuttur. Ahlak ve değerler eğitimi konusunda da benzer zıtlıkları içeren araştırmalara rastlanmaktadır. Ülkemizde otizmlilerde din ve ahlak eğitimine dair bilimsel araştırmalar mevcut olmamakla birlikte 2010 yılında, DKAB derslerinin zorunlu olarak otizmli bireylerin eğitim programlarında yer alması konuyu gündeme taşımıştır. Buradan yola çıkılarak bu araştırmada, otizmlilerde din ve ahlak eğitiminin imkanına dair tartışmalara değinilerek, birbirine zıt görüşler içeren konu, otizmlilerin eğitiminde aileden sonra en etkili bireyler olan öğretmenlerin görüşlerine açılmıştır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniğiyle yapılan araştırmanın çalışma grubunu Konya ili merkez ilçelerinde (Karatay, Meram, Selçuklu) bulunan özel eğitim okullarında ve bünyesinde otizm sınıfı bulunan ortaokullarda görev yapmakta olan 30 özel eğitim ve bu okullarda derslere giren 6 DKAB öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma sonucunda, çalışmaya katılan öğretmenlerin otizmlilerde din ve ahlak eğitiminin imkanına yönelik farklı görüşlerde oldukları ancak din ve ahlak teması altına giren birtakım konularda otizmlilerin bir eğitime ihtiyacı olduğu noktasında fikir birliğine sahip oldukları görülmüştür. Yapılan çalışmanın literatürdeki tartışmalara, öğretmenlerin görüş ve tecrübelerinin katılması yönüyle katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Introduction: In the past five years, educators and policymakers in Greece have addressed evaluation in secondary education, transforming it into a practical tool for educational improvement from 2019 to 2023 despite its challenges. The evaluation process enhances educational efforts and determines the status of teachers and students. It includes two aspects: a) self-improvement, where teachers self-evaluate based on their contributions, and b) self-cognition, which relates to cognitive and personal characteristics. Both aspects connect closely to the provision of religious education (RE) in Greece. Upgrading RE teachers is essential for the broader educational structure and future social dynamics in Greece and elsewhere. This study aims to: a) examine the relationship between self-cognition and self-evaluation at the potential measurement level, and b) develop a self-evaluation model for RE teachers that illustrates a progress index. Methods: Developing an educational evaluation model will frame self-cognition within a logical assessment process. A semi-structured interview will help examine the correlation between self-cognition and self-evaluation in social contexts (Third Opinion Theory). Results: Results are summarized visually and explained within the research’s scope and limitations. Discussion: Achieving self-cognition requires specific methods to enhance teachers’ capacities and promote self-knowledge and social skills. This is particularly crucial for RE teachers, who play a vital role in shaping school pedagogical and philosophical culture. Limitations: The research concentrates on two domains: a) the self-evaluation of Religious Education (RE) teachers within only secondary education and b) a restricted semi-structured interview sample, necessitated by time constraints, which will be presented accordingly. Conclusions: Religious Education (RE) is not only a vital discussion topic but also a significant subject in Middle Education. It particularly resonates with women’s sensitivities, fostering self-awareness in Greek Middle Education. This process leads to a new modeling framework and evaluation system as such.