Reflective Teaching as a Path to Religious Meaning-Making and Growth1

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how respondents evaluate the influence of their teachers upon the formation of their religious discourse in terms of content, process, and structure. This study addresses the educational-value aspect of religious schooling, as distinct from the instructional aspect, as an integral part of the school curriculum. The findings show that the role of teachers in the construction of their students’ religious world is limited. The style of most of the teachers in Religious Education is instrumental; only a small minority utilizes reflective strategies. However, these teachers had a meaningful impact on their students’ religious socialization processes.