Abstract
The paper notices that faith-practitioners’ involvement, as visiting speakers or study-visit hosts, is a recommended teaching strategy in secular RE. It examines problems of authentic representation of religious traditions in secular RE and evaluates the extent to which faith-practitioners’ involvement as a learning strategy can address authentic representation of religions as a learning principle. Empirical data for the paper is drawn from four qualitative interviews with faith-practitioners from different Christian denominations about their preferred representations of Christianity during secular RE study-visits to their churches. The paper finds that faith-practitioners’ preferred representations can be categorised as insider-institutional (denominational) and insider-personal. Together, these types of representation can complement authenticity in the representation of religions in RE because they offer particular, rather than generalised, accounts of religious traditions.
Highlights
In theorising pedagogy in Religious Education (RE) Grimmitt explores relationships between ‘principles’ and ‘strategies’ (2000, pp. 16–21)
In RE in England and Wales, creating opportunities for pupils to meet with faith-practitioners to learn about religious experience and practice first-hand, normally by inviting faith-practitioners into the RE classroom or by organising study-visits to places of worship hosted by a faith-practitioner, is a recommended teaching strategy
The paper has drawn attention to three points; (i) that involving faith-practitioners is a recommended strategy for RE, (ii) that custody of representation in RE is deflected from religious traditions to secular education, (iii) that the authentic representation of religious traditions in RE is difficult
Summary
In theorising pedagogy in Religious Education (RE) Grimmitt explores relationships between ‘principles’ and ‘strategies’ (2000, pp. 16–21). In theorising pedagogy in Religious Education (RE) Grimmitt explores relationships between ‘principles’ and ‘strategies’ Principles are ‘general laws’ about the aims of RE normally based on judgements about the value of pupils’ formal study of religions. Strategies are teaching activities that intend to accomplish defined principles. Principles without strategies, and strategies unconnected to principles implies teaching and learning is not fully conceived. In RE in England and Wales, creating opportunities for pupils to meet with faith-practitioners to learn about religious experience and practice first-hand, normally by inviting faith-practitioners into the RE classroom or by organising study-visits to places of worship hosted by a faith-practitioner, is a recommended teaching strategy. Reports concerned with high quality RE promote the educational value of pupils’ interaction with faith
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
