Purpose Of Religious Education Research Articles

The representation of Islam in Religious Education textbooks in England: an alternative approach

ABSTRACT This article examines the representation of Islam in four of the most popular and current Religious Education textbooks in England. The aim is to identify the extent to which the curriculum content is aligned with the aims of Religious Education in England. The textbooks content is reviewed using three frameworks available in literature, two of which are directly related to analysing textbooks on Islam while the third is a general set of curriculum guidelines on making textbook content inclusive. Based on examples extracted from the textbooks, it is argued that the representation of Islam in the curriculum lacks diversity, is stereotypical and promotes an essentialised view about Islam as a religion. The article further uses the case study of jihad to propose the use of hermeneutical approach in writing curriculum content about Islam using sources of authority and historical and literary perspectives to combat the issue of monolithic, absolutist, and fossilised representation of Islam in textbooks.

Science and RE teachers' perspectives on the purpose of RE on the secondary school curriculum in England

AbstractRenewed interest in curriculum in English schooling over the past decade has emanated from a particular focus on the place and role of knowledge in the classroom. Significant changes in policy and examination specifications have led to changes in religious education (RE). However, little is known about teachers' perspectives on the purpose of RE. We asked teachers of science and RE what they understood as the purpose of RE on the school curriculum. Data from 10 focus groups and a survey with 276 secondary teachers demonstrated that many secondary teachers of science have a different understanding to RE teachers of the purpose of RE on the school curriculum. Findings also show a lack of consensus from RE teachers on the purpose of RE, suggesting the impact of the knowledge turn in RE is not as strong as the Ofsted Research Review implies. Findings are significant as little is known about how knowledge works across disciplinary boundaries in schools. If students are to come to a full understanding of how knowledge works, teachers need to have some understanding of how knowledge is being constructed and utilised in other curriculum subjects. Knowledge of the intended purpose of RE is important for respectful co‐existence of subjects on the curriculum and essential when RE is declining as a subject in secondary schools.

Worldviews, with caution

A short personal reflection on discussions hosted by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales in 2020 around the reorienting of Religious Education around “worldviews”. I reflect on the scope this offers for overcoming the World Religions Paradigm and raise questions about its arbitrary limits, the challenges of representation and identity, and finally about the more fundamental confusion regarding the aims of Religious Education that cannot be resolved by a title change alone.

Non-Confessional RE in Denmark and Rights to Exemption: A Study-of Religions cum Human Rights Perspective

Danish elementary school Religious Education (RE) dates back to the beginning of the Danish public schools in 1814 and remained confessional until 1975. In 1937, an option for exemption for teachers and pupils was introduced. However, the non-confessionalisation of the school subject did not indicate that the exemption was removed. At present, pupils (excluding teachers) may still be exempted. In this study, the authors examine the current situation of the subject, the exemption rules, and related human rights aspects. We analyse the contents and aims of RE, the exemption regulations and the related political, public and educational debates on the option for exemption. The analyses and discussions cover a few key non-Danish and Danish articles and discussions from a human rights and an educational perspective of RE and human rights in Europe. The articles are particularly related to the freedom of religion or belief and include discussions on the requirements for RE to be compulsory and thus have no ‘opt-out’ option for pupils and parents.

A Response to Wolfart’s “Religious Literacy”: Some Considerations and Reservations

Abstract This text addresses three related aspects of Wolfart’s article on religious literacy: the critique of assumptions on the outcome of increased religious literacy, questions about the purpose of religious education, and the suggestion that religious studies are ex-theological. Although the predictability of the results of certain classroom activities presents a fundamental problem, I argue that the tentative and generic abilities highlighted in the religious literacy discourse may function as a starting point to elaborate on a better definition of religious literacy in religious studies. Moreover, based on Biesta’s educational philosophy, I argue that the religious literacy discourse is about learnification in rhetorical disguise as value-based education. Instead, I suggest that the purpose of religious education should be (re)considered from Biesta’s three dimensions of qualification, socialization, and subjectification. Finally, I problematize Wolfart’s suggestion that religious studies are ex-theological and conclude that, although there are a theological dimension and a genealogy to be observed in the religious literacy discourse, other kinds of scholarly aspects are also worth exploring further.

PENDIDIKAN AGAMA DALAM PERSPEKTIF FILSAFAT IDEALISME

Idealism is a philosophical paradigm which views that the reality that exists in natural life is not an essential truth, but only a description of the ideas that exist in the world of ideas. Idealism is oriented to ideas, to the soul, to spirituality, to ideals, to norms that contain absolute truth. The ideal nature contains absolute, genuine, pure, and holy. This paper wants to explore how to apply the flow of idealism in the world of religious education. Why is this important? The Law on the National Education System (Undang-Undang Sisdiknas) orders that every student receive religious education according to their beliefs. Religious education is certainly an education about ideals, because it talks about God as the Supreme Ideal and encourages humans to have an ideal spiritual life. This paper is important to contribute some basic things in the perspective of idealism. Idealism assumes that knowledge is something that arises and is born from events in the human soul. The purpose of religious education in this perspective is thus to create human beings with noble personalities and have a higher and ideal standard of spiritual life and have a sense of responsibility to society.

Ο χαρακτήρας και ο σκοπός του Μαθήματος των Θρησκευτικών: Έρευνα για τις αντιλήψεις των Θεολόγων-Εκπαιδευτικών στη Δευτεροβάθμια Εκπαίδευση με κριτήριο τις θρησκευτικές πεποιθήσεις τους. / The character and purpose of Religious Education

Τhis article attempts to explore the perspectives of in-service secondary Religious Education teachers in Greece concerning the aims of Religious Education (RE) in schools and the potential correlation between their educational methods or practices and their religious beliefs. The survey was conducted in 2020-21. The method was the completion of anonymous questionnaires by 259 secondary RE teachers. The quantitative analysis of the results showed that RE teachers tend to prefer all pedagogical approaches with a dim priority in the modern and postmodern approach, without marginalizing the pre – modern. In terms of their teaching methods, the results showed that they give high priority in the aims of the RE (why) and afterwards to the method (how) and to the content (what). As far as their personal religious belief is concerned, it seems to affect their preference for the aims of RE, since the higher it is, the more they prefer the pre- modern – traditional and the modern educational approach rather than the post-modern. Faith also seems to have a very important role in the life of RE teachers.

Peran Guru Pendidikan Agama Islam Dalam Mencegah Kekerasan Peserta Didik di Madrasah

This article explains the importance of religious education in providing values and preventing social violence in madrasas, especially PAI teachers. The purpose of religious education in madrasas is the same as the purpose of life that is owned by every human being, including Muslims. Education also aims to humanize humans, meaning that a student must be treated well and be able to respect their opinions even if they are wrong. However, as an educator, they must be able to guide them by using their intelligence to achieve the desired goals in the future. Therefore, the success or failure of the PAI learning process is determined or influenced by environmental conditions, one of which is the madrasa environment. The role of PAI teachers in overcoming bullying behavior in Madrasas is divided into several stages. First, bullying behavior that involves physical means is an act of violence committed by the perpetrator of the bullying against. The victim by controlling the victim with the power possessed by the perpetrator. Second, bullying behavior that is verbal or non-physical means an act of violence committed by the perpetrator against the victim by using satire, threatening, slandering each other, bullying, insulting, and so on. This research is a type of research that uses a qualitative approach. Therefore, the presence of Islamic Religious Education Teachers is expected to change attitudes and behavior. Through learning provided by competent educators and must be sensitive to the situation because the teacher's role like as a facilitator and mediator for his students.

Should Philosophy Be the Tool for Inquiry-Based Learning in Religious Education?

This paper will identify some studies which suggest that Religious Education (RE), at least in the West, has problems in its ability to engage students in deep learning. In order to posit a suitable pedagogy, we need to ask, what are the aims of RE? These vary, but some common goals include, promoting values, personal meaning, moral behavior and spiritual or religious faith. The pedagogy best suited to these aims remains a contentious issue. This paper will add to the ongoing discussions that support the view that RE can benefit from inquiry learning, and the methodology and content of philosophy.

A Double Bypass? Tracing How the Aims of Religious Education Are Negotiated Across Different Dimensions of the Curriculum in Norway

Religious education (RE) across Europe is drawn between promoting intercultural education and fostering national community. Examining the national curriculum and three RE textbooks in Norway, I find that the former stresses common identity while the latter emphasize plurality and intercultural education. My observations join extant research on the different dimensions of the curriculum and furthermore show how priorities in national curricula may be circumnavigated in what Oddrun M. H. Bråten calls bypasses. However, classroom studies from Norway find that national identity is important for RE teachers, thereby demonstrating a double bypass, if you will.

What does \u201cnew learning\u201d require from religious education teachers? A study of Finnish RE teachers\u2019 perceptions

This article examines “new learning” skills from the perspective of Finnish in-service Religious Education (RE) teachers by exploring which skills teachers emphasize in their instruction. The data of this study consist of a quantitative online questionnaire (N = 83), and qualitative semi-structured interviews (N = 18) that were conducted to clarify the data. Skills were categorized and analysed by using the Assessment and Teaching of twenty-first century Skills (ATC21S) framework. The study shows that, from the four categories in the framework, teachers emphasized skills in Ways of thinking, Tools for working, and Ways of working categories, quite equally highly, though this was less true of the skills in Ways of living in the world category. However, the diversity among individual skills was high. Comparing individual skills, understanding diversity, religious literacy, communication skills (excluding leadership) and critical thinking were the most important in RE and leadership; producing a result and productivity were less emphasized skills in teachers’ instructions. The results were explained by ongoing changes, such as religious pluralization, and digitalization in Finnish society, and the aim of RE as developing equal communication and developing, not finalizing, pupils’ thinking.

Religious literacy in the curriculum in compulsory education in Austria, Scotland and Sweden - a three-country policy comparison

ABSTRACTThis article presents analyses of curricula in religious education (RE) for public schools in Austria, Scotland, and Sweden. A curricula is the plan that outlines the goals, content and outcomes in education. A critical discourse analysis approach (CDA) is used to explore how each national RE curricula constructs (a) the aims, status and purpose of state-maintained RE (b) the teaching and learning objectives, and contents, and (c) what skills and attitudes the processes of learning aim to develop; together, these can be considered to construct students’ religious literacy in the curricula. Theoretical frameworks are from curriculum studies, as well as from literacy studies, with the aim of deepening the knowledge on RE, as well as the discussion on religious literacies from various national curriculum contexts. The analysis shows that although the curricula focus on the same topic, namely RE, they rely on different conceptions of curriculum, as well as on various forms of religious literacy.

Techniques And Strategies For Hindu Survival In Menjing Village

<p><em>The role of education today is highly essential in the process of social transformation, particularly in relation to respect for pluralistic religious entities. Education as an effort to humanize humans as the aim of religious education which has been specified in Article 2 of Government Regulation No. 55/2007. It is a representative effort in forming better human qualities. Religious education is a pattern of learning dimensions that represent not only education in the formal, informal, or non-formal sense. The religious dimension that guides the community into multicultural life is built on equal right and life. The identical treatment of various differences, both religion and social status of a person is an absolute service that must be provided to everyone, so there is no one-sided discrimination against likes or dislikes, or majority or minority. Disclosure of the dominance of the majority and minority systems in Menjing has become a phenomenon examined in this study which is a struggle for the ideological dimension of the religious system between Hinduism and Islam in Menjing Village.</em></p>

An Old Amharic poem from northern Ethiopia: one more text on condemning glory

AbstractThis article presents a publication and translation (with linguistic and philological commentaries) of a recently discovered piece of Old Amharic poetry, possibly dating to the first half/middle of the seventeenth century. The published text bears the titleMärgämä kəbr(“Condemnation of glory”), but its content differs from that of several other Old Amharic poems (not entirely independent from each other) known under the same title. It is only the general idea and the main topics that are shared by allMärgämä kəbrpoems: transience of the earthly world, the inevitability of death and of God's judgement, and the necessity of leading a virtuous life. One can thus speak ofMärgämä kəbras a special genre of early Amharic literature, probably originally belonging to the domain of oral literature and used to address the Christian community with the aim of religious education and admonition of laymen.

Promoting positive community relations: what can RE learn from social psychology and the shared space project?

ABSTRACTIn this article we considered the relevance of specific claims that ‘multi-faith’ approaches to Religious Education (RE) play a role in promoting good community relations. In doing so, we adopted a social-psychological perspective where engaging in positive and meaningful interactions with diverse others reduces prejudice. Survey responses from 92 RE teachers across the UK were examined to determine the extent to which strategies for promoting positive community relations were embedded within classroom practice. We next examined whether teachers intuitively used social psychological theory – namely the contact hypothesis – to promote positive communities in their classrooms. Results demonstrated that the majority of surveyed RE practitioners perceived community relations to be a core aim of RE and that contact theory was applicable to their practice. Teachers reported examples of how they embed both contact theory and RE in their classrooms but not all of these aligned with social psychological theory. Findings suggest that successful practice in RE may be further developed by integrating theoretical principles of the contact hypothesis. Implications and future directions will be discussed.

Mapping the moral assumptions of multi-faith religious education

ABSTRACT When Religious Education (RE) in England and Wales transitioned from Christian confessionalism to a multi-faith approach in the latter half of the twentieth century, the subject’s moral aims were reasserted. In this article, we explore the moral assumptions of this transformation and map some of their connections to other theological and ethical ideas. Inspired by Deleuze and Guattari’s metaphor of a rhizome, we make two novel contributions to scholarship in this regard. First, through some salient examples we show the connections between the moral aims of multi-faith RE and the assumptions of Kantian moral religion. The second contribution, building on this analysis, identifies three moral justifications of multi-faith RE: universalist (founded on assumptions of moral universals across religions), vicarious (the support of a religious worldview by using other religions’ moral teachings) and instrumentalist (a moral justification based on the supposed extrinsic benefits of studying religions). We then go onto consider how these assumptions may differ from the moral commitments of the religions they appropriate, suggesting they disrupt and recombine theocentric concepts into pedagogic ones.

Authentic Religious Education: A Question of Language?

There is much emphasis today on inclusion and diversity in educational systems. As the place of religious belief remains a significant factor in such debates, there is a need for shared understanding of the language and purpose of Religious Education in schools. Given the substantial international footprint of Catholic schools, the conceptual framework of Religious Education in Catholic schools merits serious scrutiny. The Catholic Church’s written teaching on education has a strong focus on the contemporary school as a site of intercultural dialogue. The related teaching on Religious Education in schools, however, remains underdeveloped, with strong voices debating the desirability, or otherwise, of a strong focus on ‘faith formation and practice’ as an outcome of Religious Education. Problematically, terms like ‘Religious Education’ have inconsistent translations in the official documents of the Catholic Church, leading to a plurality of understandings internationally of the ultimate aim of the subject. A presentation of the linguistic inconsistency between English and Italian translations of documents of the Holy See reveals the scale of the challenge. This unsatisfactory arrangement needs reform. Rooted in a close critical study of Catholic teaching on education, the article presents two arguments designed to initiate the reform process: (a) the Catholic Church’s settled teaching on Religious Education must develop greater internal cohesion before it can make a meaningful contribution to intercultural dialogue, and (b) an International Directory of Religious Education, written collegially by qualified lay people and clergy, will build stronger foundations for shared understanding of the aims and scope of Religious Education among key stakeholders in Catholic schools. This shift in direction will harmonise Religious Education expectations in Catholic schools, and offer firmer ground for dialogue with those who manage and teach Religious Education in so-called ‘non-denominational’ schools.

What kind of tensions are involved in the pedagogical use of religious narratives? Perspectives from Finnish Evangelic Lutheran and Islamic religious education

In this article, we examine how narratives of religious traditions are used as resources in religious education (RE) and compare practices from Evangelic Lutheran religious education (LRE) and Islamic religious education (IRE) in Finnish public schools. The sacredness of narratives from holy books entails that there can be contestations over their pedagogical use, and teachers need to negotiate the possible tensions between the pedagogical aims of liberal RE and the integrity of the holy narratives. The research data consists of interviews with teachers of LRE (n = 4) and IRE (n = 5) as well as classroom observations. The results of qualitative content analysis show that teachers use narratives as pedagogical resources when teaching about and from religion. However, tensions occurred between the ideals of student-centred, experiential and creative learning, on one hand, and respecting the sacredness of the narratives, on the other. We also present teachers’ ways of negotiating the tensions as well as some differences between LRE and IRE in the pedagogical use of narratives.

The Political Function of Religious Education in an Ethnically Divided Society: Greek-Cypriot Teachers’ Perspectives on Conflict, Peace, and Religious Teaching

ABSTRACTThis article explores how a group of Greek-Cypriot primary school teachers of Grades 1–6 (ages 6–12) participating in a year-long action research project perceives the aims of religious education in relation to the unresolved political problem that keeps Cyprus ethnically divided and whether religious teaching ought (or not) to promote peaceful co-existence. The study shows that the politicization of religious education in Cyprus reflects deeper framings of the “religiopoly” within education and the society more generally. The findings have implications for teacher training and curriculum reform in understanding the contribution of religious education to peace and interculturalism in conflict-affected societies.

Towards the Role of Islamic Education in Promoting Peace and Harmony in a Society: An Analysis

This paper mainly focuses on the role of religious education, particularly Islamic education in promoting peace and harmony in a society. The basic aim of religious education is to promote the obedience of Allah Almighty and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the form of true believers of Islam for a peaceful and harmonious society. Indeed, religious education lays down sound foundations for individual, family, and social life to produce good citizens in a society. This paper, however, reveals a real picture of the impacts of Islamic education on the development of peaceful masses and harmonious environment. Therefore, the role of Islamic education is being discussed with respect to, how to attain individual, family, and social peace. The study employs qualitative research methodology to find out the relevant verses of the Holy Qur’an and the traditions (Hadiths) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The paper also addresses the misunderstandings and misconceptions about religious education that it leads towards extremism and terrorism. Overall, this study provides an insight into the significance of Islamic education for Muslim societies and its role in producing sound masses for the individual, family, and social life.