Re-Framing Religious Education: A toolkit for teaching about beliefs and practices in schools

Learning about beliefs and practices is relevant to young people and can be taught well by teachers of faith or not using cultural understanding, identity formation, and evidence, truth, and proof lenses, as well as effective pedagogies such as enquiry learning and storytelling.

Format: Hardback
Length: 180 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Learning about beliefs and practices is essential for young people as it helps them develop a sense of identity, understand the world around them, and make informed decisions. Teachers, of faith or not, can play a vital role in teaching these topics effectively. One key approach is to use a positive framework that incorporates cultural understanding, identity formation, and issues of evidence, truth, and proof. This framework helps students access, engage with, and achieve understanding of beliefs and practices.

One of the most important aspects of teaching about beliefs and practices is to provide students with a cultural understanding. This means helping them to understand the values, beliefs, and practices of different cultures and how they have shaped the world. Teachers can use a variety of tools to achieve this, such as literature, art, music, and film. For example, a teacher might use a novel to explore the experiences of a character from a different culture or a film to explore the history of a particular religion.

Identity formation is another important aspect of teaching about beliefs and practices. Students need to develop a sense of who they are and what they believe in. Teachers can help students to develop their identity by providing opportunities for them to express themselves and explore their beliefs. This can include activities such as writing, art, and music.

Issues of evidence, truth, and proof are also important aspects of teaching about beliefs and practices. Teachers can help students to understand the scientific method and how it is used to investigate beliefs and practices. This can include activities such as conducting experiments and analyzing data.

In addition to these key approaches, teachers can also use a wealth of effective pedagogies to teach about beliefs and practices. Enquiry learning and storytelling are two of the most effective pedagogies. Enquiry learning involves students asking questions and exploring answers, while storytelling involves students telling stories about their beliefs and practices.

Researching what best practice is now can also help teachers in their RE-framing. This can include looking at research on effective teaching practices and using these practices in their classrooms.

However, teaching about beliefs and practices can also be challenging. Some students may have strong beliefs that are different from those of their teachers. Teachers must be respectful of these beliefs and provide opportunities for students to express their beliefs. Teachers must also be aware of the potential for conflict and work to prevent it.

In conclusion, learning about beliefs and practices is essential for young people as it helps them develop a sense of identity, understand the world around them, and make informed decisions. Teachers, of faith or not, can play a vital role in teaching these topics effectively by using a positive framework that incorporates cultural understanding, identity formation, and issues of evidence, truth, and proof. By using a wealth of effective pedagogies, teachers can help students to access, engage with, and achieve understanding of beliefs and practices.

Dimension: 297 x 210 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781138046955