Everington, Judith, Avest, Ina ter, Bakker, Cok and Want, Anna van der. (2011) European religious education teachers' perceptions of and responses to classroom diversity and their relationship to personal and professional biographies. British Journal of Religious Education, Vol.33 (No.2). pp. 241-256. ISSN 0141-6200

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

This paper focuses on teachers of secondary level religious education in England, Estonia, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. It presents a study of the teachers' perceptions of and responses to the diversity within their classes, in relation to their professional role and their personal and professional biographies. The study employed biographical research methods and 36 teachers were interviewed. Key findings were that, in every country, there was a clear relationship between individual teachers' personal biographies and how they responded to religious and/or cultural diversity and common cross‐national strategies for dealing with these aspects of diversity. However, socio‐cultural factors within each country (including dominant views of the relationship between religion and education) affected the ways in which the teachers perceived the diversity within their classes and there were national differences in how teachers prioritised aspects of diversity. The study concludes that if teachers of religion are to extend the range of their responses to classroom diversity, they would benefit from opportunities to reflect on the relationship between their perceptions of and responses to religious and cultural diversity, their personal biographies, and national requirements and expectations related to their professional role.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BV Practical Theology > BV1460 Religious Education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1603 Secondary Education. High schools
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Religious education -- Europe, Religion -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Europe, Religious educators -- Europe, Religious educators -- Training of, Religious educators -- Biography, Multicultural education -- Cross-cultural studies, Cultural pluralism
Journal or Publication Title:	British Journal of Religious Education
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	0141-6200
Date:	March 2011
Volume:	Vol.33
Number:	No.2
Page Range:	pp. 241-256
Identification Number:	10.1080/01416200.2011.546669
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
References:	Cooling, T. 2002. Commitment and indoctrination: A dilemma for religious education? In Issues in RE, ed. L. Broadbent and A. Brown. London: Routledge. Denzin, N., and Y. Lincoln, eds. 2000. Handbook of qualitative research. 2nd ed. California: Sage. Dunne, M., and L. Gazeley. 2008. Teachers, social class and underachievement. British Journal of Sociology of Education 29, no. 5: 451–63. Everington, J., and P. Sikes. 2001. I want to change the world: The beginning RE teacher, the reduction of prejudice and the pursuit of intercultural understanding and respect. In Towards religious competence: Diversity as a challenge for education in Europe, ed. H.-G. Heimbrock, C.T. Scheilke, and P. Schreiner, 180–203. Münster: Lit Verlag. Goodson, I., and P. Sikes. 2001. Life history research in educational settings: Learning from lives. Buckingham: Oxford University Press. Jackson, R., S. Miedema, W. Weisse, and J.P. Willaime. 2007. Religion and education in Europe: Developments, contexts and debates. Münster: Waxmann. Johanssen, O. 2009. Sameness as norm and challenge – Norwegian teachers and religious diversity. In Teachers responding to religious diversity in Europe: Researching biography and pedagogy, ed. A. van der Want, C. Bakker, I. ter Avest, and J. Everington, 95–110. Münster: Waxmann. Johanssen, O. 2011. Forthcoming. Contextual knowledge for an inclusive RE. In Context in religious education research, ed. G. Skeie, J. Everington, I. ter Avest, and S.. Meidema. Münster: Waxmann Kelchtermans, G. 2000. Reflectief ervaringsleren voor leerkrachten, een werkboek voor opleiders, nascholers en stagebegeleiders, Cahier voor didactiek 10. Wolters Plantyn Educatieve Uitgevers [Learning from experiences by reflection on action. An exercise book for teachers and coaches in teacher education. Exercise book no. 10. Wolters Plantyn Educatieve Utigevers]. Knauth, T. 2007. Religious education in Germany. In Religion and education in Europe: Developments, contexts and debates, ed. R. Jackson, S. Miedema, W. Weisse, and J.P. Willaime, 243–66. Münster: Waxman. Knowles, J.G. 1992. Models for understanding pre-service and beginning teachers’ biographies: Illustrations from case studies. In Studying teachers’ lives, ed. I. Goodson, 99–152. London: Routledge. Mertens, D.M. 1997. Research methods in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage. OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights). 2007. Toledo guiding principles on teaching about religions and beliefs in schools. Warsaw: OSCE. J. Everington et al. Schihalejev, O. 2010. From indifference to dialogue? Estonian young people, the school and religious diversity. Münster: Waxmann. Sikes, P. and J. Everington. 2001. Becoming an RE teacher. British Journal of Religious Education 24, no. 1: 8–19. Ter Avest, A., C. Bakker, G. Betram-Troost, and S. Miedema. 2007. Religion and education in the Dutch pillarised and post pillarised educational system: Historical background and current debates. In Religion and education in Europe: Developments, contexts and debates, ed. R. Jackson, S. Miedema, W. Weisse, and J.P. Willaime. Münster: Waxmann. Todd, S. 2007. Teachers judging without scripts, or thinking cosmopolitan. Ethics and Education 2, no. 1: 25–38. Valk, P. 2007. Religious education in Estonia. In Religion and education in Europe: Developments, contexts and debates, ed. R. Jackson, S. Miedema, W. Weisse, and J.P. Willaime, 159–80. Munster: Waxman. van der Want, A., C. Bakker, I. ter Avest, and J. Everington, eds. 2009. Teachers responding to religious diversity in Europe: Researching biography and pedagogy. Münster: Waxmann. Weisse, W. 2007. The European research project on religion and education ‘REDCou: An introduction. In Religion and education in Europe: Developments, contexts and debates, ed. R. Jackson, S. Miedema, W. Weisse, and J.P. Willaime, 9–25. Munster: Waxman. Williame, J.P. 2007. Teaching religious issues in French public schools. In Religion and education in Europe: Developments, contexts and debates, ed. R. Jackson, S. Miedema, W. Weisse, and J.P. Willaime, 57–66. Munster: Waxman.
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/37566

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item