Only she can teach it! Investigating exemplary RE teachers

Abstract

Exemplary religious education (RE) teachers were identified by school based RE leaders and interviewed as part of an ongoing study of the implementation of a new senior high school religious education program in Catholic schools in NSW, Australia. Contextualisation was provided by examining dominant social influences utilising Dobbelaere’s concept of multi layered secularisation and Pollefeyt’s notion of teachers as witness, specialist and moderator (WSM). The worldview of teachers in this study was not closely aligned with a secularised personal religious identity. They displayed a high level of religious salience. Participants did, however, display characteristics that were in keeping with a framework of skilled RE as WSM. A range of implications of this study were discussed including the need for; a closer examination of the pedagogical strategies used by exemplary RE teachers, a better understanding of teacher formation, further examination of the life journey of exemplary RE teachers in Catholic education.