Judith Everington

Becoming An RE Teacher: A Life History Approach

This paper discusses why life history method was considered to be the most appropriate approach for investigating what it is like to become and be a teacher of religious education (RE) at the present time. The study in question followed a cohort of Secondary Post‐Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) in RE students through their training and into their first years of teaching. Within England and Wales, religion per se tends to evoke suspicion and even hostility and the stereotypes associated with religion‐related identities are often negative. We wanted to investigate both what it was like for particular individuals, each with his or her own unique history, to become and be RE teachers and also, how contemporary and dominant perceptions of and attitudes towards religion, together with the ways in which RE is positioned within schools and the curriculum, influence and impact upon that experience. Life history method has the ability to bestride the micro‐macro interface and to consider the dialectical relationship between the individual and society. In this paper, we make our case for using it.

A Question of Authenticity: The Relationship between Educators and Practitioners in the Representation of Religious Traditions

This article supports the initiative taken by the Schools Curriculum and Assessment Authority in involving the faith communities in the production of the SCAA Model Syllabuses for Religious Education. It examines critically, however, the claim that this resulted in authentic representations of the various traditions and that it provided a model for future relationships between religious educators and practitioners. An account of the experiences of the Warwick Religious Education Project team is used to raise some of the issues which need to be addressed if educators and practitioners are to develop creative working relationships, and to suggest some of the strategies which mig ht enable members of each group to work together effectively in joint projects.

‘RE teachers do get drunk you know’: becoming a religious education teacher in the twenty-first century

In terms of the attention that they have attracted from researchers, and in comparison with teachers of other subjects, religious education specialists would seem to be a neglected and marginalized group. This paper looks at some of the reasons why this might be and also describes a study that is using a life history approach to explore what it is like to be a religious education teacher at the turn of the millennium.

‘I’m a Woman Before I'm an RE Teacher': managing religious identity in secondary schools

Religion and sexuality tend not to make easy bedfellows. This article draws on a life history study which has followed a cohort of religious education (RE), secondary postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) students through their training and into their first years of teaching. In addition to the adaptations, stresses and challenges commonly faced by people when they become teachers, it seems that RE specialists have to deal with unattractive (personal) identities and expectations associated with their subject. The article discusses the ways in which women RE teachers used clothes, hairstyles and make-up, together with explicit reference to their social lives, to challenge the ascribed identities which had negative implications both for their own sense of self and for their pedagogy.

Hindu, Muslim and Sikh religious education teachers’ use of personal life knowledge : the relationship between biographies, professional beliefs and practice

The article reports the findings of a qualitative study of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh teachers of religious education and the relationship between their biographies, professional beliefs and use of personal life knowledge in English, secondary school classrooms. This relationship was explored through a study of five beginning teachers and provided evidence of the role that their personal knowledge played in enabling them to support the learning of pupils in white majority and Muslim majority state schools. It also indicated the need for teacher education courses to provide opportunities for teachers to explore the relationship between their personal and professional lives and the potential dilemmas and dangers of sharing their personal knowledge and experiences with pupils. In the context of international concern to identify criteria for selecting beginning teachers, the article highlights the importance of initiatives aimed at increasing the ethnic/religious diversity of the teaching force.

‘We’re all in this together, the kids and me’: beginning teachers’ use of their personal life knowledge in the Religious Education classroom

In the context of international debates about teachers’ knowledge, this essay reports a study of how and why a cohort of English trainee teachers of Religious Education used their personal life knowledge in their teaching. Four possible reasons for their commitment to this practice are examined. A belief in the value of openness, a desire to motivate and engage their pupils, and a need to create ‘bridges’ between the pupils’ worlds and those of religions are considered. The possibility that trainees used their life knowledge to bridge a ‘gap’ between their personal and professional lives is also discussed. The findings of Communication and Teacher Effectiveness research are used to indicate the potential benefits of the practice and the works by Aldenmyr and Furedi are drawn upon to highlight potential dangers. The author concludes that the sharing of teachers’ life knowledge can benefit pupils, but that teachers need to reflect on the dangers and further research is needed to support this.

Teaching inclusive religious education impartially: an English perspective

The article draws on experience of teaching, teacher education and qualitative research related to an impartial approach to inclusive religious education (including pupils from families who identify with or do not identify with religion or belief groups), in publicly funded schools in England. Such religious education is considered to be intrinsically worthwhile and instrumentally important in contributing to pupils’ personal and social development. The approach considered is hermeneutical, bringing reliable information into relationship with knowledge and experience of pupils and teacher through active learning, including dialogue. Qualitative research on student and early career teachers suggests that appropriate skills and attitudes supporting an impartial approach can be developed, facilitating a relationship of trust between teacher and students. A condition is the development of teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the stances of pupils in their classes. However, some student teachers or teachers with very firmly held views find it very difficult to adopt an impartial approach. On the basis of examples from qualitative research, it is argued that good quality teacher education can assist in developing appropriate skills and attitudes for those wishing to take an impartial approach. Further research, ideally involving partnership between researchers and practitioners, is recommended.

Bridging separate communities: the aspirations and experiences of minority ethnic religious education teachers in England

This article takes as its starting point concerns about community separation that arose in 2001, following outbreaks of violence in English urban centres, and again in 2014, following the so-called ‘Trojan Horse’ case. Despite a series of reports which have highlighted the need to address ‘separation’, promote ‘meaningful contact’ between those who differ in terms of ethnicity and worldview and identify teachers of religious education (RE) as key players, researchers have paid no attention to teachers of RE from minority ethnic and religious backgrounds. The article draws on a qualitative study of teachers from Hindu, Muslim and Sikh backgrounds to explore their concerns about pupils’ perceptions of separation and the ways in which they attempted to address these in white majority and Muslim majority schools. Communication research and studies based on social capital theory are used to suggest that the teachers used ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’ strategies as means of encouraging pupils to explore their perceptions of separation, engage in a mediated form of meaningful contact with ‘the Other’ and expand their thinking. The conclusion calls for further research in to the strategies reported and for policy makers to support the recruitment, training and career development of minority ethnic teachers of RE.

Evolution not Revolution: an Examination of the Contribution of a Curriculum Development Project to the Implementation of New Agreed Syllabuses

A recent study indicates that secondary school teachers are resisting the changes imposed by new agreed syllabuses and are experiencing difficulty in achieving the balance of aims that these require. It is argued that if teachers are to be persuaded to cooperate in the implementation of the new syllabuses, they must be enabled to interpret syllabus requirements using methods which reflect their own vision for the subject and which meet the needs of their own teaching situations. At the same time, these methods must be developed to ensure that agreed syllabus requirements are met. There is a need to support and guide teachers through the process of change, and curriculum development projects have an important contribution to make to this. An examination of the work of the Warwick RE Project is used to illustrate these points.

Including nonreligious worldviews in religious education: the views and experiences of English secondary school teachers

ABSTRACT Although the teaching of nonreligious worldviews has been advocated in a Council of Europe Recommendation, few European countries include such a study in religious education (RE). Guidance on implementing the Recommendation recognises that inclusion is problematic, raising issues for policymakers, teacher trainers and schools. In this article, findings from a qualitative study of the views and experiences of 25 RE teachers in England are used to identify and explore a range of issues, in relation to national and international debates and research. Examples of inclusion and the models that they suggest are considered and it is argued that major obstacles, such as limited time and lack of a framework for the integration of religious and nonreligious worldviews, can be of overcome. However, it is concluded that this will require further research and curriculum development work and that international collaboration should be pursued.