Intended for the use of primary head teachers, class teachers and teachers in training, this book examines the requirements of the 1988 Education Reform Act in respect of religious education in schools. It offers guidance on ways in which religious education can be developed successfully.
Intended for the use of primary head teachers, class teachers and teachers in training, this book examines the requirements of the 1988 Education Reform Act in respect of religious education in schools. It offers guidance on ways in which religious education can be developed successfully.
Case studies from different countries are presented in this book with examples of successful and innovative classroom practice in religious education in Primary Schools in Europe. Religious education contributes to learning about religions that focuses on knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs in the world today and learning from religions that offers students opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual developments and also to learning through religions that brings these aims together in a more integrated way, different approaches to religious education in the countries. The articles underline the relation between religious education, the wider curriculum and whole school initiatives.
This volume brings together international scholars to honour the contributions of Professor John Hull to the field of religious education and practical theology, exploring and discussing the debates and issues of a variety of important themes.
First Published in 1998. There is a current preoccupation with educational standards with claims that overall standards of achievement have fallen. The purpose of this book, therefore, is to address the question of how children learn across the primary National Curriculum subjects, with implications for effective teaching approaches. The book emphasises a constructivist view of learning, which acknowledges that children have views and attitudes which are formed as a result of experiences in and out of school and that these must be taken into account if meaningful and transferable learning is to be achieved.
Developmental Psychology and Young Children’s Religious Education sets out to identify the conceptual pre-requisites for young children’s religious education learning and clearly highlights the challenges that children and their teachers encounter in the RE educational process. Based on a study with 431 children aged 5 to 7 years from different schools, faith and non-faith, and 47 teachers from the same schools as the children, this book offers an insightful look into younger children’s religious education, providing statistical evidence to dismantle the belief that young children lack the ability to conceptualise God in abstract terms. The information obtained from these children and their teachers reveals a major discrepancy between the teachers’ perceptions of young children’s conceptual abilities for RE learning, on the one hand, and children’s actual abilities revealed in their responses throughout the study, on the other. Based on the evidence described in the volume, Petrovich argues that teacher-training courses for primary RE need to be designed to include a substantial component of contemporary developmental research that is of direct relevance to children’s conceptual abilities and understanding of abstract concepts. Developmental Psychology and Young Children’s Religious Education is essential reading for students and researchers in developmental psychology, religious education, teacher education, education studies and cultural anthropology.
Many trainee primary teachers are uncertain as to the place and purpose of RE in primary schools. This book is designed to alleviate such fears and give trainees the security and confidence to teach RE effectively. Trainees are encouraged to recognise their own religious position and understand how they handle their own beliefs and commitments in the classroom. In addition, they will learn how to be sensitive to children′s religious viewpoints, allowing children to share their beliefs in a secure and supportive environment. A range of strategies help readers to provide engaging and appropriate RE across the primary age phase.
This book is based on the vision that religious education (RE) can be taught creatively, with relevance to the lives of teachers and their pupils today, in predominantly secular society. RE should be taught from the perspective of knowledge and understanding of religions, to foster tolerance and to dispel prejudice and misunderstanding, without any attempt to influence children's personal beliefs. The philosophy which underpins this book is the belief that RE is best taught within an integrated approach to the humanities. The humanities are about what it is to be human, in time and place and in terms of belief. Therefore, RE is linked with history, geography, and the creative arts within five themes: human survival, light and dark, leadership, the environment, and time and motion. As well, there is accurate and detailed subject knowledge about the six major world faiths and plays/scenes about them written and produced in schools by myself. The book is in alignment with the British National Curriculum, which requires that RE is taught in schools, and with the latest Ofsted Report (2010), which states that there is a need for guidance for teachers, and more creative and innovative approaches to link RE with the wider curriculum.
As primary subjects are increasingly being taught on an interdisciplinary level, Russell Grigg and Sioned Hughes have created an innovative new text, Teaching Primary Humanities. This new text explores current debate, encourages reflection and provides clear guidance on planning, teaching and assessing the humanities from the Early Years to Key Stage 2. Through a blend of theory and real-life examples, Grigg and Hughes demonstrate the contribution that history, geography and religious education can make to enhancing children’s thinking, literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. Whether you are a trainee or a practitioner, this book will develop your knowledge of how young children’s understanding of place, time and community can be fostered through a play-based curriculum. It will also benefit teachers of older children looking to encourage more independent learning in their schools. About the authors: Dr Russell Grigg is Head of the South West Wales Centre of Teacher Education. He is a trained primary inspector for England and Wales. He has written widely in the field of history and primary education including Wales in the Victorian Age and Becoming an Outstanding Primary Teacher. Dr Sioned Hughes is Senior Lecturer in Initial Teacher Training at the South West Wales Centre of Teacher Education. She has published many educational materials, especially in primary geography. Her work on Patagonia was recognised by the Welsh Books Council as the ‘Bestselling Children’s Book’ in 2011.