scholarly journals Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 184
Author(s):  
Graeme Nixon ◽  
David Smith ◽  
Jo Fraser-Pearce

This paper, based on 355 survey responses from secondary Religious Education (RE) teachers in England (n = 238) and Scotland (n = 117), explores the background of these educators in terms of qualifications, personal (a)theistic belief, and religion. This research seeks to establish the degree backgrounds of RE teachers, what religion they belong to (if any), and the range of theistic, agnostic, and atheistic teachers currently within the RE profession. This paper, acknowledging the similar and contrasting natures of England and Scotland in terms of the history, status and purpose(s) of the subject, demonstrates that RE teachers in these countries come from diverse academic backgrounds, and that most RE teachers in England and Scotland do not believe in God(s). Nearly half of RE teachers in England and more than half in Scotland have no religion. The granulation to England and Scotland allows us to make tentative links with national census and social attitudes research, and with literature, which posits nuanced secularisation trajectories. Furthermore, the data allow us to cross-tabulate (for example, between degree background and religious beliefs), as well as with the data in extant research about the risks of sanitised and essentialised approaches to teaching religion in schools.

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 392
Author(s):  
Mehmet H. Tuna

Muslims in Austria have, since 1982/83, had the unique privilege of providing Islamic religious education in secular public schools, including primary, middle and secondary schools. As well as opportunities, this privilege brings responsibilities and challenges to the Muslim community. Since its beginnings, Islamic religious education in Austria has, among other things, been especially characterized by the heterogeneity and diversity of its participants, as well as the general diversity in society and the secular context of public schools. In this context, theoretical discussions about the orientation of and justification for Islamic religious education in secular public schools suggest that for both teachers and the subject itself, an awareness, appreciation and inclusion of diversity, dialogue, multi-perspectivity and reflexivity is required. The empirical study on the professionalization of Islamic religious education, drawn on in this article, is based on Muslim teachers’ own perspectives and experiences. The research findings of that study show how Muslims become Islamic religious education teachers, how Muslim teachers see their roles in secular public schools, how they teach and approach Islam or Islamic topics, what the challenges of teaching Islamic education in public schools are, and other related topics. This article (re-)analyzes used and unused data from the study and focuses on how diversity and controversial topics can be approached in the context of Islamic religious education.


Religions ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Smith ◽  
Graeme Nixon ◽  
Jo Pearce

We argue that there is a well-intentioned—yet mistaken—definitional turn within contemporary cultural discourse in which ‘true’ religion, being essentially loving and peaceful, is distinguished from ‘false’ religion. Concerned with the possibility that this discourse might be prevalent in school Religious Education (RE), we surveyed practicing RE teachers within the United Kingdom (UK) on their beliefs about religion. We wanted to see how far the surveyed teachers evidenced a strand of contemporary cultural discourse which, we argue, conceptualizes bad religion as false religion. Responses from 465 teachers to our online survey indicate that many RE teachers understand religion(s) as essentially benign or pro-social—and present it/them as such in the classroom. We argue that RE can only foster religious literacy if religions are presented as multifarious, complex, social phenomena. This cannot be predicated upon an essentialist conceptualization of harmful religion as false religion, which is inimical to understanding religion in the world today—as in times past. We conclude that this conceptualization is a barrier to UK RE meeting both its extrinsic purpose to educate, and one of its intrinsic purposes to foster tolerance and pro-social attitudes.


1987 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Thatcher

Christian theology is an important perspective for theorizing about education. This article develops a possible theological perspective on religious education. RE these days is seldom Christian education. It is dominated by secular assumptions: it is to be open, multi-faith and descriptive. What might a Christian theology of education say of these developments? In section 1 the question is raised why RE should be taught in schools at all. In section 2 a theological analysis of what may be called ‘the climate of unbelief’ is attempted, and it will be shown how several of the assumptions of the new RE arise directly out of this. In section 3 some fresh criticisms of the phenomenological approach to religion are made, which if they are sound, will indicate that this approach need not be preferred to more traditional approaches to teaching religion. In section 4 it is suggested that both the alleged fact of modern secularity and the fear of religious absolutism provide no grounds for embracing a purely descriptive approach to religion. There is a simple, practical conclusion – there should be more Christian Studies and less Religious Education in schools.


Al'Adalah ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-145
Author(s):  
Ali Wafi ◽  
Sobri Wasil

Penggunaan media elektronik perlu pengawasan dari orang tua dan guru. Seorang anak harus diarahkan untuk mendapatkan pendidikan keagamaan. Untuk menanggulangi dampat negatif dari penggunaan media elektronik, maka pendidikan aqidah akhlaq harus diajarkan dan diamalkan. Mata pelajaran Aqidah Akhlaq di Madrasah Tsanawiyah Al-Mubarok Sumberpinang Pakusari Jember merupakan bagian integral dari pendidikan agama Islam, secara substansial mata pelajaran Aqidah dan Akhlaq memiliki kontribusi dalam memberikan motivasi kepada siswa untuk mempraktekkan nilai-nilai keyakinan keagamaan (tauhid) dan akhlakqul karimah dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Tulisan ini meberikan kesimpulkan bahwa pendidikan aqidah akhlak memiliki peran yang sangat urgen dalam menanggulangi dampak negatif penggunaan media elektronik pada siswa MTs. Al-Mubarok Sumberpinang Pakusari Jember . The use of electronic media requires supervision from parents and teachers. A child should be directed to get religious education. To overcome the negative impact of using electronic media, aqidah morality education must be taught and practiced. The subject of Aqidah Akhlaq at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Al-Mubarok Sumberpinang Pakusari Jember is an integral part of Islamic religious education, substantially the Aqidah and Akhlaq subjects have a contribution to motivate students to practice the values of religious belief (tauhid) and akhlakqul karimah in life. daily. This paper concludes that education of aqidah akhlak has a very urgent role in overcoming the negative impact of using electronic media on MTs students. Al-Mubarok Sumberpinang Pakusari Jember.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 660
Author(s):  
Ranirizal Ranirizal

Performance is the performance shown by educators, both in quality and quantity in carrying out their duties in accordance with the responsibilities given to them professionally. Educator performance development is a very decisive factor in the success of the education and learning process. In fact, in Kindergarten Rayon IV, Dumai City, there is still a low level of competency standards possessed by educators. The intended competency standard is from the standard academic qualifications and four competencies that must be possessed by a kindergarten educator, namely pedagogic, professional, social and personality competencies. This is evidenced by educators not yet mastering learning material with the maximum known when the learning process educators are not able to explain well the subject matter, and educators have not shown maximum performance in carrying out their duties and functions. The purpose of this study was to see whether there was an influence on teacher professionalism on teacher performance in Dumai IV Rayon Kindergarten. The results of the study prove that there is a significant relationship between the professionalism of Kindergarten educators and the performance of educators in Kindergarten Rayon IV, Dumai City. This is evidenced by the value of Sig (2-tailed) professionalism on educator's performance of 0,000, so the calculation shows 0,000 <0.05. This means that Ha is accepted, that is, there is a significant relationship between the professionalism of Kindergarten educators and the Performance of Educators in Kindergarten Rayon IV, Dumai City.


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Hoffjan

This study introduces content analysis as a method of examining the accountant's role. The empirical study is based on 73 advertisements, which are directed primarily at employees who are affected by the management accountant's work. The findings of the study indicate that the subject of accountancy is used particularly in connection with promises of “cost reduction.” Consequently, the majority of advertisements use the accountant stereotype of “savings personified.” In a professional context, the work ethic of the management accountant is given particular emphasis in the advertisements. He/she identifies him/herself with his/her task to the maximum degree, is regarded as loyal to his/her company and, for the most part, is well organized in his/her work. However, the characterization of the management accountant as a well disciplined company-person conflicts with the negative portrayal of his/her professional qualities. In advertisements, the management accountant is portrayed as a rather inflexible, passive, and uncreative specialist who, as a result of these qualities, often demotivates others. The personal characteristics of the management accountant are shown in a negative light. This gives him/her the unappealing image of a humorless, envious, dissociated, and ascetic corporate-person.


This handbook provides an overview of the emerging field of global studies. Since the end of the Cold War, globalization has been reshaping the modern world, and an array of new scholarship has risen to make sense of it in its various transnational manifestations—including economic, social, cultural, ideological, technological, environmental, and in new communications. The chapters discuss various aspects in the field through a broad range of approaches. Several chapters focus on the emergence of the field and its historical antecedents. Other chapters explore analytic and conceptual approaches to teaching and research in global studies. The largest section deals with the subject matter of global studies—challenges from diasporas and pandemics to the global city and the emergence of a transnational capitalist class. The final two sections feature chapters that take a critical view of globalization from diverse perspectives and essays on global citizenship—the ideas and institutions that guide an emerging global civil society. This handbook focuses on global studies more than on the phenomenon of globalization itself, although the various aspects of globalization are central to understanding how the field is currently being shaped.


Author(s):  
Steven C. Pan ◽  
Timothy C. Rickard ◽  
Robert A. Bjork

AbstractA century ago, spelling skills were highly valued and widely taught in schools using traditional methods, such as weekly lists, drill exercises, and low- and high-stakes spelling tests. That approach was featured in best-selling textbooks such as the Horn-Ashbaugh Speller of 1920. In the early 21st century, however, skepticism as to the importance of spelling has grown, some schools have deemphasized or abandoned spelling instruction altogether, and there has been a proliferation of non-traditional approaches to teaching spelling. These trends invite a reevaluation of the role of spelling in modern English-speaking societies and whether the subject should be explicitly taught (and if so, what are research-supported methods for doing so). In this article, we examine the literature to address whether spelling skills are still important enough to be taught, summarize relevant evidence, and argue that a comparison of common approaches to spelling instruction in the early 20th century versus more recent approaches provides some valuable insights. We also discuss the value of explicit spelling instruction and highlight potentially effective ways to implement such instruction, including the use of spelling tests. Overall, our goals are to better characterize the role of spelling skills in today’s society and to identify several pedagogical approaches—some derived from traditional methods and others that are more recent—that hold promise for developing such skills in efficient and effective ways.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Iliadis ◽  
Imogen Richards ◽  
Mark A Wood

‘Newsmaking criminology’, as described by Barak, is the process by which criminologists contribute to the generation of ‘newsworthy’ media content about crime and justice, often through their engagement with broadcast and other news media. While newsmaking criminological practices have been the subject of detailed practitioner testimonials and theoretical treatise, there has been scarce empirical research on newsmaking criminology, particularly in relation to countries outside of the United States and United Kingdom. To illuminate the state of play of newsmaking criminology in Australia and New Zealand, in this paper we analyse findings from 116 survey responses and nine interviews with criminologists working in universities in these two countries, which provide insight into the extent and nature of their news media engagement, and their related perceptions. Our findings indicate that most criminologists working in Australia or New Zealand have made at least one news media appearance in the past two years, and the majority of respondents view news media engagement as a professional ‘duty’. Participants also identified key political, ethical, and logistical issues relevant to their news media engagement, with several expressing a view that radio and television interviewers can influence criminologists to say things that they deem ‘newsworthy’.


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