Teachers’ personal worldviews and RE in England: a way forward?
Flanagan, R
Date: 12 October 2020
Article
Journal
British Journal of Religious Education
Publisher
Routledge / Christian Education
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Teachers’ worldviews may impact their practice in terms of pedagogy, curriculum choices,
and the value they assign to, or enthusiasm for, a curriculum subject. In England, Religious
Education (RE) involves the teaching of religious and non-religious worldviews. RE teachers
often lack training, subject knowledge, confidence or even ...
Teachers’ worldviews may impact their practice in terms of pedagogy, curriculum choices,
and the value they assign to, or enthusiasm for, a curriculum subject. In England, Religious
Education (RE) involves the teaching of religious and non-religious worldviews. RE teachers
often lack training, subject knowledge, confidence or even desire to teach the subject.
This article develops a working definition of ‘worldview’ as an individual’s frame
of reference, held consciously and subconsciously, that evolves due to life experiences,
enabling them to make sense of the world. Hermeneutical tools employed in training sessions
with teachers enabled them to identify aspects of their worldviews and the narratives which
have formed these. Research was undertaken through semi-structured interviews with 10
Primary school teachers in the South West of England.
Findings revealed variations between teachers’ worldview-consciousness and the impact of
their worldviews on their teaching of RE: notions of ‘good life’ varied and determined their
teaching of, choices within and rationale for RE alongside growing confidence. Depth of
understanding was facilitated for some by overseas travel or working and living in an
ethnically diverse area. Greater self-understanding for teachers was evident in their
acknowledgement of the impact of their own worldviews on their teaching of RE.
School of Education
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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