Improving Religious Education Through Teacher Training - Experiences and Insights From European Countries

Frontmatter

Cover

Imprint

Contents

Introduction (Rob Freathy, Friedrich Schweitzer, Stephen Parker, Henrik Simojoki)

1. Teacher education and the quality of RE

2. Approaches to research on RE in international context

3. Aims and intentions of the book

4. Disciplinarity, definitions and differences in RE

5. The relationship between teacher education and teaching quality

6. Overview of the book

References

Insights from the history of the education of teachers of Religious Education in England. Subject specialists and specialisation (Rob Freathy, Stephen G. Parker)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Subject specialist, semi-specialist or non-specialist?

3. Religious Education Council

4. The elusive concept of subject specialisation

5. Conclusion

References

Professionalisation of teachers of RE. Insights from the history of the education of teachers in Germany (Henrik Simojoki, Friedrich Schweitzer)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Professionalisation and the quality of RE

3. The RETPro study on the professionalisation of the RE teacher

4. Researching professionalisation in RE teacher education: Key elements of the research design

5. Selected results and their relevance for the development of teacher education for RE

6. Conclusion: benefits and limits of using the concept of professionalisation as a lens for understanding and improving RE teacher education

References

The universitisation of teacher education and Religious Education (Stephen J. McKinney)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. The beginnings of formal teacher education and the denominational colleges 1800s–1905

2.1 David Stow and the Glasgow Normal Seminaries

2.2 Scrutiny of the colleges and the end of Presbyterian control

3. The period: 1905–1980s

4. The move to university based teacher education 1980s-2022

5. RE and teacher education

6. The 21st century and the future of teacher education

7. Research on RE and teacher education

8. Concluding remarks

References

Improving Religious Education via research and practices in which the voices of (future) RE teachers are included. Experiences from the Netherlands as illustrations (Gerdien Bertram-Troost)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Religion and Dutch education

3. RE in the Netherlands: secondary education

4. Some relevant, more or less recent empirical studies

4.1 Study on practical knowledge base of experienced RE teachers

4.2 Dutch RE teachers and their views

5. Conclusions for the further development of teacher education

References

How to improve Religious Education through teacher training?Experiences and research from Austria regarding the challenge of religious pluralisation (Melanie Binder, Martin Rothgangel)

Abstract

1. The context of religion teacher training in Austria

1.1 Religious developments and consequences for RE

1.2 Organisational aspects of the training of religion teachers

2. Relevant empirical studies on the training of religion teachers

2.1 Research in the context of KPH Vienna / Krems

2.2 Research in the context of the University of Innsbruck

2.3 Research in the context of the University of Graz

2.4 Research on inter-religious competence in the curricula of teacher training colleges

3. Summary and perspectives

References

Religious Education: Measuring impact and the impact of measuring. Recent developments in Catholic Religious Education in Flanders (Didier Pollefeyt)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. A hermeneutical-communicative concept of teacher training in religion

3. Bridging the gap: How young adolescents look back to their RE classes

4. Developments in the curriculum of RE

5. Summary

References

What does neutral mean? Reflections on an all too self-evident guiding concept of religion-related teaching and teacher training in the Swiss context (Thomas Schlag)

Abstract

1. Contextual location

1.1 On the political and social understanding of neutrality

1.2 Neutrality as a hallmark of education

1.3 Neutrality as a hallmark of religion-related education

1.4 Neutrality as a hallmark of teacher education

2. Explorations of the concept of neutrality in educational theory

3. Plea for a deeper understanding of the concept of neutrality for the context of religion-related education in Switzerland and beyond

4. Summary and conclusion

References

Religious Education teacher training in support of the public sphere. Reflections on an integrated model (Athanasios Stogiannidis, Evangelos Pepes)

Abstract

1. A starting point for researching Religious Education teacher training: Definitions

1.1 The constitutional background of RE in Greece

1.2 The legal framework of RE in Greece

1.3 Basic aims of RE in Greece

2. The legal framework of RE teacher training in Greece

3. Brief description of the Pedagogical and Teaching Adequacy (PTA) Programmes in the Theological Studies Curriculum

3.1 The School of Theology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

3.2 The School of Social Theology and Christian Culture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

4. Discussion

5. Conclusions

References

How to improve Religious Education through teacher training. Experiences and insights from Islamic RE in Germany and Austria (Fahimah Ulfat)

Abstract

1. Teacher training development of Muslim RE teachers in Germany and Austria

2. Role of research in the development of teacher training

3. Religious beliefs and values of (prospective) Muslim RE teachers

4. How can research on teacher professionalism improve the quality of Islamic RE?

5. Self-relativizing reflexivity beyond confessional RE

References

Training teachers for Religious Education in German vocational schools. A special case? (Alexandra Wörn, Hanne Schnabel-Henke, Friedrich Schweitzer)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. What is the difference between BRU and RE?

3. Teacher education for teaching RE in vocational schools within the federal state of Baden Württemberg

3.1 The requirements for teachers in vocational schools

3.2 Three general phases of teacher education for teaching BRU: A brief overview

3.3 The two entry routes available for becoming a BRU teachers

4. Research on teacher education for BRU – a desideratum

5. Conclusion

References

Developing Religious Education teachers’ orientative knowledge. An analysis of provision for professional knowledge formation in England (Vivienne Baumfield, Karen Walshe)

Abstract

1. Teaching as a professional endeavour

2. Constituent elements of professional knowledge in RE: Orientative knowledge

3. The epistemic beliefs of beginning teachers

4. Teachers’ engagement with research

5. Orientative knowledge and the professional formation of RE teachers in England

References

Empirical research on professional knowledge of RE teachers. The FALKO-R Project (Michael Fricke)

Abstract

1. Theoretical framework

2. Conceptualisation and validation of the FALKO-R test

2.1 Basic reflections on tests

2.2 Conceptualisation of CK and PCK in FALKO-R

2.3 Constructing items

3. Findings of the FALKO-R test

3.1 Sampling and implementation

3.2 Psychometric quality criteria

3.3 Correlation between CK and PCK

3.4 Primary predictor of performance in the test

4. Reflecting the FALKO-R study and further research perspectives

References

Teacher education through collaborative research on teaching Didactical Design Research (Claudia Gärtner)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Research and development of adaptive teacher competences through Didactical Design Research

2.1 Adaptive teacher competences in view of heterogeneity

2.2 Didactical Design Research as Research Approach

2.3 Developing and conducting of the research project

2.4 First findings with regard to teacher education

3. Summary

References

Quality and Quality Development in RE Research on RE, research on initial teacher education and research on advanced teacher education. The QUIRU Project (Friedrich Schweitzer, Mirjam Rutkowski, Evelyn Schnaufer)

Abstract

1. The QUIRU project and its approach to improving RE

2. Developing a research tool: Effects of RE and process related aspects

3. Researching advanced education for teachers of RE

4. Evaluating initial teacher education for RE

5. Summary and perspectives for the future

References

Religious Education subject teacher education in the 2000s. Some Finnish perspectives (Kaisa Viinikka, Martin Ubani, Arto Kallioniemi, Tuuli Lipiäinen)

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Subject teacher education in RE in Finland

3. The project and 21st century teacher professionalism

4. Key results of the empirical research in the project

5. Recommendations for 21st century teacher education based on the project

6. Discussion

References

Understanding and developing RE teacher education. Conclusions and perspectives in a European horizon (Stephen Parker, Henrik Simojoki, Rob Freathy, Friedrich Schweitzer)

1. Pathways of professionalisation: Contextuality and intercontextuality of RE teacher education in Europe

2. Patterns of professionalisation: Overarching dynamics and contested concepts

Collective professionalisation: Academisation and specialisation

Professionalism: Professional knowledge

Individual professionalisation

3. Developing RE Teacher education

Questions of identity and orientation

Questions of Structure, Law and Politics

Questions of improvement and de-professionalisation

4. Developing RE Teacher Education Through Research

5. Perspectives for the future

References

Backmatter

Authors