Primary Religious Education – A New Approach models a much needed pedagogical framework, encouraging conceptual enquiry and linking theory to its implementation within the wider curriculum in schools.

Mastering Primary Religious Education introduces the primary religious education curriculum and helps trainees and teachers learn how to plan and teach inspiring lessons that make religious education irresistible. Topics covered include: · Current developments in religious education · Religious education as an irresistible activity · Religious education as a practical activity · Skills to develop in religious education · Promoting curiosity · Assessing children in religious education · Practical issues This guide includes examples of children's work, case studies, readings to reflect upon and reflective questions that all help to show students and teachers what is considered to be best and most innovative practice, and how they can use that knowledge in their own teaching to the greatest effect. The book draws on the experience of two leading professionals in primary religious education, Maria James and Julian Stern, to provide the essential guide to teaching religious education for all trainee and qualified primary teachers.

Religious Education has returned in the limelight of education. Religious Education 5-11 deals with present-day debates and issues at the heart of this important subject. It provides a systematic, holistic and unified guidance on teaching RE in primary school. The guide features vignettes, case studies, extracts and viewpoints from experts for deeper engagement. Religious Education 5-11 offers ample guidance and suggestions for the classroom. The main areas covered include: Historical, legal and contemporary perspectives What is RE about? Aims, purposes and the field of enquiry RE in the Early Years, Key Stages 1 and 2 Knowledge in RE Concepts, attitudes, skills, dispositions and SMSC Planning and structuring the curriculum Theories, classical and contemporary pedagogies and multidisciplinary approaches Assessment and progression Subject leadership and the thriving community Research and lifelong learning in RE This book is an indispensable resource for all student educators, early career teachers and classroom practitioners interested in teaching Religious Education in an ambitious, contemporary and challenging way.

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.

The place of religion in the modern world has changed significantly over the past two decades. This has been partially reflected in the academic study of religion, but little, if at all, in religious education. In addition, the place of RE in schools has been the subject of intense debate due to changes to the curriculum and school structure, as well as being part of wider debates on religion in the public sphere. Written by two highly experienced leading practitioners of RE, Does Religious Education have a Future? argues for a radical reform of the subject based on principles of pedagogy set free from religious concerns. It challenges teachers, researchers and educators to rethink their approaches to, and assumptions about, religious education, and enables them to see their work in a larger context that includes pedagogical ideas and political forces. The book offers readers fresh, provocative and expertly informed critical perspectives on: the global context of RE, debates about religion in public places, religion’s response to modernity, violent extremism, science and secularism; the evolving educational rationale for RE in schools; the legal arrangements for RE and their impact on the teaching of the subject; the pedagogy of teaching approaches in RE and their effect on standards and perceptions of the subject; the educational commitment of faith/belief communities, and how this influences the performance of RE. Does Religious Education have a Future? proposes a new attitude to the subject of religious education, and a new configuration of both its role and content. This book is essential reading for academics, advisers and policy makers, as well as teachers of RE at primary and secondary levels and trainee and newly qualified teachers.

Teaching Religious Education Creatively offers a brand new approach for the primary classroom and is crammed full of innovative ideas for bringing the teaching of RE to life. It helps teachers understand what constitutes a healthy curriculum that will encourage children to appreciate and understand different belief systems. Perhaps most importantly, it also challenges teachers to understand RE as a transformatory subject that offers children the tools to be discerning, to work out their own beliefs and answer puzzling questions. Underpinned by the latest research and theory and with contemporary, cutting-edge practice at the forefront, expert authors emphasise creative thinking strategies and teaching creatively. Key topics explored include: What is creative teaching and learning? Why is it important to teach creatively and teach for creativity? What is Religious Education? Why is it important for children to learn ‘about’ and ‘from’ religion? How can you teach non-biased RE creatively as a discrete subject and integrate it with other curriculum areas? Teaching Religious Education Creatively is for all teachers who want to learn more about innovative teaching and learning in RE in order to improve understanding and enjoyment and transform their own as well as their pupil’s lives.

Teaching Religious and Worldviews Education Creatively offers a fresh perspective on the Religious Education (RE) curriculum. This second edition is crammed full of practical lesson ideas underpinned by cutting edge research authored by specialists in the field. It helps teachers understand what constitutes an effective and creative Religion and Worldviews Education (RWE) curriculum, and challenges teachers to view RWE as a transformatory subject that offers learners the tools to be discerning, to work out their own beliefs and to answer puzzling questions. This second edition of Teaching Religious and Worldviews Education Creatively includes fully updated chapters from the first edition with 11 new contributors and 5 brand new chapters. New topics include: - Visits, visitors and persona dolls - The RE Searchers approach - New ideas about policy, practice and assessment - Insights into RE in the UK and around the world - Anti-discriminatory RE - New and updated practical classroom ideas from practicing teachers Teaching Religious and Worldviews Education Creatively is for all teachers who want to learn more about innovative teaching and learning in RWE in order to improve understanding, knowledge and enjoyment, while at the same time transforming their own as well as their pupils’ lives.

Religious Education (RE) holds a unique place within the state education system. Yet, the teaching of RE has often been criticised for its tendency to present simplified and stereotypical representations of religions. Bringing together the theory of metacognition with RE curriculum content, this book offers a coherent and theoretically supported approach to RE and beyond that is applicable to a range of subjects and students of various age groups. Metacognition, Worldviews and Religious Education seeks to support teachers in creating a new and exciting classroom approach. With a focus on putting children and teachers’ worldviews back on the RE agenda and developing awareness of these through metacognitive processes, it includes • Tables, frameworks and checklists to make it easy for teachers to adapt the approach to their own context • Concrete examples of how the approach can work in the classroom, including case studies from teachers • Call-out boxes for teachers and others to reflect on their own practice and to consider their own beliefs and values in relation to teaching and learning Co-authored by three researchers from Exeter University and one experienced advanced skills RE primary school teacher, this book explains in a jargon-free way the theories of metacognition and worldviews which underpin the creation of a unique learning environment, making it an essential read for students, experienced teachers, researchers in RE and anyone interested in taking a thinking skills approach to pedagogy.

In this book, Penny Thompson discusses the place of Christianity in Religious Education from 1963. She explores the reasons why the committed teaching of the Christian faith has been slowly undermined, and aims to show that the current state of boththeory and practice is incoherent and unsustainable. Her arguments explore the debates and historical developments in this sector, over the past forty years, and convincingly propose that the way forward to is to recover the teaching of Christianityin an open and self-critical way. OFSTED reports that the level of unsatisfactory staffing in RE is now a matter of 'deep concern'. This book seeks to inspire and motivate those who might not be attracted to RE teaching as a profession, and details suggestions which may help to alter this current state of affairs. The author draws on primary sources, her own experiences and interviews with prominent individuals in the profession.