133 research outputs found
Religious Education and Mission: Historical Links and Present Challenges
No full textOrganized Christian mission has often included strong educational and especially religious-educational efforts. Often the aims, contents and methodological shaping of these (religious) educational efforts reflected different influential factors. For example, approaches to Religious Education reflected the country of origin of missionary educationalists as well as their understanding of ‘mission’. Remembering this way of (ab-)using Religious Education within a missionary framework seems to be an important task not only for educationalists dealing with theories of Religious Education (who should be historically enlightened) but also for pupils. At least at high school level, reflecting on former ways of Religious Education (in this case focused on the so-called Third World) might be a suitable occasion to think about appropriate principles and intentions of Religious Education in the present. Reconstruction of this forgotten aspect of the history of Religious Education should be a major priority. This chapter will outline the German ‘missionary’ engagement in Palestine from the nineteenth century until today. It will discern different patterns of ‘Religious Education’ in the past and present from a philanthropic-paternal to a contextual one. Thus, reconstructing the history and remembering the missionary use of Religious Education confronts the forgotten aspects of the inculturation of Religious Education and its – sometimes unexpected – historical outcomes. A symmetric and critical dialogue between Religious Educationalists requires this kind of historical sense to be developed as a fundamental aspect of Religious Educational research
Religious Education and Mission: Historical Links and Present Challenges
No full textOrganized Christian mission has often included strong educational and especially religious-educational efforts. Often the aims, contents and methodological shaping of these (religious) educational efforts reflected different influential factors. For example, approaches to Religious Education reflected the country of origin of missionary educationalists as well as their understanding of ‘mission’. Remembering this way of (ab-)using Religious Education within a missionary framework seems to be an important task not only for educationalists dealing with theories of Religious Education (who should be historically enlightened) but also for pupils. At least at high school level, reflecting on former ways of Religious Education (in this case focused on the so-called Third World) might be a suitable occasion to think about appropriate principles and intentions of Religious Education in the present. Reconstruction of this forgotten aspect of the history of Religious Education should be a major priority. This chapter will outline the German ‘missionary’ engagement in Palestine from the nineteenth century until today. It will discern different patterns of ‘Religious Education’ in the past and present from a philanthropic-paternal to a contextual one. Thus, reconstructing the history and remembering the missionary use of Religious Education confronts the forgotten aspects of the inculturation of Religious Education and its – sometimes unexpected – historical outcomes. A symmetric and critical dialogue between Religious Educationalists requires this kind of historical sense to be developed as a fundamental aspect of Religious Educational research
Worldviews and Big Ideas: A Way Forward for Religious Education?
No full textThis article explores the position of ‘worldviews’ in Religious Education, using England as a particular case study to illustrate contemporary international debates about the future of Religious Education (or equivalent subjects). The final report of the Commission on Religious Education (CoRE 2018) – which recommended that the subject name in England be changed from ‘Religious Education’ to ‘Religion and Worldviews’ – provides a stimulus for a discussion about the future of the study of religion(s) and worldview(s) in schools. The article offers a review of, and reflections on, the worldviews issue as treated in academic literature relating to Religious Education, before noting the challenges that the incorporation of worldviews presents. The article goes on to suggest ways in which a ‘Big Ideas’ approach to the study of religion(s) and worldview(s) (Wiggins and McTighe 1998; Wintersgill 2017; Freathy and John 2019) might provide criteria by which worldviews are selected for curriculum content. Finally, the article discusses what the implications of these recommendations might be for ‘Religion and Worldviews’ teachers and teaching
Bokmeldinger
No full textAnerkjennelse i skolen (2020) av Arne Nikolaisen JordetOslo: Cappelen Damm
Anmeldt av Asbjørn Hirsch
Urfolk og nasjonale minoriteter i skole og lærerutdanning (2020)av Bengt-Ove Andreassen & Torjer A. Olsen (Red.) Bergen: FagbokforlagetAnmeldt Thor-André Skrefsrud
Metacognition, worldviews and Religious Education. A Practical Guide for Teachers. (Routledge 2020)By Shirley Larkin, Rob Freathy, Jonathan Doney og Giles Freathy
Anmeldt av Inge Anderslan
The ability of Islamic Religious Education to deliver Citizenship Education in elementary schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
No full textThis empirical study endeavours to shed light on the ability of Islamic Religious Education to deliver Citizenship Education in elementary schools (pupils aged 13 to 15) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The aims of the study are to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that Saudi citizens need in the 21st century. As part of this, it investigates the views of Social Studies and Islamic Religious Education teachers and students with a view to understanding where in the curriculum they think Citizenship Education should best occur. The study identifies and explores the challenges and opportunities of including Citizenship Education within both Islamic Religious Education and Social Studies. The merits of each approach are discussed. There then follows a series of recommendations regarding the sort of changes to the curriculum that may be required.
The research underpinning this study followed a mixed-method approach. It employed an closed-ended questionnaire with two parts of open questions completed by over 266 students (ages 13 to 15), and 20 Islamic Religious Education and 20 Social Studies teachers. Semi-structured interviews were also undertaken with nine students, and nine Islamic Religious Education and nine Social Studies teachers.
The findings from this study indicate that participants linked many of the knowledge components, skills, values and attitudes associated with Saudi citizenship to the Islamic religion. Responses from the participants indicate that students’ voices are absent in school, as they are anxious about expressing their opinions and believe their sole purpose for coming to school is to acquire knowledge. In addition, this study provides evidence of different views amongst the participants that reflect current tensions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding tolerance, outside influences, faith and extremism. Many students, for example, appeared to be intolerant towards other faiths or ideas, which is arguably not in accordance with the Islamic religion.
The study argues that, as it is currently taught, Citizenship Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can be perceived as limited in comparison to Western conceptions of Citizenship Education, and that it is not meeting the needs of future Saudi citizens. The study proposes that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia needs to change its education system to keep pace with change in the wider world and within Saudi society, and concludes by making recommendations for such change and for future research in Islamic Religious Education and Citizenship Education
The Global Spread of English and the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language: Perspectives from Western Muslim Teachers of English as a Foreign Language in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
No full textThe global spread of English and the role played by TEFL in this phenomenon is a subject of debate among EFL educators and researchers; this study provides new insights into this complex situation in relation to the Islamic faith in a way that has not yet been addressed in the literature. There has been an increased interest among researchers concerning the relationship between faith and ELT; however, to this date, no empirical studies have been conducted with regards TEFL and Islam. The study is, therefore, providing rich insights into this area. In doing so, in light of the wider socio-political, ideological or religious issues connected to the spread of English, the study draws on the experiences of nine Western Muslim EFL teachers in the KSA by qualitatively investigating their views on TEFL and the global spread of English in the KSA with particular reference to their Islamic faith and its relationship with their profession
The study also addresses how Islam relates to the perception of these processes and how it affects their professional practice. The study is, therefore, particularly significant as it can play a role in encouraging Muslim EFL teachers to relate the macro-level theoretical discourses and educational policies to the micro-level of classroom practice and contribute to the ongoing debate concerning the role played by TEFL in the KSA. The study also has the potential to raise awareness among Muslim educators in the KSA and other Muslim countries of the wider complex processes intertwined with the global spread of English and its impact on EFL education. This investigation as also shed light on a number of ethical questions in relation to how Western Muslims who have travelled to the KSA perceive the relationship between their faith and their role as EFL, which may open new ways for Muslim professionals to combine their faith with their profession.
In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants and the data provided new insights into the perceptions of TEFL and the global spread of English. The participants not only described the global spread of English and TEFL as value-laden, politically and ideologically driven, but also as a facilitator in terms of communication and cross-cultural understanding and as a necessary tool to acquire in today’s world. The data collected also showed that the relationship between Islam and TEFL was not described in dichotomous terms, which meant that this conception was the result of the participants’ personal understandings of their faith. The findings also emphasised on the preponderant role of the participants’ Islamic faith on their personal and professional lives. The study’s main contribution relates to two essential notions that have been debated among applied linguists: ownership and appropriation of the English language. The research showed that Western Muslim EFL teachers appropriate and claim ownership of the English language in a way that has not yet been addressed in the literature. Finally, the study shows that language teaching issues are inextricably intertwined with broader issues such as religion, culture or politics and suggests that the links between Islam, politics and language need to be explicitly addressed within the ELT arena
Teaching-only Academics in a Research Intensive University: From an undesirable to a desirable academic identity
No full textThis thesis investigates and reports on the perceptions, work-related experiences and academic identity constructions of teaching-only academics working in a research-intensive institution in the UK. It also charts the evolution of the teaching-only academic role in that particular institution.Teaching-only academics now constitute a significant proportion of the academic staff in UK higher education. This thesis is a three-part study in which I sought to contribute to a more indepth understanding of the teaching-only academic role. I did this through an investigation of the career trajectories, perceptions, work-related experiences and academic identity constructions of teaching-only academics working in a research-intensive institution in the UK. In the first part of the study I carried out a systematic review of the literature on teaching-only academics in the UK, Australia and Canada. In the second part of the study I investigated the virtual identity of teaching-only academics at the UK research-intensive institution. I did this by undertaking an analysis of how these teaching-only academics self-represented and projected themselves on their institutional webpages. In the third part of the study I carried out a life-history analysis of senior teaching-only academics in the engineering faculty of the case study institution. A principal finding from this thesis, which is collaborated across all the three parts of the study, is that the teaching-only academic role is a non-homogeneous role comprising individuals who come from different backgrounds, have followed different career trajectories into the role, and have different academic identities. Findings from this thesis also suggest that whilst teaching-only academics were introduced as an institutional response to the demands of the RAE/REF, the very act of creating the role has further exacerbated the separation between research and teaching, and between undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. Specifically, undergraduate teaching within the case study engineering department now tends to be the responsibility of teaching-only academics, with research-and-teaching academics increasingly focussing on research and postgraduate teaching. This separation has implications for research-led teaching, particularly in research-intensive institutions. The thesis also reveals that despite the pre-eminence of research, teaching remains important within the university, and individuals on the teaching-only academic role are able to accumulate substantial, and valued, teaching-related academic capital. This capital, in turn, is enabling them to secure and advance their positions within the same institution, and to pursue career advancement through seeking employment in other higher education institutions
Management Education in England: The Urwick Report
No full textThis study provides a contribution to the historiography of management education in England. Criticism of British management expressed in Government policy over the past sixty years has concluded that a low level of management education in the UK is affecting its ability to compete. To this end there have been a number of government interventions in management education. The focus of this research is the first phase of government intervention in management education initiated in 1945.
By considering the development of management education from a historical perspective this research adopts the theoretical stance that an understanding of the past can contribute to an understanding of management education today.
The report of a committee on Education for Management appointed in 1945 by the Minister of Education, the Urwick Report (1947) and the subsequent Diploma in Management Studies (DMS), the first qualification in management studies, are used as vehicles to articulate the involvement and relationships of industry and government with regard to formal management education. From this, conclusions are drawn about the professional and policy processes at play and consideration given as to how these shaped subsequent practice.
The method adopted was documentary analysis of primary sources which included published and unpublished administrative papers from government archives. Data from journals, a newspaper, and the archives of employee and employer bodies were referenced to provide context and support the validity of my interpretation.
I conclude that the key contribution which the Urwick Report made to management education was in establishing the principle that there was a body of knowledge associated with management. The study illuminates policy processes surrounding management education at a particular time with regard to a specific report. During this period opportunities existed that, if actioned, could have significantly changed the education of managers in England. Government, industry and education were all party to these opportunities. Events surrounding the Urwick Report, and the subsequent implementation of the DMS, offer some useful lessons from the past.Somerset College of Arts and Technolog
What are we, who are we and how does that Position us? Change and Continuity in the Identity of a new University
No full textThis empirical study of the organisational identity of a newly titled university provides an insight into how identity is constructed, maintained, deconstructed and reconstructed in the higher education sector in England.
The purposes of the university sector, and the higher education sector of which it is a part, are being increasingly challenged following significant legislative and environmental changes over the past century. Through these changes what it means to be a university is shifting. Increased complexity and diversity has given rise to a university sector that now encompasses much of what was previously defined as non-university higher education, resulting in what many argue is a crisis of sector identity. Whilst recognising that organisational identity does more than provide a definition of membership, this crisis of sector identity impacts upon the identity development and understandings of those who are now part of it.
Research on identity in the higher education sector has been focused on professional and academic identities, the concept of what it is to be a university in a policy-driven, mass participation higher education system or the interaction between the two subject areas. This thesis has a different focus, concentrating on the relatively under-researched area of change and continuity in organisational identity particularly focussing upon a period of change in legal definition and organisational positioning.
During the period 1998 to 2013, the University of St Mark & St John (Marjon) moved from being a college of higher education, to a university college and finally, through a change in legislative criteria, to a university. This thesis explores change and continuities in its identity through its journey and various incarnations. It investigates how definitional constructs and sectoral positioning interface with who the organisation is; its identity.
The thesis is based on an interpretive mixed methods case study, focussing on the strategic development of the University during this period. Existing theoretical models of organisational identity have informed the analysis of the data which include documentary sources, a small number of key informant interviews and participant observations. The latter exploited insights gleaned from working as a senior manager in the University for part of the period in which the research was undertaken.
The research findings reinforce the existing theories highlighting the importance of organisational identity to organisational health, but challenge existing theory in respect of identity development and change. The research highlights the significance of the relationship between ‘what’ an organisation is, which is a definitional and spatial construct, and ‘who’ an organisation is, which is a reflection of its identity. This relationship has previously been considered as inconsequential to organisational identity development.
The findings also challenge the assumption that identity change is a change management process brought into effect through a strong leadership narrative and strategic planning tools. The study makes evident the interplay of organisational history, and the strength of internal and external influences on the capacity and willingness of an organisation to undergo identity change. This has resulted in the development of a conceptual framework to support leaders in the exploration of an organisation’s identity, highlighting the interrelationship of specific factors on identity development
Systematisation of International Quality and Accreditation of Higher Education in the World
No full textThis PhD thesis is structured in two phases. The first phase looks to an enhancement of the current operations in the development of quality through creating a systematisation of quality of higher education in the world. The second phase theorises this systematisation using systems analysis and design methodology based on seven levels of analysis: individual; programme; department/faculty; institutional; national; regional; and the world level. This analytical approach generates theories about systems and applications.
The investigation reaches the conclusion that establishing a United Nations Organisation for Systematisation of Quality would constitute a final stage in the systematisation process of international quality and accreditation of higher education in the world. However, the proposed organisation would not be a substitute organisation for national and/or regional agencies and networks of quality but would complement them by creating systematic understanding of quality in the world. The thesis offers a practical contribution to the international improvement of higher education institutions across the globe
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