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The aim of this research was to get a better understanding of the work of school-based religious education leaders (SBREL) by examining the issues and challenges they face as well as how they are supported. SBREL were surveyed and interviewed, and they took part in focus groups. SBREL, in general, felt supported in their role. A major issue identified by SBREL was the implications of the changing demographics of Catholic schools, marked by growing numbers of non-Catholic students and weakening religious affiliation. Several challenges were identified. These included making Religious Education (RE) more engaging, the need for more practical assistance in delivering the RE curriculum, and providing better ongoing formation for teachers to better equip them to teach RE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the experiences of six teachers from a regional, Australian diocese who attended World Youth Day (WYD). It also reports on aspects of their worldview and their experience working in Catholic schools. Overall participants were very positive about working in Catholic schools, and though not connected in an ongoing way with parish communities, they were happy to support the religious dimension of Catholic schools and were often involved in parish-based programmes when there was a connection with school activities. Their worldview could be characterised as having much in common with dominant cultural paradigms that sees religion in moral terms along with a deistic sense of God. Established social networks supported them in these views. Teacher pilgrims reported that WYD gave them the opportunity to experience a broader, more diverse Catholicism as well as the experience of going overseas and being part of a large gathering. Participation in WYD may open up opportunities for reflective discernment on the part of teacher pilgrims and a result has implications for the formation of teachers working in Catholic schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of religious questioning in establishing and maintaining religious affiliation is well recognised. Questions and how teachers respond to them is also a critical aspect of strong pedagogy and is an important part of teacher training and formation. Many curriculum documents in religious education assume that student questions are an important part of the teaching and learning process. This study seeks to examine the questions that students in Catholic schools raise in religious education class. This has been overlooked in the research literature and it is hoped that work will generate further interest in the topic. The study utilises a mixed methodology incorporating interviews with religious education coordinators as well as focus groups of experienced teachers. Results are discussed for infants (K-grade 2), primary (grades 3–6) and for secondary students (grades7-12). For secondary and primary students, questions are categorised under three descriptive headings; metacognitive; thematic content; 'Why does the Church ... ?' Infant questions are described using different categories. A range of implications are drawn from the findings including how to better prepare teachers to facilitate, encourage and respond to questions and the demands the student questions place on those involved in teacher formation and in the ongoing support of teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious education always takes place within a cultural context. In recent decades, this context has changed significantly and Catholic schools now engage with a world that is very different from the immediate post-Vatican 2 era. This changed cultural context shapes the views, beliefs and practices of students in Catholic schools. One way of exploring this contextualisation is to describe the worldviews of young people and to discuss some of the major features of these. This paper reports on an ongoing study of students in Catholic schools. It records how they see themselves, their involvement in Church and their religious expression. Results indicate nuanced responses that invite sophisticated analysis of young people and worldview. One clear trend to emerge is the changing perception of students as they progress through the school system. This finding is in accord with a view that describes religious engagement of young people reaching a plateau at a relatively early age. Some of the implications of this study for religious educators in Catholic schools will be drawn out and discussed with a number of recommendation made for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The much documented sociological and cultural developments which offered significant challenges to Catholic education in recent decades have played no small part in changing the composition of the Catholic teaching force. A weakening of religious practices and an increase in more personalised understandings of spirituality are now especially prominent in the younger generations of Catholics. As this is the pool from which Catholic teachers of the future will come, it is vital to look afresh at the way we offer support and faith formation. More formal Catholic teacher education processes have to address these challenges by making a commitment to thorough theological education in a range of institutions which are both academically rigorous and pastorally supportive. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a response to other contributions in this volume on the theme of using threshold concepts in religious education. It draws together some common threads that have emerged in this volume and notes the value of using threshold concepts, especially in certain context areas. It also provides a sense of the future of threshold concepts in religious education as well as some of the ongoing and emerging challenges in this area such as ensuring that classroom practice reflects what is proposed in the curriculum both for schools with religious affiliation and public schools. In Quebec, for instance, in very recent times the province has introduced a mandatory course in ethics and religious culture. This is an extremely ambitious programme with a wide range of proposed topics such as the nature of secularity and its impact on religious worldview and, perhaps the most complex, better understanding of indigenous religions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Students in Catholic schools make up a significant sub group of the Australian population. As such, studies of this group provide valuable information about the religious beliefs and practices of some Australian youth. Many students in Catholic schools express traditional religious views and have relatively high levels of religious behaviours. Over time these levels diminish but in a fashion that invites careful analysis and comparison with standard theories of secularisation. An important finding suggests that student responses are indicative of a loosening of religious affiliation rather than a complete disengagement. These results suggest a more nuanced view of students in Catholic school be adopted with implication for the conduct of Catholic schools in secular cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the claims of the post secular is that there is a renewed personal interest in religion. An important manifestation of this is, amongst other things, a rise in prominence of spirituality as a descriptor of the views of many young adults. Rather than being seen as a new category, however, phenomenon like the rise of spirituality can be explained by using secularization theory. If secularization is seen as a process it anticipates that religious views and practices, broadly defined, will persist but these will lack formative and directive power. In light of this, those involved in the theological education of young adults need to be mindful that many today are vulnerable to an uncritical acceptance of dominant cultural paradigms. This occurs especially when young adults do not experience communal support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to gain a better understanding of religious education coordinators (RECs) in contemporary Catholic schools. This is done by using life history narratives to explore how participants came to be RECs. This study takes place in a wider cultural context that sees strong religious commitment, manifested by taking leadership positions in Catholic schools, as becoming increasing contested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a range of communities within the Anglican communion that seek to maintain a more orthodox or Catholic emphasis. One of these is the Traditional Anglican Communion. In 2009 the Vatican announced a special accommodation to allow these Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church and to retain key aspects of their Anglican usage and practice. As such many of these communities have sought to formalise their links with Rome. At this important historical juncture this study utilises a qualitative narrative approach to explore the life histories of members of a small community of Canadian Traditional Anglicans. It explores in detail the salient beliefs of these individuals and as such contributes to the growing discourse on the importance of beliefs in the sociology of religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious education (RE) in Catholic high schools in Australia and Canada is compared by examining some of the underlying structural factors that shape the delivery of RE. It is argued that in Canadian Catholic schools RE is diminished by three factors that distinguish it from the Australian experience. These are: the level and history of government funding which in turn leads to a relative lack of autonomy of Catholic schools to control their own RE curriculum; external political and social influences on the RE curriculum which is apparent in the popular election of Catholic school trustees; and most decisively, the absence of strong, ongoing bureaucratic support of RE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008 Quebec introduced a new ethics and religious culture course. This marks a significant development in Canadian education as the mandated curriculum is intended for use in publically funded secular schools. In the past such courses have been in the domain of denominational schools. This new approach is examined in the context of the profound changes in Quebec society in recent years, typified by the sudden decline in the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. An overview of the curriculum is given, noting its basis as a particular type of phenomenological approach to the study of ethics and religion. The curriculum is analyzed against the theoretical perspectives developed by Moore and Wright. A number of issues on the scope of the study, the significant demands it places on students and teachers, and how it critically engages with religious truth claims are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

McDonough proposes that one way of invigorating religious education in Canadian Catholic high schools is to present a wider range of views under the ambit of Catholic teaching, including those that are currently regarded as dissenting opinions. These are not in keeping with official teaching but enjoy support in the wider Catholic community. In response to this, it is argued that a better understanding of the contemporary discourse on religious education in Catholic schools would accommodate a thoughtful engagement with a range of views. This is in keeping with an educative model of religious education that can distinguish between the educative and catechetical goals of religious education. A stronger focus on the educative aspects of religious education is proposed as a more direct way of improving the quality of religious education in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key concept in contemporary Catholic educational discourse makes a distinction between religious education and catechesis. This distinction is based on the assumptions of faith commitment on the part of catechesis and the focus on cognitive outcomes on the part of religious education. Many official documents on Canadian Catholic school education, however, reflect an understanding that closely associated catechesis with religious education or fail to sufficiently distinguish between the two. The article argues that changes in contemporary culture make catechetical models of religious education problematic and that Catholic schools in Canada would be well served by an approach that emphasizes the educational goals of religious education. This is not to say that catechesis has no place in religious education but this is best achieved by making use of cognitive and effective outcomes in lesson planning and realizing that the school as a whole has many opportunities to foster catechesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper acknowledges that many young adults today have poor content knowledge in theology and related fields. It argues that one way of addressing this is to teach more explicitly about seminal thinkers and their ideas as part of an integrated approach to religious education. One such figure is Augustine, a thinker of immense significance in the Christian tradition. By being familiar with the ideas of Augustine, students are more able to understand religious claims and to facilitate higher learning. Using a Vygotskian paradigm a number of suggestions are made on how best to teach Augustinian themes. These ideas rest on the concept of scaffolding of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In three Canadian provinces Catholic schools receive full government funding. This funding is premised on Catholic schools providing a distinctive educational environment based on the religious beliefs and practices of, among others, the teachers who work in these schools. A variety of official documents underline this notion of teachers playing an irreplaceable role in animating the religious dimension of Catholic schools. Contemporary culture, marked by a rise in a more secular and personal religious affiliation, places significant challenges before schools. These are especially pertinent when coupled with a generational shift in the staffing of Catholic schools. Some of these challenges include the need for schools to find a critical mass of suitably committed teachers and the need to reconceptualise the catechetical intent of schools and how teachers in schools are supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being highly active within a religious tradition has often been associated with an increased sense of well-being. In contemporary culture in much of the Western world, however, the level of engagement of young people, especially, within many religious traditions is declining. This paper will examine a number of factors associated with nurturing high levels of religious engagement and commitment. The overriding framework for this discussion is that if individuals see religious belief and practice as plausible, then they are more likely to become committed to them. No single factor is more important in encouraging and sustaining high levels of religious commitment than the support of a social network or community that upholds such plausibility. Such a community provides a strong affective experience, serves as a place for questioning, exposes youth to mentors, and establishes boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the use of life narratives within a contemporary theory of learning. It argues that narratives provide structure and assist in the scaffolding of learning. Thus the use of life narrative in religious education sits well with the Vygotskian idea of the zone of proximal development. A key example explores the development of conscience by centring on the contrast between two life narratives. The juxtaposition of these narratives invites the listener to know more about these individuals and what lead them to action. It also stimulates deep questioning about the origins and development of conscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out to discuss the impact that urban living has had on the lives of young Indigenous people. It will seek to discover some of the problems that occur when there is a meeting of two cultures, in this case the Indigenous culture of Australian Aboriginal people and the mainstream culture that has been derived largely from west European traditions which, in turn, was born out of Western Christian perspectives. As well, it will explore the challenges faced by minority groups who live in pluralist contexts when they attempt to hand on their ways to their young people, in particular, the difficulties faced by urban Indigenous Australians who try to ensure that their young people will develop knowledge about their cultural and spiritual heritage. Finally it will examine how the rights of young Indigenous people need to be protected so that they can continue to develop their particular identity and at the same time take their place with pride and integrity in the pluralist social context that defines Australia today. Many Australians understand that Aboriginal people have a special respect for nature. The identity we have with the land is sacred and unique. Many people are beginning to understand this more. Also there are many Australians who appreciate that Aboriginal people have a very strong sense of community. All persons matter. All of us belong and there are many more Australians who understand that we are people who celebrate together. What I want you to know about is another special quality of my people. I believe it is most important. It is our most unique gift. It is perhaps the greatest gift we can give to our fellow Australians. In our language it is the quality called dadirri. It is inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness. Dadirri recognizes the deep spring inside us. We call on it and it calls to us. This is the gift that Australia is thirsting for. It is something like what you call 'contemplation'. (Ungunmerr, 2003) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term Generation X describes a group ranging in age from, approximately, 25 to 40 years. This paper will explore some of the challenges facing those who are involved in the theological education of a particular subset, Generation X Catholics. The discussion will be situated within an Australian context. Much of the educational context for working with Generation X Catholics involves recognizing that the experiences that they bring to the world of adult learning are distinctive and differ from those of older Catholics. Along with their peers in the wider culture, Generation X Catholics display certain disconnectedness with their cultural and religious heritage. A number of implications of this analysis are offered to better understand the educational needs of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World Youth Day (WYD) beginning in 1985 and held internationally every two or three years is amongst the largest gatherings of young people in the world. In 1995, for example, the WYD held in Manila attracted over four million pilgrims. With a high level of participation as well as longevity WYD has become a significant social phenomenon, especially in an era where there is a sustained and widespread disaffiliation of youth from mainstream Churches. Participants at WYD are mainly Catholics although the invitation to take part is extended to all. There has been little empirical work on who attends WYD and their motivations for attending. This paper will report on research conducted on Australian youth who attended the 2005 WYD in Cologne. This research will use both quantitative and qualitative techniques to try and build up a profile of WYD pilgrims and explore some of their motivations for attending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do adolescents and young adults lack a full and coherent understanding of a religion? This is a phenomenon of wide-ranging proportions. Using a cultural, theological, and philosophical analysis, the author argues that one important reason behind the lack of religious content knowledge is the reluctance of teachers to move beyond the experiential world of students. The explicit teaching of the content and practices of a religion is proposed. Without focused teaching, student learning is hampered and often becomes confused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on research on the attitudes of a differentiated sample of students to Catholic schools in general and religious education in particular. Core Catholic youth are described, following Fulton et al . (2000: Young Catholics at the New Millennium, Dublin, University College Press), as individuals who have an existing connection with the parish community. Some results that emerge from 58 in‐depth interviews with 14‐ and 15‐year‐old core Catholics are that they value their time in Catholic schools, feel that they are in a safe environment and are not well networked with others of a similar background. Attitudes to religious education by core Catholic youth are described as weak positive. Religious education is not unpopular but is not seen as a discipline that helps resolve some of the difficulties that they experience as young Catholics. These difficulties relate to trying to reconcile what they see as the conflict between the scientific and religious view of creation and many supernatural religious claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious communities have an obvious interest in passing on their beliefs and practices to future generations. Many traditional churches, however, report major difficulties in retaining the interest and involvement of adolescents. This study seeks to explore attitudes to a key indicator of traditional practice, church attendance, amongst Australian core Catholic youth (14–15 years of age). Fifty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents with a pre-existing connection with parish communities. Most adolescents interviewed expressed either strong or weak familial pattern of church attendance and predicted a likely decrease in their future participation. This, coupled with the experience of older siblings' reported views about the significance of the Eucharist and a lack of supportive social networks either at school or in the wider community, suggests that many core Catholic adolescents are likely to become less involved in church life in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002 a paper entitled Writing Church-sponsored Religious Education Textbooks by Engebretson was published in the British Journal of Religious Education . This paper reported on and analysed some aspects of the development, by the Catholic Archdiocese in Melbourne, Victoria, of a series of religious education textbooks to be used in all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. The paper contextualised the series, entitled To Know, Worship and Love , in the field of literature on textbooks in the classroom. It discussed some local issues that had led to the decision to produce religious education textbooks, explained and justified the choice of content for the middle secondary books, and discussed the presentation of the books. In the final section of the paper, it was indicated that future papers would report on the evaluation of the series and its implementation, as a three-stage research project was completed. The first stage of the research project collected responses from teachers and Religious Education Co-ordinators (RECs) to the Years 7 and 9 books, that is those books written for students of 12 and 14 years respectively. This paper discusses a significant finding that emerged from this stage of the research, that is the relationship between textbook use and level of qualifications and experience in the teaching of religious education. This major finding is of interest in relation to a range of educational issues in religious education, including the role and use of resources, the mandation of resources by Church hierarchies, creativity and flexibility in teaching religious education, teacher confidence and experience and the important issue of content knowledge. Further papers will explore evaluations of the Years 8 and 10 books, and overall issues that have emerged from this Archdiocesan curriculum project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses some aspects of a research project that investigated the perceptions of religiosity and spirituality of young Copts from two Coptic schools in Melbourne. Contemporary Australia is a relatively young multicultural and multi-faith society so that Australian youth are exposed to a wide range of cultural and religious practices through both community interaction and a highly influential media. Within such a context, the Copts are a small ethnic community who are focused on handing on their cultural and religious heritage to their younger members. This article explores what young school-going Copts say about the various elements that appear to nurture their religiosity and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on research conducted with Australian Catholic secondary school religious education teachers and trainee religious education teachers aged 24 to 40 years. The research has focused on investigating the target group's experiences of their own secondary school religious education. Understanding the educational background of this age group has implications for professional development as well as documenting an important recent period in the history of Catholic education. Forty‐four participants were interviewed using a semi‐structured technique and a number of key response categories were established. A short questionnaire was also completed. Participants identified a lack of academic focus as one of their key recollections of secondary school RE. Responses to this lack of focus were classified as negative or ambivalent. School retreats were identified as a positive experience and the school culture was recognised by participants as playing an important role in how RE was experienced. Respondents reported a generally favourable experience of their time in Catholic secondary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editors discuss the theological education of adults and teachers within the Roman Catholic tradition.