scholarly journals Controversies, Complexities and Contexts: Teaching Islam through Internal Feminist Critique of the Religion

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 662
Author(s):  
Marianne Hafnor Bøe
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Feminist Critique ◽  
Main Argument ◽  
Religious Knowledge ◽  
Secondary Research ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Approach To Teaching

In what ways can teaching Islam through controversial issues be useful in religious education? Can it serve to counter problems of representation of Islam, and what are the benefits and possible pitfalls of adopting such an approach? In this article, I will explore the use of Muslim internal feminist critique of conservative and patriarchal interpretations of women’s religious leadership in Islam as a controversial issues approach to teaching Islam in non-confessional religious education. The approach can be relevant for students in upper-secondary religious education, but also in teacher education. Building on secondary research documenting the problems of teaching Islam in non-confessional religious education in the Nordic countries as well as research on Muslim feminism spanning over a decade, this article investigates the didactic potentials and challenges that adopting the controversial issues approach may hold for teaching Islam. The main argument of this article is that the internal feminist debate on Islam provides an alternative entry to teaching Islam. It provides didactic resources and tools for understanding the discursive aspects of Islam, i.e., how Islam is conceived, interpreted, debated and practiced by Muslims, which in turn highlight power aspects and authority that are central to the production of religious knowledge. Consequently, the controversial issues approach may serve to counter certain “grand narratives” that seem to permeate current representations of Islam in religious education.

scholarly journals Dealing with and teaching controversial issues – Teachers’ pedagogical approaches to controversial issues in Religious Education and Social Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin K. Flensner
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Anti Semitism ◽  
Religious Conflicts ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Pedagogical Approaches

Abstract What strategies do teachers use, in classroom practice, to handle issues highly contested in society? This article focuses on how the various Middle Eastern conflicts and related topics, theoretically framed as controversial issues, are dealt with in religious education and social studies classes. The aim is to analyse pedagogical approaches teachers applied in situations where topics associated with regional, cultural, and/or religious conflicts (e.g., migration, terrorism, radicalisation, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia) were part of the teaching. What approaches were distinguishable in classroom practice? How did teachers reflect on this teaching? To examine these issues, ethnographic observations were made of religious education and civics classes at upper secondary schools in Sweden; follow-up interviews with teachers and students were also conducted to discuss the classroom situations. The approaches to teaching such difficult subject matter, as distinguishable in the classroom, were avoidance, denial of the controversy, provocation, representing/considering various perspectives, and eliciting empathy. There was a division between approaches that endeavoured to tone down the controversy versus those aimed at making the controversy more apparent. This difference can be understood as dealing with controversial issues as opposed to teaching controversial issues, which is a fundamental difference in pedagogic approaches. Keywords: controversial issues, teaching strategies, religious education, social studies, classroom observations   Att hantera och undervisa om kontroversiella frågor – Lärares didaktiska förhållningssätt till kontroversiella frågor i religionskunskap och samhällskunskap Sammandrag Vilka didaktiska förhållningssätt använder lärare i klassrummet för att hantera samhälleligt omtvistade och kontroversiella frågor? Den här artikeln fokuserar på hur Mellanösternskonflikterna och relaterade ämnen, teoretiskt inramade som kontro­versiella frågor, behandlas i religionskunskaps- och samhällskunskapsundervisning. Syftet i föreliggande artikel är att analysera lärares didaktiska handlande i undervis­ningssituationer där ämnen förknippade med regionala, kulturella och/eller religiösa konflikter (t.ex. migration, terrorism, radikalisering, främlingsfientlighet, antisemitism och islamofobi) var en del av undervisningen. Vilka didaktiska ansatser kunde urskiljas i klassrummet? Hur reflekterade lärarna över denna undervisning? För att undersöka dessa frågor genomfördes etnografiska klassrumsobservationer av religionskunskaps- och samhällskunskapsundervisning på gymnasiet i Sverige; intervjuer med lärare och elever genomfördes också för att diskutera de observerade klassrumssituationerna. Analysen visar att centrala ansatser var undvikande, förnekande av kontroversen, provokation, representation av olika perspektiv, och strategier som syftade till att skapa empati. Det fanns en skillnad mellan undervisning som sökte tona ner kontroversen jämfört med undervisning som syftade till att synliggöra olika perspektiv och positioner i den kontroversiella frågan. Denna skillnad kan förstås som att hantera kontroversiella frågor jämfört med att undervisa om kontroversiella frågor. Nyckelord: kontroversiella frågor, undervisningsstrategier, religionskunskap, samhällskunskap, klassrumsobservationer

scholarly journals Religion Education in Norway: Tension or Harmony between Human Rights and Christian Cultural Heritage?

2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bengt-Ove Andreassen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Religion And Ethics ◽  
European Court ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Primary And Secondary School

Both research and public and scholarly debate on religious education (RE) in Norway have mostly revolved around the subject in primary and secondary school called Christianity, Religion and Ethics (KRL) (later renamed Religion, Philosophies of Life and Ethics, RLE), not least due to the criticisms raised by the UN’s Human Rights Committee in 2004 and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 2007 of the Norwegian model for RE in primary and secondary schools. The RE subject in upper secondary school, however, is hardly ever mentioned. The same applies to teacher education. This article therefore aims at providing some insight into how RE has developed in the Norwegian educational system overall, ranging from primary and secondary to upper secondary and including the different forms of teacher education.

scholarly journals Teaching Controversial Issues in Diverse Religious Education Classrooms

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Karin K. Flensner
Keyword(s):  
Religious Education ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Multicultural Classroom ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
And Gender

In educational contexts, certain issues are perceived as controversial, since they reflect conflicts of interest and reveal divergent views. This is especially evident in debates related to religion in societies regarding themselves as secular but whose population is multi-religious. The aim of this article is to analyse how some issues that are considered controversial in the public debate are represented in the teaching of non-denominational and integrative Religious Education in a Swedish multicultural classroom practice, where the majority of students have a Muslim cultural background. The ethnographic empirical material consists of classroom observations of Religious Education lessons in upper secondary school. The analysis is based on the debate about how controversial issues ought to be taught—as empirically or politically open/settled or in a directive/non-directive way. The results indicate that a number of issues—divergent interpretations of religious narratives and religiously motivated rules, holidays, views of forgiveness, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and abortion—were regarded as open political issues in classroom practice and these were taught in an open, non-directive way. Issues represented as settled were value-oriented issues related to female genital mutilation, forced marriage and child marriage and gender equality. The arguments supporting these values were mainly rooted in religion.

scholarly journals When Terror Strikes: The 2015 Paris Attacks in Religious Education Classrooms in Norway

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 208
Author(s):  
Audun Toft
Keyword(s):  
Religious Education ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Controversial Issue ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Main Claim ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
Pedagogical Issue ◽  
Upper Secondary

Terrorism is commonly considered to be a controversial issue in religious education (RE). RE teachers find it a challenging topic to address, and many avoid it altogether. This article explores the question of addressing terrorism in RE by analysing and discussing empirical observations of RE lessons in an upper secondary school in Norway in the weeks following the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015. Using framing theory, the article discusses aspects of the empirical case study, contextualised by the discussion about controversial issues in education. The main claim of the article is that, rather than seeing the terror attacks as a controversial issue in itself, the terror attacks should be treated as an event that has the potential to tap into several different controversial issues depending on the way it is framed. When addressed in the RE classroom, the teachers actively transform the event into a pedagogical issue, framed in accordance with the nature and aims of the subject. The students, however, often contest this pedagogical framing. This article discusses the interplay between teachers’ plans, students’ reactions, and the role of media in classroom interaction about the Paris attacks.

scholarly journals Difficulties in Adaptation of Religious Terminology on Requirements of Teaching

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 61-66
Author(s):  
Andrzej Borowski
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Religious Knowledge ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Linguistic Awareness ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

The effectiveness of teaching the religion depends on the degree of the linguistic efficiency for the sender and for the recipient and by the degree of linguistic awareness of the religion instruction teacher i.e. his knowledge about mechanisms of the linguistic intercommunication. In the religious education transmission it seems essential to be perceiving language of the religious education by pupils. Amongst pupils and religion instruction teachers from primary schools and post-secondary a belief that the new manuals are adapted for the age and the level of the religious knowledge of pupils is dominating, they aren't proposing more serious linguistic problems concerning remarks. This belief results from the low-end acquaintance of the religious /terminology pupil’s/ and of religion instruction teacher’s /conformism/. Pupils of upper secondary schools are more conscious of their gaps in the knowledge of a language religious however the little percentage is only trying to make up for these gaps through the participation in active religious education /especially this beyond the school/.

scholarly journals Tid for terror. Læreres håndtering av kontroversielle spørsmål i skolens religions- og livssynsundervisning

Prismet ◽  
1970 ◽  
pp. 261-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trine Anker ◽  
Marie Von der Lippe
Keyword(s):  
Religious Education ◽  
Democratic Citizenship ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Religion And Ethics ◽  
Religious Extremism ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Academic Competencies ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

Religious Education in Norway has been criticised for avoiding conflict perspectives and controversial issues. This article looks closer at some of these issues by focusing on how teachers in upper secondary school have dealt with the terrorist attacks in Norway on 22 July 2011 in the subject matter Religion and Ethics. This study takes as a starting point a previous study among students in upper secondary schools and their perceptions of what school has done in the aftermath of the incident, by adding teachers’ perspectives (Anker & von der Lippe 2015). The findings from the student survey showed that 22 July has almost been silenced in school, and the interviews with the teachers partly confirm this. The picture is however broadened, and shows that teachers have dealt with the issues in different ways. An important finding is that teachers´ personal and academic competencies seem to be important for whether and how controversial subjects are included in their teachings or not.Keywords: 22. July, controversial issues, democratic citizenship, religious extremism, religious educationNøkkelord: 22. juli, kontroversielle problemer, demokratisk statsborgerskap, religiøs ekstremisme, religionsundervisning

scholarly journals Pengembangan Budaya Toleransi dalam Pembelajaran PAI di SMA Semen Gresik

AKADEMIKA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
A'idatul Fadlilah ◽  
Moch. Bachrurrosyady Amrulloh
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Education System ◽  
Private School ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Religious Knowledge ◽  
Religious Background ◽  
The World ◽  
Scientific Approach ◽  
Tolerance Education

Pendidikan toleransi menjadi keharusan pada saat ini, khususnya di dunia pendidikan, karena melalui pendidikan inilah nilai-nilai kerukunan menjadi kokoh.sistem pendidikan agama sangat penting dan perlu ditingkatkan, sehingga yang dihasilkan sistem itu bukan orang-orang yang hanya berpengetahuan agama tetapi juga berakhlak mulia. Dengan mengadakan pendidikan agama yang membawa kepada pandangan luas dan sikap terbuka serta mementingkan dan meningkatkan di dalamnya pembinaan kerukunan antar agama diharapkan dapat terwujud dan berkembang dalam masyarakat, maka dari itu Pendidikan toleransi dibutuhkan guna menciptakan kehidupan yang indah dengan banyak perbedaan didalamnya, di SMA Semen Gresik merupakan sekolah swasta yang tidak berlatar agama namun bisa menerima siswanya dari manpun dan dari berbagai latar belakang yang berbeda pula sehingga tidak ada perbedaan diantara mereka. Permasalahan yang dikaji adalah: 1) Bagaimana proses pengembangan budaya toleransi dalam pembelajaran PAI di SMA Semen Gresik 2) Bagaimana output dari proses pengembangan budaya toleransi di SMA Semen Gresik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan: 1) Proses pengembengan toleransi dalam pembelajaran PAI yakni dengan menggunakan sebuah pendekatan saintifik yang mana didalam pendekatan tersebut terdapat beberapa metode diantaranya pembiasaan, diskusi kelompok2) output dari proses pengembangan tolernasi dalam pembelajaran PAI diantaranya Menghargai perbedaan, menghargai kebaikan orang lain, keterbukaan, senang dan bahagia dalam berinteraksi dengan orang lain, membantu orang tanpa melihat latar belakang mereka yang berbeda, tidak diskriminatif dengan sesama, yang mana telah ada pada  diri peserta didik.Tolerance education is a necessity at this time, especially in the world of education in seeding the values of harmony. The religious education system is very important and needs to be improved, so that the resulting system is not people who only have religious knowledge but also have a noble morality.  By implementing religious education that brings a broad view and open attitude, emphasizes and increases in it, the development of interfaith harmony is expected to be realized and developed in society. Therefore tolerance education is needed to create a beautiful life littered fully with many differences in it. Senior High School (SMA) Semen Gresik is a private school that has no religious background but could accept students from anywhere and various different backgrounds so that there is no difference between them. The problems studied are: 1) How is the process of developing a culture of tolerance in SMA Semen Gresik 2) What is the output of the process of developing a culture of tolerance in SMA Semen Gresik. The results show that: 1) The process of developing tolerance in SMA Semen Gresik is by using a scientific approach with such methods as habituation and group discussion, 2) The output of the process of developing tolerance in SMA Semen Gresik includes respect for differences, respect for the kindness of others, openness, frendly and happy in interacting with other people, helping people regardless of their different backgrounds, not discriminating others.

scholarly journals POTRET PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM DI SEKOLAH UMUM

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 187
Author(s):  
Abd. Rouf
Keyword(s):  
Religious Education ◽  
Time Allocation ◽  
Islamic Education ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Religious Knowledge ◽  
Credit Hours ◽  
Instructional Process ◽  
Religious Teaching ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Optimal Implementation

<p><strong>Bahasa Indonesia:</strong></p><p>Praktik pendidikan agama Islam di sekolah (umum) amatlah minim atau kurang maksimal. Secara umum, jumlah jam pelajaran agama di sekolah rata-rata 2 jam per minggu. Dengan alokasi waktu seperti itu, jelas tidak mungkin untuk membekali peserta didik dengan pengetahuan, sikap, dan keterampilan agama yang memadai. Oleh karena itu, harus dilakukan strategi alternatif dalam memenuhi kebutuhan peserta didik akan pendidikan agama di sekolah umum, antara lain: melalui kegiatan ekstra kurikuler berbasis keruhanian, tambahan-tambahan materi kegamaan di luar jam pelajaran, menyisipkan muatan keagamaan kedalam semua bidang studi umum, dan lain sebagainya. Sumber daya guru agama Islam juga perlu terus ditingkatkan kualitasnya, baik dari segi content maupun metodologi. Di samping itu, proses pelaksanaan pendidikan agama Islam harus selalu dilaksanakan dengan baik dan maksimal. Evaluasinya tidak cukup hanya menilai aspek kognitif siswa, tetapi harus juga melihat dan menilai aspek afektif dan psikomotoriknya. Ketiga domain (kognitif, afektif, psikomotorik) pendidikan agama Islam harus dilihat dalam pelaksanaan penilaian, sehingga bersifat komprehensif.</p><p> </p><p><strong>English:</strong></p><p>Islamic education subject in secular school is quite minimal in its duration. Generally, it takes only two credit hours per week in such kind of school. Due to the time allocation, it is clearly impossible to hand down student standard religious knowledge, attitude, and skills. Therefore, the school needs to find an alternative way to respond the needs of standard religious education in secular schools. Some of the implemented strategies are the religious extra-curricular program, extra hours for the subject, and integrated the religious messages in non-religious subjects. Religious teaching staff must also be upgraded in terms of the quality, either the subject matter enrichment or the instructional process. In addition, the instructional process needs optimal implementation. The evaluation should cover the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor areas. The three previously mentioned domain in Islamic education subject must be carefully and comprehensively assessed.</p>

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