Religious education and pupils from ‘mixed-faith’ families

The world of religion "as it is lived", so to speak, is much more complex than that presented often in text books and classrooms. As such, a recent major piece of research – into British "mixed faith" families – has some important implications for those who want to provide a form of RE that is both accurate and sensitive to the needs of today‟s children and the communities to which they belong

Religion in education : findings from the Religion and Society Programme : editorial

The present special issue of the Journal of Beliefs and Values includes a selection of the papers presented to the conference ‘Religion in Education: Findings from the Religion and Society Programme’, which was held at the University of Warwick in July 2011. The conference was hosted by the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) as part of the Religion and Society Programme (jointly funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council—AHRC—and the Economic and Social Research Council—ESRC), at the behest of the Director of the Programme Professor Linda Woodhead. The main aim of the conference was to offer a forum for the dissemination of (in some cases initial) findings from the various education projects in the programme. The conference was held under the aegis of the Religion and Society programme, the largest cluster of research projects on Religion and Society so far to have been conducted in the United Kingdom

Spirituality in education : promoting children's spiritual development through values

This paper reports on research in the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick regarding an educational programme, which is based on what are perceived to be universal values. The programme aims to contribute to the spiritual development of children in schools, which is one of statutory requirements of mainstream school provision in England and Wales. The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) offers material which seeks to promote ‘human values’. The paper explores what these values are and why they are perceived to be of a universal nature. The focus on values introduces spiritual dimensions which are examined with reference to the educational contexts in which they are conveyed. The contents of the programme and the development from its inception are described. The paper is based on ethnographic data collected in classrooms and other educational environments where the programme has found application

Close encounters? The intersection of faith and ethnicity in mixed-faith families

The encounter and intersection between faiths, cultures, and ethnicities in families where parents have different faith backgrounds are areas of social interaction about which we know little, although the number of such families is growing in the UK and globally. Mixed-faith families reflect the multi-cultural and multi-faith character of society and are thus spaces where individuals develop and negotiate multiple identities in relation to faith, ethnicity, gender, education - among other factors. Based on ethnographic data gathered during a recent study at the University of Warwick, this article presents a case study to examine what kind of cultural repertoire young people could draw on and whether this fostered 'multiple cultural competence' in them. The study also seeks to show how parents negotiated the practice and belief of their respective traditions and how children in such families perceived and formed their own religious and social identities

Peace and non-violence : Sathya Sai education in human values in British schools

Not only is peace one of the values at the heart of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV), it is also presented as one of the programme's outcomes. The SSEHV programme seeks to promote 'human values' in British schools, also with regard to educating pupils from different social, cultural or ethnic backgrounds towards greater tolerance and understanding. The programme aims to achieve this as part of the statutory provision of physical, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship education as well provision for the social, moral, cultural and spiritual (SMCS) development of pupils in community schools. This article reports on an ethnographic study of SSEHV in the UK, which was conducted by members of the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick. The research reported here focused on the development of the programme, its contents (including the value of 'non-violence' and the practice of 'silent sitting'), its application in the classroom, and its reception by pupils and teachers. Further, this article seeks to embed SSEHV in the wider theoretical context of peace education and suggests theoretical discussions to which this investigation contributes

Young people's attitudes to religious diversity : socialising agents and factors emerging from qualitative and quantitative data of a nation-wide project in the UK

This article is based on data arising from focus group discussions with young people in British schools, to draw out socialising influences and factors that shape their approaches to religious diversity. It explores questions such as: is religious socialisation taking place in the home, with active participation in religious communities, or is religious socialisation weakening from generation to generation? How does religious socialisation (or its lack) differ between and within religions and between particular localities? Which factors facilitate or impede socialising processes? These questions are addressed in the light of discussions with young people and survey results. The data arise from a project (2009–2012) in the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit at the University of Warwick, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council/Arts and Humanities Research Council Religion and Society Programme, which applied a mixed methods approach to explore the attitudes of 13–16-year-old pupils across the UK towards religious diversity

Social and religious dimensions of mixed-faith families : the case of a Muslim–Christian family

The article reports data from a study investigating the religious identity formation of young people in mixed-faith families. This involved parents from Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim backgrounds, with a spouse of these four faiths. One of the ‘Muslim–non-Muslim’ families is considered here as a case study to shed light on social and religious dimensions pertaining to both parents and children. One parent has a Muslim, the other a Christian background. The article examines how the parents understand and approach the ‘mixed’ nature of their family and how this translates into socialising their children into their respective religious traditions. It also engages with the perceptions of the children, exploring their sense of religious identity and social belonging. Drawing on interviews, the article discusses participants’ perspectives regarding ‘dual heritage’/‘mixedness’ and cultural and religious transmission, referring to studies on mixed-faith families to embed the data in existing research

The nature and outcomes of PGCE Plus as a model for teacher professional development

The present study examines an innovative attempt to address national priorities with regard to subject (mathematics and science) and the needs of gifted and talented pupils. The initiative, PGCE Plus, was at the transition from initial qualifications and the domain of continuing professional development, occurring in the summer immediately following qualification as a teacher and during the first two years of practice. The paper explores the evidence for the success of PGCE Plus pedagogically, and as a model addressed to both participants' needs and national priorities in a context of educational change

Evaluation of the impact of the DFE investment in initiatives designed to improve teacher workforce skills in relation to SEN and disabilities: 1st interim report

"This is the 1st Interim Report of a longitudinal study to evaluate the impact of investment by the Department for Education (DfE) to improve teacher workforce skills in relation to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The evaluation started in December 2008 and this report covers work carried out over the period January 2009 – July 2010. The evaluation continues until March 2011." - Page 1