Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Religious Education

Abstract

The aim of this research is to explore pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teaching Religious Education. In recent decades Ireland has become increasingly diverse and there has been consistent growth in people identifying as non-religious (Heinz et al, 2018), with one in ten people identifying as religiously unaffiliated (Central Statistics Office, 2017). Thus, underlining a need for change from the overwhelmingly Catholic education system. This study is considered timely, as the primary curriculum is currently out for review by all relevant stakeholders. Individual perceptions of RE inform the approach a teacher takes, thus having a clear understanding of pre-service teacher perceptions is both necessary and invaluable. The teaching of RE is currently managed by various patron bodies, however as with all curriculum subjects’ teachers have their own distinct approaches based off their individual perceptions. A limited amount of research exists surrounding the importance of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the teaching of RE and it is therefore my hope that this research project can help build upon the growing bank of research and will contribute to an important conversation regarding the future teaching of RE and the patronage system in Ireland. The methodology adopted for this study was semi-structured interviews conducted with eight pre-service teachers from two different teacher education colleges. The findings highlighted a desire for change in approaches to RE and a need for more implementable ways to cater for multi-belief classrooms in denominational schools. The majority of participants in this study stated they had a positive experience of RE in primary school as children and this in turn has positively impacted on their attitude towards the teaching of the subject. However, some participants felt they did not feel adequately prepared to teach RE. The thesis concludes by drawing on some conclusions and implications of the study, while offering recommendations to school communities, policy makers and third level institutes regarding the teaching of RE