A REDCo Study: Learners’ Perspectives on Religious Education and Religious Diversity in Catholic Schools in South Africa
Naidoo, Marilyn
Societies are changing rapidly, and in many countries there is an ongoing
debate on the role of multiculturalism and religious diversity. REDCo, an
international comparative research project set out to investigate whether
developing ideas on multiculturalism and religious diversity influenced
school pupils’ views on these issues. A South Africa project was conducted
to understand how learners experienced religious diversity within a new
approach to religious education in South Africa. To answer the research
question, the REDCo II questionnaire was used in Catholic schools. The
descriptive study revealed that learners are generally positive towards the role
and function of religion in schools. This indicates that Catholic schools are
approaching religious education from a multi-faith perspective where
teaching about other religions does not threaten the identity of the Catholic
schools. Further research of qualitative nature is required to deepen the
findings and to formulate theoretical and practical approaches to teaching
religion education for use in religious schools.
↧