The concept of Thirdspace was employed to explore the interface of Haredi religious perception and contemporary psychological notions, focusing on male Haredi (Jewish ultra-Orthodox) kindergarten teachers' perceptions of "self." A two years ethnographic study was conducted, based on interactions with 90 male kindergarten teachers and 13…

Experiences of withheld and of granted recognition constitute an integral part of everybody's learning biography, as the experience of recognition is crucial to all processes of socialisation and identity formation. In consequence, the last two decades have seen a considerable interest in recognition theories, initially particularly in the field…

Given the current context of "Prevent" and Fundamental British Values, there has been a surge in academic and political interest surrounding Muslim identities in British educational contexts. Noting this 'religious turn' in educational debate, scholars have begun to question the mobilisation of 'Muslim' and 'Muslimness', suggesting that…

This article examines social practices within classroom discourse in two different Finnish religious educational contexts. The article critically observes the construction of certain positions and identities as part of the school discourse and the inclusive vs exclusive practices of language. The research material consists of classroom…

Australia is a culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse country, however, learning about the religious dimensions of this superdiversity is inadequately reflected in the national school curriculum, notwithstanding recent attempts to address this at the state level in Victoria. Debates regarding the role of religion in school have raged…

This article investigates Greek-Cypriot primary school teachers' challenges to enact critical hermeneutics in religious education (RE) within a confessional context. Critical hermeneutics combines elements from critical and hermeneutical theories, emphasising the importance of grounding the conceptualisation of religious and secular truth-claims…

In 1999, a new curriculum for Roman-Catholic religious education was introduced in Flemish primary and secondary schools, taking into account both the growing de-Christianisation and religious pluralisation of pupils in the classroom. Recently, this new curriculum has been subjected to diverging criticisms: first it is considered still too…

Inter-faith or inter-religious dialogue takes place for a range of reasons and comes in many guises, from the reconciliatory encounter to ease rivalry, to an engagement with the other in an exploration of the meaning and purpose of the human condition. This article examines the process of dialogue in a religious education context and proposes a…

In the context of international debates about teachers' knowledge, this essay reports a study of how and why a cohort of English trainee teachers of Religious Education used their personal life knowledge in their teaching. Four possible reasons for their commitment to this practice are examined. A belief in the value of openness, a desire to…

The present article highlights one of the challenges faced by the Catholic Church in maintaining the Catholicity of Catholic schools in England, that is to say, the students' construction of a fragmented Catholic identity from elements of the Catholic faith tradition. The article explores Catholic students' perceptions of their Catholic identity.…

The particular history, politics, social milieu and size of the islands of Malta contributed to the formation of specific cultural values and identity. Central to this identity is a unique language and a very strong Catholic community. These factors remain integral (but not exclusive) aspects of the Maltese national identity. This identity has…

The question, how religious affiliated schools for secondary education shape religious education and what effects this education has on the religious identity development of pupils, is relevant in a time when the position of religious affiliated schools is highly disputable. In earlier empirical research on religious identity development of…

This article explores the formational provision within a faith community when faith schooling ends at the primary stage. A case study, part of a larger multi-faith study, examined the Jewish community in the greater Glasgow area--a small, and shrinking, community with a long history of relatively peaceful integration but increasingly pressurised…