Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland
This paper, based on 355 survey responses from secondary Religious Education (RE) teachers in England (n = 238) and Scotland (n = 117), explores the background of these educators in terms of qualifications, personal (a)theistic belief, and religion. This research seeks to establish the degree backgr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/3/184 |
| _version_ | 1797541829585928192 |
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| author | Graeme Nixon David Smith Jo Fraser-Pearce |
| author_facet | Graeme Nixon David Smith Jo Fraser-Pearce |
| author_sort | Graeme Nixon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper, based on 355 survey responses from secondary Religious Education (RE) teachers in England (n = 238) and Scotland (n = 117), explores the background of these educators in terms of qualifications, personal (a)theistic belief, and religion. This research seeks to establish the degree backgrounds of RE teachers, what religion they belong to (if any), and the range of theistic, agnostic, and atheistic teachers currently within the RE profession. This paper, acknowledging the similar and contrasting natures of England and Scotland in terms of the history, status and purpose(s) of the subject, demonstrates that RE teachers in these countries come from diverse academic backgrounds, and that most RE teachers in England and Scotland do not believe in God(s). Nearly half of RE teachers in England and more than half in Scotland have no religion. The granulation to England and Scotland allows us to make tentative links with national census and social attitudes research, and with literature, which posits nuanced secularisation trajectories. Furthermore, the data allow us to cross-tabulate (for example, between degree background and religious beliefs), as well as with the data in extant research about the risks of sanitised and essentialised approaches to teaching religion in schools. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:21:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-55b17ed8724f4238a136d093d1886367 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:21:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-55b17ed8724f4238a136d093d18863672023-11-21T10:00:19ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-03-0112318410.3390/rel12030184Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and ScotlandGraeme Nixon0David Smith1Jo Fraser-Pearce2School of Education, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UKSchool of Education, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UKInstitute of Education, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UKThis paper, based on 355 survey responses from secondary Religious Education (RE) teachers in England (n = 238) and Scotland (n = 117), explores the background of these educators in terms of qualifications, personal (a)theistic belief, and religion. This research seeks to establish the degree backgrounds of RE teachers, what religion they belong to (if any), and the range of theistic, agnostic, and atheistic teachers currently within the RE profession. This paper, acknowledging the similar and contrasting natures of England and Scotland in terms of the history, status and purpose(s) of the subject, demonstrates that RE teachers in these countries come from diverse academic backgrounds, and that most RE teachers in England and Scotland do not believe in God(s). Nearly half of RE teachers in England and more than half in Scotland have no religion. The granulation to England and Scotland allows us to make tentative links with national census and social attitudes research, and with literature, which posits nuanced secularisation trajectories. Furthermore, the data allow us to cross-tabulate (for example, between degree background and religious beliefs), as well as with the data in extant research about the risks of sanitised and essentialised approaches to teaching religion in schools.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/3/184religionreligious educationsecularisationUK Schoolsteachersteacher identity |
| spellingShingle | Graeme Nixon David Smith Jo Fraser-Pearce Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland Religions religion religious education secularisation UK Schools teachers teacher identity |
| title | Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland |
| title_full | Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland |
| title_fullStr | Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland |
| title_short | Irreligious Educators? An Empirical Study of the Academic Qualifications, (A)theistic Positionality, and Religious Belief of Religious Education Teachers in England and Scotland |
| title_sort | irreligious educators an empirical study of the academic qualifications a theistic positionality and religious belief of religious education teachers in england and scotland |
| topic | religion religious education secularisation UK Schools teachers teacher identity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/3/184 |
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