Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School Identity
Religious diversity within Dutch schools has greatly increased. We carried out an empirical study to offer insights into how secondary school teachers (try to) relate to the formal Protestant Christian identity of their school, the challenges they experience in relation to their own personal worldvi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/8/4/208 |
| _version_ | 1798002462184964096 |
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| author | Gerdien Bertram-Troost Inge Versteegt Jacomijn van der Kooij Inger van Nes Siebren Miedema |
| author_facet | Gerdien Bertram-Troost Inge Versteegt Jacomijn van der Kooij Inger van Nes Siebren Miedema |
| author_sort | Gerdien Bertram-Troost |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Religious diversity within Dutch schools has greatly increased. We carried out an empirical study to offer insights into how secondary school teachers (try to) relate to the formal Protestant Christian identity of their school, the challenges they experience in relation to their own personal worldview, and the recommendations they have to overcome these challenges. In our qualitative study, we interviewed thirty-two teachers from eight different schools. In selecting the schools, we took into account the diversity of Protestant Christian secondary education in the Netherlands. The teachers teach different subjects in a variety of disciplines (languages, creative arts, sciences, et cetera). For many teachers, their personal worldview does not align neatly with the formal religious identity of the school. As a result, teachers experience challenges in relation to, for example, the act of daily worship and (Christian) celebrations. Teachers also experience tensions regarding the extent to which schools could or should be open towards (religious) others. Teachers’ advice, among other recommendations, is to create room for an open exchange of views, opinions, and experiences between teachers and principals. Some teachers recommend that their principal reconsider the formal Christian identity of the school and search for another, more inclusive school identity with which everyone involved can better identify. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:52:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f03544eede364d8494340b2a8e32c208 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:52:34Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-f03544eede364d8494340b2a8e32c2082022-12-22T04:25:18ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022018-11-018420810.3390/educsci8040208educsci8040208Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School IdentityGerdien Bertram-Troost0Inge Versteegt1Jacomijn van der Kooij2Inger van Nes3Siebren Miedema4Faculty of Religion and Theology, Department Beliefs and Practices, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsFaculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department Research and Theory in Education, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsAssociation for Catholic and Christian schools in the Netherlands, 3447 Woerden, The NetherlandsFaculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department Research and Theory in Education, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsFaculty of Religion and Theology, Department Beliefs and Practices, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsReligious diversity within Dutch schools has greatly increased. We carried out an empirical study to offer insights into how secondary school teachers (try to) relate to the formal Protestant Christian identity of their school, the challenges they experience in relation to their own personal worldview, and the recommendations they have to overcome these challenges. In our qualitative study, we interviewed thirty-two teachers from eight different schools. In selecting the schools, we took into account the diversity of Protestant Christian secondary education in the Netherlands. The teachers teach different subjects in a variety of disciplines (languages, creative arts, sciences, et cetera). For many teachers, their personal worldview does not align neatly with the formal religious identity of the school. As a result, teachers experience challenges in relation to, for example, the act of daily worship and (Christian) celebrations. Teachers also experience tensions regarding the extent to which schools could or should be open towards (religious) others. Teachers’ advice, among other recommendations, is to create room for an open exchange of views, opinions, and experiences between teachers and principals. Some teachers recommend that their principal reconsider the formal Christian identity of the school and search for another, more inclusive school identity with which everyone involved can better identify.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/8/4/208school identitysecularizationsecondary educationteachersworldviews |
| spellingShingle | Gerdien Bertram-Troost Inge Versteegt Jacomijn van der Kooij Inger van Nes Siebren Miedema Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School Identity Education Sciences school identity secularization secondary education teachers worldviews |
| title | Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School Identity |
| title_full | Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School Identity |
| title_fullStr | Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School Identity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School Identity |
| title_short | Beyond the Split between Formal School Identity and Teachers’ Personal Worldviews: Towards an Inclusive (Christian) School Identity |
| title_sort | beyond the split between formal school identity and teachers personal worldviews towards an inclusive christian school identity |
| topic | school identity secularization secondary education teachers worldviews |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/8/4/208 |
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