Publication Details
Hackett, C. B.
(2009).
What is the best and most special about teaching religious education?.
Journal of Religious Education, 57 (1), 14-24.
Abstract
If you have taught Religious Education in a Catholic secondary school, then you may have sat down at the end of the class or the school day and just wondered why you bothered. Before reading this article further, give yourself a few moments to reflect on this question:
“What for you is the best and most special about teaching Religious Education?”
How did you answer the question? Was your response negative or positive? Did you reach for the instant cynical remark, “When I finished teaching the class!” Or, did you imagine yourself taking great pride in accomplishing deeper understandings among your students? Maybe your response was one of mixed feelings. These responses are important because the disposition of a teacher towards his or her RE teaching is a key factor in the quality of Religious Education provided to secondary students in Catholic schools. This article outlines the findings of the second phase of a study about the teaching experiences of recently assigned RE teachers and the resultant changes in their outlook about RE teaching.
Keywords
Peer-reviewed
