| CODE | PLC5011 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Foundations of Religious Education | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Pastoral Theology, Liturgy and Canon Law | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit aims at analysing the educational context (religion and society, youth and religion, the educational system), the teaching of religion as a discipline within schools (its nature and end of RE, the relationship between RE and Education, the student as protagonist, the role of the teacher, the experience and process of religious education, language and RE, CRE and other religions, the sources and foundations of RE), teaching and learning (objectives, methods, syllabi, the system of instruction and of professional formation, texts and didactic instruments), and the particular conditions of the disciplinary exercise (academic education and ecclesial action, CRE and Pastoral work in the school, CRE and the catholic school, RE and academic discomfort). The study-unit also aims at introducing students to the models and theories in RE and CRE. Students will also investigate the relevance of Christian anthropology to education, and the distinction and complementarity between RE and catechesis. Study-Unit Aims: - Investigate the local educational context; - Examine and discuss the principles, components, and issues involved in the teaching of RE; - Compare and critique different models of RE; - Differentiate between RE and Catechesis; - Justify the current approach to RE. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify and explain the principles, main elements and issues for an effective teaching of RE at secondary level; - Determine how all these elements are foundational for a Catholic approach to education; - Articulate the basic issues of Christian anthropology and their significance for evaluating different models of RE. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify whether the main principles of a Catholic approach to education are present in any particular approach to education; - Evaluate divergent theories and philosophies of RE from a Christian anthropological perspective; - Contextualize the elements of CRE in the framework of the National Minimum Curriculum. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Buchanan, M. T., 'Pedagogical drift: The evolution of new approaches and paradigms in religious education', in Religious Education, 2005: 100(1), 20-37. - Buchanan, M. T., & Gellel, A. M. (2015). Global Perspectives on Catholic Religious Education in Schools. (Netherlands: Springer, 2015). - Carr, David, Making Sense Of Education: An Introduction To The Philosophy And Theory Of Education And Teaching (London & New York: Routledge, 2003). - Gellel, A., Chircop L., Debono Curmi, M., Deguara, G., Gatt, S., Magro, E….Sultana C.M. (2008).Religious Education in Malta. Reflections by the Catholic Community. Floriana, Malta: Secretariat for Catechesis, Catholic Archdiocese. - Grimmitt Michael (ed.), Pedagogies of Religious Education: Case Studies in the Research and Development of Good Pedagogic Practice in RE (Great Wakering, Essex: McCrimmons 2000). - Miller Randolph Crump (ed.), Theologies of Religious Education (Alabama: Religious Education Press, 1995). - Roebben Bert and Warren Michael (eds.), Religious Education as practical theology (Leuven: Peeters, 2001). Supplementary Readings: - Congregation for the Clergy, The General Directory for Catechesis (Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997). - De Souza, M., Durka, G., Engebretson, K., Jackson, R., & McGrady, A. (Eds.), International handbook of the religious, moral and spiritual dimensions in education (Springer Science & Business Media, 2007). - Engebretson, K. et al. (Ed.), International handbook of inter-religious education (Springer Science & Business Media, 2010). - Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (Citta' del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana), 2004. - Roebben, Bert, Seeking sense in the city: European perspectives on religious education (Vol. 7). (Münster: LIT Verlag, 2009). - Ziebertz Hans-Georg, Religious Education in a Plural Western Society: Problems and Challenges (Munster: Lit Verlag, 2003). |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Qualifications: A first-cycle degree (70ECTS) in Theology. | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Edward Wright |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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