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Strategies for teaching religion in colleges of education

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 1999. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The revised norms and standards for teacher education requires an understanding of the
beliefs, values and practices of the main religions of South Africa. However, many preservice
teachers have emerged from backgrounds of monoreligious education, or from
schools where Religious education was discarded from the curriculum. This situation
implies that pre-service teachers may lack the knowledge and skills to cope within a
religiously pluralist school environment. This study argues therefore that the attitudes and
perceptions of pre-service teachers towards Religious education in particular and
religions in general will be positively influenced by means of a programme of
intervention.
The main aim of this study is to examine strategies for teaching religion to pre-service
teachers to equip them for the religious and cultural diversity of South African
classrooms. F euerstein' s theory of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) is examined as
a vehicle for initiating new and creative ways of thinking about religions. Ten criteria for
MLE are implemented within a context of co-operative small group learning on the
grounds that learning about religions should take place in a constructivist paradigm. The
potential influence of a tutor/mediator on the perceptions and attitudes of pre-service
teachers towards religions other than their own is therefore a significant theme in this
study. The influence of a programme of intervention on student attitudes towards religion
and Religious education was determined within an action-enquiry research model. The
empirical research indicates that active participation in the learning process not only
enhanced student participants' knowledge and understanding of religious concepts, but
also fostered the value of an unbiased, positive approach to the study of religions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hersiende norme en standaarde vir onderwysersopleiding verg 'n kennis van die geloof,
waardes en praktyke van die hoof religiee van Suid-Afrika. Nietemin kom baie
studentonderwysers uit 'n monoreligieuse opvoedingsagtergrond of van skole waar
religieuse onderrig van die kurrikulum verwyder is. Hierdie situasie impliseer dat
studentonderwysers nie die nodige kennis dra, of die nodige vaardighede het, om in 'n
pluralistiese religieuse skoolomgewing aan te pas nie. Hierdie studie argumenteer dat die
houdings en persepsies van studentonderwysers teenoor religieuse onderrig in die
besonder en religie in die algemeen positief be"invloed kan word deur middel van 'n
intervensieprogram.
Die hoofdoel van die studie is om verskillende strategiee in religieuse onderrig VIr
studentonderwysers te ondersoek om hulle toe te rus vir die religieuse en kulturele
diversiteit in Suid-Afrika. Feuerstein se teorie van Bemiddelde leerervaring (Mediated
Learning Experience, MLE) word ondersoek as 'n middel waardeur nuwe kreatiewe
denkmetodes oor religie ge"inisieer kan word. Tien kriteria van MLE word
ge"implementeer binne 'n konteks van kooperatiewe leergroepe op grond daarvan dat
religiee binne 'n konstruktivistiese paradigma moet plaasvind. Die potentiele invloed van
die fasiliteerder op die persepsies en houdings van studentonderwysers teenoor ander
religiee is dus 'n belangrike tema van die studie. Die invloed van 'n intervensieprogram
op studentehoudings teenoor religiee en religieuse onderrig was bepaal deur middel van
'n aksienavraag navorsingsmodel. Die empiriese navorsing motiveer die feit dat aktiewe
deelname in die leerproses nie net die deelnemende studentonderwysers se kennis en
begrip van religieuse konsepte verdiep het nie, maar ook 'n onbevooroordeelde positiewe
benadering tot die studie van religiee gekweek het.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51437
Date12 1900
CreatorsFerguson, Rene
ContributorsRoux, C. D., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format232 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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