Religion and Public Schools: International Perspectives Unit
State of the Art on Religion and Education: A Roundtable Discussion
For this 2024 AAR virtual session we seek contributions able to depict the contemporary landscape of religion and education (RE) globally. We invite scholars, educators, and practitioners to contribute to this dialogue, examining the diverse aspects of curriculum, pedagogy, and the portrayal of ‘religion’ in educational contexts worldwide.
Specifically, we encourage participants to explore the nuances of current curricular structures, pedagogical approaches, and contents in teaching ‘religion,’ considering the historical, cultural, and social influences that shape these aspects both locally and globally. We also invite discussions on innovations, challenges, and best practices that are influencing and shaping educational frameworks in different contexts.
The format includes 10-minute presentations highlighting the portrayal of religion and its integration into educational systems across different countries. Following these presentations, participants in this virtual session will engage in a broader panel discussion aimed at synthesizing insights, exchanging diverse perspectives, and generating analyses on global trends and challenges within RE.
This Program Unit promotes the global and comparative study of "religion education" in public schools around the world. By encouraging interdisciplinary research on the ethical, legal, political, pedagogical, and theological issues that arise with the study of religion in elementary and secondary schools, we seek to deepen our understanding of alternative approaches to religion as an academic subject. We also hope to find new ways of responding to the increasing religious diversity in schools and societies and to study the relationship between religious education and citizenship education in pluralistic democratic societies.