A Religion and Worldviews Approach
A religion and worldviews approach recognises that everyone has (or occupies) a worldview - no-one is neutral.
This approach is rooted in two key principles:
1. Worldviews start with people
Rooting the learning in real or fictionalised case studies helps make worldviews tangible to students; this helps them know, understand and remember more.
2. Students’ ability to make sense of what they learn is an integral part of the curriculum
It is essential to use various ‘ways of knowing’ to support students to engage critically with subject content; this includes helping them critically engage with their own worldviews.
The Ways of Knowing in RE
For guidance on what it looks like for pupils to get better at the ways of knowing see here.
Disciplinary Knowledge in RE: Primary Self-Audit Tool
Disciplinary Knowledge in RE: Secondary Self-Audit Tool
Developing Personal Knowledge in RE
It is important to think about how the subject content and the case studies used to exemplify and explore that content might resonate with pupils’ own lived experiences. Making explicit these points of resonance will support them to become more critically aware of their own worldview. Over time, pupils should become increasingly confident and independent in using the various ways of knowing to engage critically with their personal knowledge.
To find out more about developing personal knowledge in RE see here.
The Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education (LDBE) has developed primary and secondary RE curriculum materials that take a religion and worldviews approach. You can find out more about these here.
LDBE has also produced the Empowering Voices podcast episodes with associated education packs that take a religion and worldviews approach. You can find out more about this here.
