The ‘world religions paradigm’ as the organising principle of didactic action—a case study

ABSTRACT

This article shows how discussion of the ‘world religions paradigm’ in integrated natural and social science teaching affects how religious plurality is handled. A concrete case study is used to illustrate how a teacher designs lessons on world religions.

Based on this single case study, the article argues that the use of specific teaching materials, which are shaped according to the world religions paradigm and contain a highly essentialised and ahistorical depiction of religions, contrasts with the more nuanced additions made by the teacher in the oral monologue parts of the lesson. It is shown that the world religions paradigm is subtly and implicitly questioned as well as reproduced by the teacher. The analysis is based on de Certeau’s theory of strategies and tactics, which allows for a discussion of teachers’ scope of action.

KEYWORDS:

• Religious studies
• primary school
• teachers’ action
• world religions paradigm

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. All names have been anonymised.

2. All teaching transcripts have been slightly linguistically revised for the reader’s convenience.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Petra Bleisch

Ariane Schwab is a Germanist and works as a lecturer in German Didactics at the University of Education Freiburg. She is a member of the research unit Didactics of Ethics and Religious Studies.

Ariane Schwab

Petra Bleisch holds a PhD in Religious and Islamic Studies. She works as a lecturer in Nature-Human-Society Didactics with a focus on ethics and religious studies at the University of Education Freiburg. She leads the local research unit Didactics of Ethics and Religious Studies.