What children need: cooperative religious education in German schools—results from an empirical study

This article is based on a research project funded by the German Research Association (DFG) which was carried out by a team of researchers at Tübingen, with F. Schweitzer (Professor of Protestant Religious Education) and A. Biesinger (Professor of Catholic Religious Education) as directors, R. Boschki and C. Schlenker as researchers, in cooperation with A. Edelbrock, O. Kliss, and M. Scheidler (cf. Schweitzer/Biesinger et al., 2002). An earlier version of this article was presented at the International Seminar on Religion and Values (ISREV) at Kristiansand, Norway in summer 2002.

Abstract

This article gives a report on a recent empirical study on cooperative religious education in German primary schools. Special emphasis is given to the views, needs, and rights of children. Results from interviews with the children and with the teachers as well as from classroom observation form the basis for the authors' suggestions concerning the future shape of religious education.

Notes

This article is based on a research project funded by the German Research Association (DFG) which was carried out by a team of researchers at Tübingen, with F. Schweitzer (Professor of Protestant Religious Education) and A. Biesinger (Professor of Catholic Religious Education) as directors, R. Boschki and C. Schlenker as researchers, in cooperation with A. Edelbrock, O. Kliss, and M. Scheidler (cf. Schweitzer/Biesinger et al., 2002). An earlier version of this article was presented at the International Seminar on Religion and Values (ISREV) at Kristiansand, Norway in summer 2002.

Brandenburg has introduced a type of religious education which is mandatory for all pupils (with very few exceptions) and which is taught under state supervision without allowing the churches or other religious communities to influence the content of this religious education.