Pre-service teachers’ interpretations of religious policy in citizenship education in China

Abstract

Studies about religion and education in post-Mao China have become more common in recent years, but very few have touched on teacher and religious education at the basic education level. This study adopted a mixed methodology approach (questionnaire, interview and lesson design analysis) to report Chinese pre-service teachers’ interpretations of religious policy in citizenship education. The analyses of the findings reveal that pre-service teachers actively constructed their understandings of religion-citizenship, rather than passively adopting the officially promoted religion-citizenship relationship.

Keywords:

• Pre-service teacher
• religious policy
• citizenship education
• China

Notes

1. China is currently revising its high school citizenship education curriculum guidelines, and the final version of that reversion had not been issued at the time this article was written. The textbook provided for pre-service teachers to analyse was based on the 2004 curriculum guideline.

2. Which is the only high school citizenship education textbook used throughout China, except Shanghai city.

3. While there are debates as to whether Confucianism is a religion, in contemporary China, it was not viewed as one.

4. Which is the only high school citizenship education textbook used in whole China, except Shanghai city.