Preservice Teachers' Beliefs and Practices: Religion and Religious Diversity

Discussions about religious aspects of diversity are often absent from research. Similarly, topics such as religious forms of prejudice and religious dimensions of identities have not been fully explored in the context of teacher education. Too often, in the schooling context, what religion is and what constitutes an authentic religious identity operates in European American epistemologies. By examining the beliefs and practices of preservice teachers, this article argues for the need to emphasize topics of religious diversity in teacher education programs since teachers will undoubtedly teach those who come from diverse religious backgrounds. In particular, the article explores how various students in the study negotiated and resisted recognizing structural discourses on religion, especially when religious issues interconnected with race and gender topics. Overall, the author proposes that teacher educators include religion when teaching about social differences, particularly how religious dimensions of prejudice operate in schools.

Notes

1. For descriptions of the scenarios outlined, see Elnour & Bashir-Ali, 2003; Kiesewetter, 2004; Newman, 2001; Pang, 2005; Subedi, Merryfield, Bashir-Ali, & Gunel, 2005.

2. Although the concept of race is socially constructed, traditional racial classifications (White, Black, Asian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Native) have shaped how people identity themselves. Indeed, racial classifications are connected to political, economic and cultural power. Ethnicity, on the other hand, is often used to speak about commonalities among a group of people through similarities of cultures, languages, religions, experiences, and the like.

3. The popular, mainstream movie traces a white U.S. woman's attempt (played by Sally Fields) to escape, with her daughter, from Iran. The film, which was released in 1991, examines the woman's relationship with her Iranian husband and his family. The movie stereotypes Muslims and generally Middle Eastern societies as being oppressive.

4. The term “all of the sudden” was often utilized locally, including in classrooms.