The development of beliefs and values in early adolescence: a case study through religious education pedagogy

Abstract

Remarks on current educational language precede discussions of: pupils’ educational development; pupil voice; adolescence and action research. There follows a report of an innovation in religious education pedagogy, designed to address concerns that pupils should be helped to understand the emergence of their own beliefs and values over time. This report then prompts some reflections on religious education’s turn in the direction of hermeneutics. A form of religious education is sketched where pupils’ awareness of changes to their own beliefs and values over time is a key feature. Such awareness marks spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, an issue granted less than adequate coverage in the present UK education agenda.

Keywords:

• Adolescence
• Living word
• Pedagogy
• Pupil voice
• Religious education

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the members of the class whose work is described above, to the anonymous referees of the article for their helpful suggestions, to Nigel Fancourt for reading and commenting on an earlier draft of the article and to St Gabriel’s Trust for continuing support of the author’s research.

Notes

1. I am indebted to a conversation during 1997 with J⊘rgen Cort Jensen, then head teacher of Bordings Friskole, Copenhagen, for this remark.