Module 2: Dealing with religious and ethical topics at school

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Aim & Learning Objectives

This module has been developed to support educators in dealing with religious and ethical topics at school. It is intended for a wide audience, including education policymakers and officials, teacher trainers, teachers, principals and head teachers, staff in teacher unions and professional associations, and members of NGOs. The module is relevant for both primary and secondary education and can also be used in non-formal education settings.

Through this module, learners (teachers, educators, school principles, staff and related stakeholders) are expected to:

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Recognise in time behaviours and expressions that reflect stereotypes and prejudices

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Raise awareness about the main religious issues that can divide students

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Strengthen their capacity to deal successfully in the classroom with controversial issues concerning religions and non-religious world views

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Enhance their skills in order to promote openness, acceptance, respect and solidarity at schools

Learning Outcomes

As a result of participating in this module, learners (teachers, educators, school principals, staff and related stakeholders) will be able to:

  • Define basic terms and concepts linked with religious controversial issues at school
  • Prepare a learning scenario or an open democratic dialogue about a hot topic related to religious issues in class 
  • Implement teaching strategies and techniques that promote  interreligious and intercultural dialogue, in order to turn their classroom into a “safe space” for cultivating respect, tolerance and peaceful coexistence

Activity 1: Positive-Negative

Activity 2: “Think-Pair-Share-Square”

Activity 3: “A Mosque in Sleepyville”

Tips and Thinks to take in account:

  • Don’t try to convince anyone, especially about religious truths and world views but help them to raise awareness and develop criteria and values
  • Dealing with controversial religious and ethical issues may requires to act more as a facilitator and less as a teacher
  • Be impartial but be ready also to become devil’s advocate in order to move forward the students
  • Do not equate the condemnable actions of some who act as representatives of a religion with the essence of their religion
  • Speaking of religions, let us avoid generalizations, because every religion has many variations in time and in place.
  • Ιf a controversial issue arises suddenly and you are not sure you can handle it immediately, ask the students to be patient so that you can deal with it another day after you and they have studied the matter in detail.

 

Module Content

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