ENGAGING TEACHERS WITH THEIR RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES.

Joyce Miller

BEGINNINGS

Education Bradford’s Community Cohesion Strategy

School’s bid to become a Specialist Humanities College; school wants to improve its relationship with its communities

REDCo project : Religion in Education. A contribution to dialogue or a factor of conflict in transforming societies of European Countries

THE PROJECT

CPD for teachers in a humanities faculty in a mixed comprehensive school

Took place over a whole year – many delays

Eleven teachers: ten white and one Pakistani-heritage

THE SCHOOL

927 pupils: 134 white and 793 BME, mainly Pakistani heritage

75% have English as an additional language Serves two areas in 20% most deprived

nationally 56% have special needs

2008 – 45% A*-C grades at GCSE 72% gained A*-C in RS.

PHILOSOPHY AND METHODOLOGY

Robert Jackson’s Interpretive Approach. Three key concepts:

Representation Interpretationreflexivity

Ethnographic methodology:

Participant observationSemi-structured interviews

CPD PROGRAMME

Twilight sessions:

Exploring school demographics

Exploring key concepts: identity/ community/ ‘skilled cultural navigators’

Semi-structured interviews with sixth form students

Preparation for visits

VISITS

Off site for whole day x 3: Preparation at resource centre – questions and

issues for the day Visit to place of worship and conversation with

faith community representative Visit to community centre and conversation with

community representative Interview with Muslim woman, employed as faith

tutor at resource centre Plenary at resource centre - what to report back

to rest of faculty

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What is the impact of the deployment of the interpretive approach in the CPD of the humanities faculty teachers’: Understanding of the school’s religious and

cultural communities Professional practice Personal edification?

Does the interpretive approach provide a sound basis for improving teachers’ understanding of and relationship with their religious and cultural communities?

DATA

Four teachers kept ‘reflective diaries’ Five teachers interviewed – recorded and

transcribed Nine teachers filled in concluding summary

forms Eleven teachers gave background

information and opinions on religion and education

Six students gave background information Flipcharts and plenary notes Field notes

KEY THEMES TO EMERGE

Identity - British/Pakistani?

Religion and culture – interpretation of the Qur’an

Diversity within diversity -

Divisions between communities

The place of women

IDENTITY

View that young Muslims are ‘lost’ and ‘confused’

‘Back home’ – British or Pakistani? ‘British Muslim’

Q: ‘Aren’t we just trying to westernise these students?’

A: ‘Yes, but how are they going to survive in the world of work if we don’t?’

RELIGION AND CULTURE

Key issue for teachers was how to differentiate between the religion and culture

Teachers wanted to give primacy to religion

Q: ‘Wearing the hijab: is it cultural or religious?’

A: ‘Yes’ and ‘no’. Q: ‘How can we make sense of the Qur’an?’ A: ‘It isn’t black and white and I take comfort

from that.’

DIVERSITY WITHIN DIVERSITY

Staff had varying degrees of knowledge Pupils did not. Divisions v the umma

‘The Asian community is more diverse than I had realised.’

‘Identity is a very complex issue for Muslims.’ ‘No group in society is quite as united as they

would like to make out.’

DIVISIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES

Fine line between diversity and division Anti-Semitism The Holocaust 9/11

‘The UK is the best place for Muslims to live’ ‘ – a message some of our students could be

given.’

THE PLACE OF WOMEN

Issues raised included: Marriage to relatives from the sub-continent Lack of English Illiteracy Lack of choice

‘Compulsion is not part of Islam.’ ‘Men will have to change.’

REPRESENTATION

Met a variety of people from a range of groups - broad and balanced view of communities

Agree that stereotyping was avoided Increased understanding of diversity and

complexity

Who can act as a representative? How does the individual relate to the group

and to the tradition as a whole ?

INTERPRETATION

None seemed to have increased understanding of the ‘grammar’ of religions and communities

About a third said that they could empathise with people they met

Need to explore religion and culture further

Negative perceptions of communities expressed by informants and teachers: Time warp Pakistan has ‘moved on’

REFLEXIVITY

Personal edification – no positive evidence Shared experience:

Universals – fears/aspiration Young people Communities

Professional development: Increased awareness and ‘increased openness’ Changing practice – e.g. visits/Islamic Relief Increased confidence in dealing with

controversial issues Improved Humanities specialist status bid

UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITIES

Increased experience and understanding of local communities

Teachers became more ‘skilled cultural navigators’

Teachers enjoyed the CPD and all said that they had benefited and that all teachers in the school should have the same opportunities

FUTURE PRACTICE

More time in a shorter time-scale

Teachers to keep diaries/photographic records

Only focus on one religion, not three

Challenge perceptions: ‘Parallel lives’ ‘Sleepwalking into segregation’ Ethnicity /religion as key to ‘problems’

PUBLICATION

Miller, J (forthcoming) ‘Raising humanities teachers’ understanding of their pupils’ religious and cultural backgrounds’ in

J. Ipgrave, R. Jackson and K. O’Grady (eds) Religious Education Research through a Community of Practice (Munster, Waxmann)