Religious education is an area of complexity and controversy which raises many questions throughout education, such as why teach RE in schools? What is the relevance of religion in a secular society? Can anyone teach it? How should world religions be taught? How can students be assessed? The Effective Teaching of Religious Education seeks to open up the debates surrounding these issues in order to provide clear guidelines for both practising and trainee teachers. Written with a practical concern to improve the quality of RE delivered in schools, this books adopts a clear and direct approach that is balanced and unbiased. Theory and practice are tighly integrated and many practical suggestions and examples are given. The author demonstrates a sensitivity to where RE currently stands and offers practical answers to hard questions and shows how the subject contributes to cross curricular work.
Brenda Watson is the author of several books on education and religion. A former lecturer at Didsbury College of Education, she became Director of the Farmington Institute in Oxford for several years before doing consultancy work.
Penny Thompson taught RE in comprehensive schools on Merseyside in the UK for 15 years. She has taught at tertiary level, at an independent school and in adult education. She has written a book on RE and is the author of many articles on the subject.
