Metacognition, Worldviews and Religious Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers

Religious Education (RE) holds a unique place within the state education system. Yet, the teaching of RE has often been criticised for its tendency to present simplified and stereotypical representations of religions. Bringing together the theory of metacognition with RE curriculum content, this book offers a coherent and theoretically supported approach to RE and beyond that is applicable to a range of subjects and students of various age groups.

Metacognition, Worldviews and Religious Education seeks to support teachers in creating a new and exciting classroom approach. With a focus on putting children and teachers’ worldviews back on the RE agenda and developing awareness of these through metacognitive processes, it includes

• Tables, frameworks and checklists to make it easy for teachers to adapt the approach to their own context

• Concrete examples of how the approach can work in the classroom, including case studies from teachers

• Call-out boxes for teachers and others to reflect on their own practice and to consider their own beliefs and values in relation to teaching and learning

Co-authored by three researchers from Exeter University and one experienced advanced skills RE primary school teacher, this book explains in a jargon-free way the theories of metacognition and worldviews which underpin the creation of a unique learning environment, making it an essential read for students, experienced teachers, researchers in RE and anyone interested in taking a thinking skills approach to pedagogy.

Shirley Larkin is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Exeter.

Rob Freathy is Associate Dean of the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter and Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education.

Jonathan Doney is a researcher at the University of Exeter specialising in the history and development of education policy, with a focus on Religious Education.

Giles Freathy is the Primary Initial Teacher Training Curriculum Lead for The Learning Institute at the Westcountry Schools Trust.