The teaching of the creation accounts to religious education secondary school students

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the teaching of “The Beginning”, a topic currently taught in Year 10. The plan was to discover which teaching model best suits this topic and possibly serve other topics. This included the investigation of the use of technology and group work in religion lessons along with how Religious Education in schools interacts with theological input and the progress in the educational sciences, especially in teaching students with learning difficulties. Data were collected using seven semi-structured interviews with religious education teachers from both church and state School. The data were compared to theories of constructivism and the various teaching models mentioned in the literature. The study concludes that student-centred teaching and learning is the most favoured approach. Teachers use a variety of technology and digital media tools in their teaching process to provide students with a more positive learning experience. The doctrinal approach of teaching students to believe all the facts concerning the beginning of the earth and humanity as they are written in the creation accounts was proven to be obsolete. However, some instruction is still perceived as necessary for certain lessons. The conclusions also highlight the importance of teaching students the spiritual intention of these accounts rather than the scientific explanation of the origins of life. Furthermore, the findings emphasise the importance of sharing life experiences during discussions.