correlative assumptions in religious and values education

Prepared byMARILYN L. ACUÑA, FR. JOHN PAOLO S. BAUTISTAJONALD JUSTINE U. ITUGOT & ELOISA L. LEONDIS

De La Salle University – DasmariñasCollege of Education Graduate Studies

CORRELATIVE ASSUMPTIONS

IN RELIGIOUS AND VALUES EDUCATION


Historical Approach

Literary Approach

Tradition-based Approach

Cultural Studies Approach

HISTORICAL

APPROACH

DEFINITION

The process of establishing general facts and principles through attention to chronology and to the evolution or historical course of what is being studied.

A means of learning about something by considering its origins and development.

BACKGROUND

In the Eastern world, teaching was much more like an intellectual process, one of comparing and contrasting, of drawing the student into the cerebral work. A teacher would have been much more likely to require the comparison of an apple, a pear, and a banana, by the student, rather than a simple appraisal of an apple. By comparing the apple, pear, and banana, the student was required to come to a deeper understanding of the nature of these things by way of comparison. The charge might notice all have stems and skins and meat and vibrant colors. “Why?” the student must ask.

BACKGROUND

And that they all have them must mean they are in some way more necessary. And for what common purpose? Simply examining the apple by itself leaves the student wondering what parts of the apple are necessary and what purpose the different components might serve. The comparison method offers two very important benefits. First, it draws the student into the discovery process, causing the him to compare and contrast, requiring many times the effort of the simple, singular examination.

BACKGROUND

Secondly, it causes the student to probe on a deeper level for meaning, looking and searching for the Master’s reason behind the repetitive elements of design. This repetitive nature of design gives the student a guide path (certain clues) to the truth. Even a cursory examination of the teachings of Jesus reveals He chose to teach in the comparative form.

Taken from The Parable Discovery

BACKGROUND

Simply reading the book of Matthew is not enough. Why? Because the vast majority of us, as Westerners, are completely unaware of the ancient Hebraic teaching techniques. These methods were meant to conceal and reveal, to teach and to train by way of the comparative method. Currently, we see their teaching from a completely different vantage point - a vantage point that is at least foggy, if not incorrect. This improper understanding can greatly hinder us from achieving our stated goal... understanding the Apostle Matthew and his good news.

BACKGROUND

The ancient Hebrew's methods of teaching and of written communication were vastly different than ours are here today in the modern world. In understanding Matthew - as he wanted his readers to understand him - this fact has quite naturally become a major stumbling block to the twenty-first century Gentile reader, though few people have realized it. Indeed, many will say that the First Gospel needs little further illumination.

BACKGROUND

But I tell you the truth; without applying these ancient methods to the book of Matthew (the very ones he used to write his gospel, and in fact, the exact same ones that were used to write the Old Testament) we are left without being able to see the whole picture. Matthew was not writing a biography of Jesus to the Greeks... no, he was writing a manual of instruction to the Jews; literally he was crafting a discipleship textbook.

LITERARY

APPROACH

DEFINITION OF LITERACY

1. pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings, esp. those classed as literature: literary history.2. pertaining to authorship: literary style.3. versed in or acquainted with literature; well-read.4. engaged in or having the profession of literature or writing: a literary man.5. preferring books to actual experience; bookish.

A Literary Approach is a way of looking at literature i.e. how you read a piece of literature.

LITERARY CRITICISM

By reading and discussing literature, we expand our imagination, our sense of what is possible, and our ability to empathize with others. Improve your ability to read critically and interpret texts while gaining appreciation for different literary genres and theories of interpretation. Read samples of literary interpretation. Write a critique of a literary work.

LITERARY CRITICISM

Texts that interpret literary works are usually persuasive texts. Literary critics may conduct a close reading of a literary work, critique a literary work from the stance of a particular literary theory, or debate the soundness of other critics' interpretations. The work of literary critics is similar to the work of authors writing evaluative texts. For example, the skills required to critique films, interpret laws, or evaluate artistic trends are similar to those skills required by literary critics.

LITERARY CRITICISM

Literary texts include works of fiction and poetry. In school, English instructors ask students to critique literary texts, or works. Literary criticism refers to a genre of writing whereby an author critiques a literary text, either a work of fiction, a play, or poetry. Alternatively, some works of literary criticism address how a particular theory of interpretation informs a reading of a work or refutes some other critics' reading of a work.

IN PRACTICAL: LITERARY APPROACH

Story Telling (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, October 2006 ) Cardinal Luis Tagle in his keynote address to the Asian Mission Congress in Chang Mai, Thailand last October 2006 observes that, a story is never just a story. A story is truly a story when told or narrated, and hopefully listened to. Nowadays, one of the names of Story-telling is sharing. That sharing can take the form of telling the story of Jesus. He even outline that, Story-telling in Asian Way, provides a creative framework in a continent whose cultures and religions are rooted in great stories or epics. He even acknowledges that narrative methods akin to Asian forms as preferred way of proclaiming Jesus in Asia. He enumerated the following:


Good stories are based on experience. There are good stories and bad ones. But the difference does not always depend on the style of the narrator or the ending of the story. We tell our best stories when they are about our experience. Our best stories are about who we are.

Stories reveal personal identity and people and events that shaped identity. Story reveal who we are, the flow and sense of our lives and where are we going. My story is my autobiography, my identity in the great scheme of things. (Richard Woods, Goodnews: the Story Teller as Evangelist, New Blackfriars, 2000).


Stories are dynamic, open to re-interpretation and re-telling and transformative. Personal identity is shaped by interaction with the world put into memory.

Stories are ground for understanding spiritual, doctrinal and ethical symbols. Stories disclose personal identity by surfacing the values, moral norms and priorities of person.


Stories from community. A community’s distinguishing beliefs, rituals, celebrations, customs, and lifestyle will make sense to us only if we go back to the stories that the members of that community hold and held in common.

Stories when received can transform the listener. Important experiences are named and told in stories. (Richard Bayuk, Preaching and the Imagination, Bible Today, 2000).


Stories can be told in variety ways. A story can be told many ways, even when not literally telling a story. Oral narration is still the most common. But stories can be told through writing letters, novels or poems. Photographs and video productions are technologically inspired ways of telling stories.

TRADITION-BASED

APPROACH

DEFINITION

TRADITIONAL EDUCATION, also known as back-to-basics, conventional education or customary education, refers to long-established customs found in schools that society has traditionally deemed appropriate. Some forms of education reform promote the adoption of progressive education practices, a more holistic approach which focuses on individual students' needs and self-expression.

DEFINITION

In the eyes of reformers, traditional teacher-centered methods focused on rote learning and memorization must be abandoned in favor of student-centered and task-based approaches to learning. However, many parents and conservative citizens are concerned with the maintenance of objective educational standards based on testing, which favors a more traditional approach.

DEFINITION

Depending on the context, the opposite of traditional education may be progressive education, modern education (the education approaches based on developmental psychology), or alternative education.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_education

MODEL

Traditional

Principle Learning Theory Behaviorism

Student Participation Passive

Student Involvement in

Outcomes

Decreased responsibility

Student Role Direction follower

Curriculum Goals Product oriented

Teacher’s Role Director/transmitter

Topic Traditional approach

Person

Teacher-centred instruction: Educational essentialism Educational perennialism

Main Objective High test scores, grades, graduation

Classroom

Students matched by age, and possibly also by ability. All students in a classroom are taught the same material.

Teaching methods

Traditional education emphasizes:

• Direct instruction and lectures

• Seatwork Students learn through listening and

observation

MaterialsInstruction based on textbooks, lectures, and individual written assignments

SubjectsIndividual, independent subjects.

Little connection between topics

ContentMemorization of facts, objective information; Correct knowledge is paramount

Social aspects

Little or no attention to social development.

Focus on independent learning. Socializing largely discouraged except for extracurricular activities and teamwork-based projects.

Multiple tracks

A single, unified curriculum for all students, regardless of ability or interest.

Diverse class offerings without tracking, so that students receive a custom-tailored education.

With School to work, academically weak students must take some advanced classes, while the college bound may have to spend half-days job shadowing at local businesses.

Student and teacher relationship

Students often address teachers formally by their last names. The teacher is considered a respected role model in the community. Students should obey the teacher. Proper behavior for the university or professional work community is emphasized.

CULTURE STUDIES

APPROACH

BACKGROUND

Contributed by Prof. Diane L. Moore of Harvard Divinity School

Featured in her book entitled, “Overcoming Religious Illiteracy: A Multicultural Approach to Teaching about Religion in Secondary Schools” (2007)

PREMISES

1. There exists a widespread illiteracy about religion that spans the globe.

2. One of the most troubling and urgent consequences of this illiteracy is that it often fuels prejudice and antagonism, thereby hindering efforts aimed at promoting respect for pluralism, peaceful coexistence and cooperative endeavors in local, national, and global arenas.

PREMISES

3. It is possible to diminish religious illiteracy by teaching about religion from a nonsectarian perspective in primary and secondary schools.

RELIGIOUS ILLITERACY

Religious illiteracy is the lack of understanding about:

The basic tenets of the world’s religious traditions;

The diversity of expressions and beliefs within traditions that emerge and evolve in relation to differing social/historical contexts; and

The profound role that religion plays in human social, cultural, and political life in both contemporary and historical contexts.

RELIGIOUS LITERACY

A religious literate person will possess:

A basic understanding of the history, central texts, beliefs, practices, and contemporary manifestations of several of the word’s religious traditions; and

The ability to discern and explore the religious dimensions of political, social, and cultural expressions across time and place.

CHALLENGES

1.The first challenge is that few teachers are trained in the methods and content required to teach about religion responsibly. Gaining even a minimal level of competence in these areas requires more training than typical in-service or pre-service workshops can provide.

CHALLENGES

2.A second challenge is that teachers and students often harbor a host of embedded assumptions about religion; some of which are conscious and able to be openly interrogated but many that are unconscious and therefore difficult to discern and engage.

CHALLENGES

3.A third challenge is that efforts to teach about religion may well be interpreted by parents, educational administrators and/or community leaders as teaching religion or proselytizing even if the teacher is clearly not doing so.

CHALLENGES

4.A fourth challenge is that the pedagogical dimensions regarding how one teaches about religion are as significant as what one teaches regarding content. In this way, method and content are profoundly interrelated.

APPROACH

The method is multi and inter-disciplinary and recognizes how political, economic, and cultural lenses are fundamentally entwined rather than discrete.

Analysis includes an understanding of the social and cultural contexts out of which particular interpretive perspectives arise.

APPROACH

In relationship to teaching about religion, educators need to be clear about why this is a valid and, indeed, important focus for inquiry in relation to the broader educational goals that a given teacher, school, district or nation affirms and intentionally tries to promote.

Prepared byMARILYN L. ACUÑA, FR. JOHN PAOLO S. BAUTISTAJONALD JUSTINE U. ITUGOT & ELOISA L. LEONDIS

De La Salle University – DasmariñasCollege of Education Graduate Studies


IN RELIGIOUS AND VALUES EDUCATION