‘Spoon Feeding or Critical Thinking?’ A Level / Higher to First Year Progression in Religious Studies and Theology Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies St Anne's College, Oxford 3rd - 4th July 2008

The Academic Integrity of Theology and Religious Studies: Towards Long Term Solutions to the Problem of Progression Andrew Wright Department of Education and Professional Studies King’s College London

3 introduction Session Outline progression the fragmentation of liberal education the rehabilitation of liberal education progression and student motivation progression and social enhancement progression and critical thinking

4 progression Problems: Diversity and Fragmentation object of knowledge (domain of study) academic disciplines (method of study) student motivation teacher motivation justification curriculum development pedagogy

5 progression Possibilities: Academic Integrity the cycle of progression progression as a perennial problem surface solutions deep solutions the National Strategy for Religious Education towards a common framework

6 liberal education: fragmentation Contours of Liberal Education roots: classical paideia truth: the pursuit of knowledge truthfulness: personal flourishing truthfulness: social flourishing

7 liberal education: fragmentation The Modern / Postmodern Impasse Locke: public facts v. private values Kant: Conflict of the Faculties knowledge > understanding > evaluation constructivism dualism: truth v. truthfulness learning ‘about’ religion learning ‘from’ religion

8 liberal education: rehabilitation Critical Realism Ontological Realism nature, minds, culture, transcendence empirical, actual, real ordered, stratified, dynamic, open Epistemic Relativity relational knowledge contingent knowledge inclusivity: critical realism as ‘under-labourer’ Judgemental Rationality some accounts of reality are more truthful than others informed judgements between conflicting truth claims post-foundational criteria: congruence, coherence, fertility, simplicity, depth

9 liberal education: rehabilitation Critical Religious Education Non-dualistic Pursuit of Truth / Truthfulness truth: contested secular/religious worldviews truthfulness: personal flourishing sub species aeternitatis truthfulness: social flourishing sub species aeternitatis Theological, Religious & Spiritual Literacy the ability to think, feel, communicate and act wisely in relation to the contested nature of transcendent reality and personal/social flourishing sub species aeternitatis

10 progression: student motivation Curriculum Development plurality of student motivations extrinsic curriculum development: feeding students’ interests intrinsic curriculum development: challenging students’ interests teaching as an intentional activity the priority / integrity of the object of study the unavoidability / inclusion of students’ interests the variation theory of learning contested object + contested interests = religious literacy implications for progression

11 progression: social enhancement Curricular Justification plurality of social needs / expectation extrinsic curriculum justification: feeding societies needs intrinsic curriculum development: challenging societies needs teaching as an intentional activity the priority / integrity of the object of study the unavoidability / inclusion of societies interests the variation theory of learning contested object + contested interests = religious literacy implications for progression

12 progression: critical thinking Constructive Critical Thinking (relatively) arbitrary ‘facts’ plurality of meanings modernity: dislocation from tradition & authority Kant: the courage to think for oneself Kantian legacy: active construction of meaning post-modernity: (relatively) arbitrary ‘constructs’ criteria: originality, imagination, freedom implications for progression ‘spoon feeding’ versus (autonomous) critical thinking

13 progression: critical thinking Realistic Critical Thinking unity of knowledge / understanding / evaluation contested meanings, contested reality realism: rooted in tradition & authority Anselm: faith seeking understanding discernment of conflicting meanings via variation academic apprenticeship criteria: depth & breadth of discernment implications for progression ‘spoon feeding’ + grounded critical thinking

14 conclusion Session Summary progression: surface and deep responses shared framework: rehabilitated liberal education ontological realism: integrity of subject epistemic relativity: contested world-views epistemic relativity: student motivation epistemic relativity: social enhancement judgemental rationality: religious literacy progression: shared search for truth + truthfulness