It is impossible to imagine modern life without education. It allows a person to learn something new, to know the reality around, to realize their abilities, to reveal their talents, to find a vocation in life. Education is not only the process of learning new information, but it is also the upbringing and development of the individual, their…

The purpose of this study is to explore the representation and interpretation of the religious world in Chinese social studies textbooks. The data cover six major subjects at both primary and secondary levels. The findings indicate that although the Constitution of the People's Republic of China mandates a separation of religion and education,…

Just before his death in 1970, John Scopes claimed that his famous trial "had no other effect upon my family" than his sister Lela losing her teaching job in Paducah, Kentucky. He was wrong. My interviews with John Scopes's family members and descendants -- most of whom have never talked about their famous relative until now -- reveal…

The fourth national survey on the teaching of the Catholic religion in Italy (2015-16) was not limited to state schools, but as in the previous (2004-05) also involved Catholic equivalent schools. This study will focus on the results of the latter, even if the data will be examined in relation to the state subsystem. In summary, it can be said…

In "Democratic Foundations of Spiritually Responsive Pedagogy," Lingley worried that talk of spirituality is taboo in U.S. public school classrooms. Lingley pointed out that the dominant narrative demands silence on the topic. She wanted to make the case for spiritually responsive pedagogy as vital to an inclusive democracy. I begin this…

Historians collect and verify evidence and then interpret it in an acceptable way. A general consensus is that history does not present us with an absolute truth -- the most we can hope for is historians' reliable, evidentially based interpretations of the historical topic. History not viewed as interpretation has long raised alarm bells in…

Instructing students in sociological theory is a foundational part of the discipline, but it can also be a challenge. Readers of "Teaching Sociology" can find a number of activities designed to improve students' understanding of sociological theory in their general theory courses, but there are fewer activities designed to improve…

Interreligious education has been a concern over the past few decades and continues to be a challenge. This article will review ways in which religious education has attempted to face the issue of education for increasingly multifaith societies. It identifies objectivity in religion as a major concern and will provide a perspective based on the…

While the United States has a divisive history around the separation of church and state in public school, current national and state teaching standards do include curricular objectives related to the study of religion. This paper focuses on the ways a diverse group of sixth-grade public schoolchildren engaged with religious content in their…

In this article, we attempt to conduct a comparative study of two different groups. The first group consists of Greek student teachers (1009) while the second comprises Greek in-service teachers (432) of primary education, namely current teachers with several years of experience. These teachers do not have training in theological studies, but they…

Teaching the Declaration of Independence can be a challenge. This article presents a lesson plan based on an explication of the title and the first three lines of the Declaration intended to make the American founding era relevant to today's college students. Assuming civic education is a major goal of teaching American Government, assuming…

With attention to basic legal issues, teachers can address holidays in meaningful ways. One approach is to organize the study of diverse religious holidays by equinoxes and solstices. This method highlights the connections between religion and science. (SK)

Discusses why public schools are making religion an important part of social-studies curriculum and why teaching of religion may create unintended constitutional violations. Explores the efficacy of current legal tests of constitutionality of religion in schools. Proposes new test for evaluating the constitutionality of religion in public-school…

Very few elementary public school teachers in the United States expose their students to religion and spirituality in an in-depth way. Even when they have the necessary knowledge base, they shy away from so dangerous an enterprise. They might fear provoking a challenge from parents who are irreligious and are shocked to find religion being…

To uphold constitutionally approved teaching about religion (and refrain from unconstitutional religious indoctrination), schools are advised to adopt an approach that is academic, not devotional. Other responsibilities include, making sure that students' beliefs--especially those who are not religious or are otherwise in the minority--are never…