ERIC Number: ED497739
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Jul-26
Pages: 142
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Pedagogies of the Oppositional Religious Other: Theory and Practice
Kollar, Nathan R.
Online Submission
Purpose: The "Other Voices" project provides the principles and tested pedagogies to answer the question "How do we teach to and about those who differ radically from each other religiously in the classroom?" Methodology: Eight institutions of higher education in upper New York State pooled their resources for eighteen months to enable twelve representatives, six of whom were administrators, to survey and offer focus groups for students and faculty, and to design and test nine pedagogies in response to this question. Results: As a result they gathered the opinions of how students and faculty view those who differ religiously from them. They also received opinions of why and how everyone must learn from each other. Through intense dialectical interchange the team brought these opinions together with other contemporary research and produced "Curricular Principles for a Listening Curriculum, Nine Pedagogies for Dealing with the Radial Other," and other principles for encouraging dialogue among oppositional others as well as possible dangers and limits to such curricula and pedagogies. The summary of the results are found in the body of the paper and the support for these conclusions in the four appendices. Conclusions: These pedagogies continue to be used in these institutions and the principles have been implemented in most of the departments. From continued attempts to involve other institutions of higher education in this project the majority of the participants are convinced of its necessity--especially among those who deny the premise of the project, that significant learning occurs from those who radically differ from each other when done with the appropriate pedagogies. The following are appended: (1) Mission Statements of Participating Institutions; (2) Faculty Survey Highlights, Faculty Focus Group Summary, Faculty Survey for Curriculum and Pedagogy; and (3) Student Survey Highlights, Student Focus Groups Summary, Student Survey of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Also included is: A Compilation of Pedagogies Presented and Tested for the Other Voices Project 2005-06. (Contains 2 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Higher Education, Focus Groups, Curriculum Development, Course Descriptions, Ethics, Ethical Instruction, Cultural Pluralism, Cultural Differences, Institutional Mission, Teacher Surveys, Student Surveys, Religious Education, Religion, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Individual Differences
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A