Religion and Worldviews Education: Curriculum and Pedagogical Approaches in Victorian Schools

Abstract

In the twenty-first century an ideological and pedagogical shift from confessional Religious Instruction to Religious Studies/General Religious Education is increasingly evident in western schooling systems. From a review of literature and curriculum, we argue that socio-cultural imperatives and historical context significantly impact ways in which students of diverse faiths encounter support for their identities and experience belonging across a variety of school systems in multi-cultural, multi-faith contemporary Australia. We conclude that with attention to contextual, conceptual and pedagogical issues, Worldviews education could contribute to student wellbeing and social cohesion in a multicultural and multifaith society within a secular liberal democracy. (worldviews; religious education; curriculum).