Meehan, Amalee
ORCID: 0000-0002-1303-6040 and Laffan, Derek A.
ORCID: 0000-0002-5780-1840
(2021)
Inclusive Religious Education: The Voices of Religious Education Teachers in Post Primary Schools in Ireland. Identity, bullying and inclusion.
Project Report.
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, Dublin City University. ISBN 978-1-911669-27-2
Abstract
This study investigates contemporary views and experiences of
Religious Education teachers in post-primary schools in Ireland
around issues of inclusion. Significant societal changes in Ireland,
including a decline in religious practice, have influenced Religious
Education in post-primary schools. The once dominant tradition
of denominational and confessional Religious Education has
given way to an approach designed to be inclusive of students
of all faiths and none. A mixed patronage system is gradually
replacing what was once a largely denominational post-primary
education arrangement, with Catholic voluntary secondary
schools no longer a majority. A specific focus of this research
was to give voice to Religious Education teachers in all sectors
in order to understand how this flux is being experienced. Their
experiences and voices were then used to extract implications
for inclusive Religious Education in line with the Anti-Bullying
Procedures (2013), which state that a “cornerstone in the
prevention of bullying is a positive school culture and climate
that is welcoming of difference and diversity and is based on
inclusivity and respect”. Research results indicate that teachers
are concerned about all ‘religious students’. This echoes the
growing field of research which suggests that in a rapidly
secularising society, those who continue to practice any faith,
especially the once-majority faith, are vulnerable to bullying.
Findings seem to support this, with Religious Education teachers
most concerned about the bullying of Catholic students and
least concerned about the bullying of atheists.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Monograph (Project Report) |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Subjects: | Social Sciences > Bullying Social Sciences > Education Social Sciences > Multiculturalism Social Sciences > Teaching |
| DCU Faculties and Centres: | DCU Faculties and Schools > Institute of Education Research Institutes and Centres > DCU Anti-Bullying Centre (ABC) |
| Publisher: | DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, Dublin City University |
| Official URL: | https://www.dcu.ie/antibullyingcentre |
| Copyright Information: | Authors |
| ID Code: | 31690 |
| Deposited On: | 17 Oct 2025 09:51 by Gordon Kennedy . Last Modified 17 Oct 2025 09:51 |
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