British Journal of Religious Education

Reflexivity and Reflective Practice in Religious Education

This Special Issue (SI) seeks to explore and critically discuss reflexivity and reflective practice in the various subjects where religion, worldviews and ethics are taught, here collectively referred to as Religious Education (RE). Reflexivity and reflective practices are crucial to a variety of aims and goals in RE, ranging from knowledge acquisition and developing values and attitudes to reflection on pupils' own learning, worldview development and identity formation. Becoming more reflexive or developing a reflexive RE can also be framed as a goal in itself. Robert Jackson highlighted the importance of reflexivity in his interpretive approach, linking it to the notion of edification (Jackson 1997, 46–7; 130–4). Scholars have used reflexivity to discuss RE teachers and teacher education (e.g. Berglund 2014; Nesbitt 2009), but also in relation to pupils’ reflection on positionality when they draw on different methods to investigate religion and worldviews (Freathy et al. 2017). Reflective practices are also relevant to other stakeholders in the field such as school leaders (Nthontho, 2020; Shula, van Wyk & Heystek, 2022). Finally, in sociological theory, reflexivity is tied to late modernity with relevance for how RE pupils position themselves (von Brömssen 2016; Geiger 2017; Sjöborg 2015). Reflexivity, it appears, is central to RE but also a slippery topic, both conceptually and in relation to practice.

In the literature, “reflexivity” or “reflexive approaches” are always desired, sometimes presented as a solution or antidote to specific challenges. However: What exactly is reflexivity for RE? Should we understand it as a general academic or educational concept we bring to RE, or should we redefine reflexivity as a pedagogical concept within RE? How do we relate these different understandings to reflective practice? And to what end? Empirical studies are scarce, and conceptual clarity is lacking. Are we talking about the same thing, or is there a case to be made “against reflexivity” (Blasco 2012; Lynch 2000)?

In research on teaching, it is argued that by using tools to facilitate reflexivity, pupils can make connections, deepen their understanding and learning and thereby retrain knowledge for life (Siraj-Blatchford & Siraj-Blatchford, 1997). Reflexivity, it is also argued, is important to manoeuvre well in today’s pluralistic and globalised world, and thus not the least needed in RE classrooms (Shaw 2023), especially related to pupils’ identity work (Boeve 2012; Grimmitt 1987; Iversen 2012; Jackson 1997; O´Grady 2010). Research also suggests that some school systems are better suited for certain modes of reflexivity and reflective practices over others, and that certain school structures might hinder reflexivity. Questions on place and space also matter for reflexivity and raise questions on spatial equality in education (Stenseth & Voll Rød 2022). However, empirical work on the dynamics of reflexive work or reflective practices in the classroom are scarce. Some exceptions are Fancourt (2010) researching reflexive self-assessment in RE and Geiger (2017) researching worldview formation in connection to how reflective and relational pedagogy influenced students’ personal growth in RE classes. There are also publications connected to specific approaches to RE where reflexivity and reflective practice play defining roles (Freathy and John 2019; Larkin et al. 2014). Still, issues of reflexivity in connection to pupils and RE require further investigations: How can teachers develop reflective approaches and reflexivity in their class work in RE? And how do pupils use and structure reflexivity in connection to religion and worldview issues?

Reflexivity has been considered relevant in adults transformative learning (Mezirow 1998), and in developing teachers’ professionalism (Dewey 1933; Larrivee 2000). However, as a concept, reflexivity remains rather abstract, formal, and detached from the praxis of education, so that it is often left unclear what precisely is the purpose and target of reflective thinking and practices. Recent studies in RE highlight the ways personal attitudes, values, emotions, and beliefs influence teachers work and that teachers face challenges in recognizing the role these play in professional thinking and practices (Bakker 2016; Freathy et al. 2016; Häusler et al. 2019; Lipiäinen & Poulter, 2022).

Certainly, teachers’ reflective practice entails embracing uncertainty, instability, and the possibility of value conflict. In RE, professionalism and reflexivity related to religion and worldviews has been investigated through concepts such as religious literacy (Dinham & Francis 2015; Hannam, Biesta, Whittle & Alridge 2020; Ubani 2023), worldview awareness (Flanagan 2019), religious identity (Jarvis 2019), and worldview sensitivity (Gearon & Kuusisto 2020). However, one can critically ask, is a teacher's endless self-exploration a key to all problems in education? Should the wider context of religious education with cultural, social, and ideological expectations regarding teachers’ work - the fact that reflection does not happen in a vacuum - be better recognized? Understanding of the socio-economic, environmental, and historic contexts that educators work within is precisely where the concept of reflexivity, as opposed to reflective practice, has been proposed to aid in the proactive improvement of RE (Dietz 2013, Flanagan 2018; 2020). Yet, reflexivity is defined and employed in a variety of ways across disciplinary boundaries and within RE.

We welcome both theoretical and empirical studies exploring reflexivity and reflective practice in RE – including subjects that cover religion, worldviews and ethics (e.g. citizenship education, secular ethics and worldview education). Contributions from different national contexts around the globe will be appreciated. We encourage all authors to be explicit about definitions, conceptualisations and/or understandings of key concepts such as reflexivity.  Submitted abstracts may address one or more of these topics:

• Theories and conceptualisations of reflexivity and its relevance to RE as a subject and/or RE practice, including teacher education
• Empirical studies of how reflexivity and reflective practice in RE classrooms and teacher education
• The role and place of reflexivity and reflective practice within the framework of specific national contexts for RE subjects
• Theoretical or empirical studies of reflective practices in RE across school and teacher education
• Reflective practice and/or reflexivity in relation to RE stakeholders beyond pupils and teachers (e.g. school leaders, curriculum developers and teacher educators).
• Policy implications of reflexivity and reflective practice in RE.

Note: A full call with references can be obtained from Dr Knut Aukland (knutau@oslomet.no)