Models of Religious Education and the topic of Islam

The relationship between Christians and Muslims is often viewed as a key factor for living together peacefully in present-day Europe. Tolerance and mutual respect are therefore considered core challenges for religious education at school which is expected to promote a constructive approach towards plurality. However, while such questions are often critically discussed in relationship to Muslim Religious Education, Christian education may also fall short of the task of working towards peace and tolerance, especially when it comes to presenting Islam to Christian pupils. How this is done in Christian religious education has in fact never been researched. In addition to Islamic religious education the focus of the contemporary discussion has been more on general questions concerning different models of religion-related education. It has been suggested, for example, that traditional denominational religious education should be replaced by more neutral approaches based on religious studies. Yet again, no research has become available which would allow for comparative evaluations of such models. The overarching research question deals with how the topic of Islam is shaped didactically in two models of religion-related education (religious education, religious studies). For methodological reasons the study limits itself to three Germanophone countries (Austria Germany - Switzerland). The investigation refers to denominational religious education in Germany/Greater Stuttgart and Austria/Greater Vienna on the one hand, and the newly- introduced Religions, Cultures, Ethics (or RKE; formerly called Religion and Culture) (Switzerland/Greater Zurich) as well as Lifestyle, Ethics, Religious Studies (or LER) (Germany/Greater Berlin/Brandenburg) on the other. The study will be carried out in responsibility of Prof. Raters (Potsdam) and Prof. Schweitzer (Tübingen) in Germany, Prof. Rothgangel (Wien) in Austria and Prof. Schlag (Zürich) in Switzerland. Since there are many factors influencing the ways in which Islam is treated in religion-related education, the present study has its focus on the views of the teachers and the pupils as well as their experiences with this teaching. In preparation of the study, the curriculum and teaching materials used in the different regions have been analyzed and first interviews with teachers and pupils were conducted. In terms of the research approach, teachers will be interviewed individually while the pupils will be interviewed in small groups. This implies that the main research question concerning the treatment of the topic of Islam in different forms of religion- related education will be answered in relationship to the teachers and pupils views. The international design of the study allows for multiple comparisons as well as for taking into consideration various contextual factors and influences.

Contrary to certain reservations that objective treatment of other religions is not possible in denominational religious education, both the interviews and the classroom observations show that religious education teachers behave in an appreciative and sensitive manner toward other religions in the classroom precisely because of their Protestant understanding of religion. The attitudes of the teachers and students surveyed are characterized by a desire for tolerance, respect, and openness toward others. Tolerance is an important basis for successful coexistence. The goals of teachers in Protestant religious education are to break down students' prejudices toward Islam, but also toward other religions, and to strengthen students' capacity for tolerance. The transfer of factual knowledge is not the primary goal, but is often mentioned as content; factual knowledge is understood as a "means to an end," as a method of creating openness and tolerance. It is striking that the topic of Islam is dealt with almost exclusively in the context of the so-called world religions, which are specified in the curriculum as content to be covered. Three basic themes are at the forefront when dealing with the topic of Islam: First, students should gain insight into the everyday life of Muslims through practical references and examples; second, Islam is presented in the context of other religions; and third, current topics related to Islam are addressed. It is clear that the five pillars and comparisons between religions are particularly popular with students. In the interviews, religion teachers emphasize that there is no single "Islam," but rather diversity within Islam. Teachers perceive those aspects of Islam that are viewed negatively as challenging: fundamentalism, a patriarchal social structure, violence, and the role of women. Teachers also repeatedly express uncertainty when they are asked to teach about Islam; the subject did not play a role in their training. Students rate religious education and their teachers positively. They find religious education interesting and feel that their teachers take them seriously and treat them with respect. It is important to them that they can openly express their opinions in religious education and that their teachers show understanding for them. The discrepancy regarding social media is noteworthy. In the interviews with teachers, social media does not feature at all as a point of contact for students with the topic of Islam. For students, on the other hand, social media is a very important space for coming into contact with Islam.