SIG 19 Religions and Worldviews in Education

Coordinators

Mission Statement

Religions and worldviews are interdisciplinary fields of research into education, learning, development and socialisation at various levels at schools, universities, families or communities with respect to religion and spirituality. Religions and worldviews are closely related fields of interest since both provide resources for identity development and meaning-making in life. While religions can be understood as sets of practices for establishing a relationship to a transcendent reality, for the sake of obtaining human good or avoiding harm, worldviews – as the broader term – also include non-transcended perspectives on the world, e.g. humanism or naturalism.

The Religions and Worldviews in Education SIG brings together researchers from various backgrounds, such as theology, religious studies, psychology, pedagogy, educational studies and philosophy. The SIG 19 is advocating empirical and theoretical research that includes cognitive, social and emotional components.

The SIG 19 will focus on the following topics and themes:

  • schools, families and communities as contexts for religious and worldview learning and instruction
  • functions of religions and worldviews in learning processes
  • constraints and affordances for religious and worldview development in schools, families and communities
  • educational and formation goals and practices of schools with respect to values, beliefs and worldviews
  • religious and worldview socialisation within families and communities new ways of understanding religions and worldviews as educational fields

Upcoming Activities

SIG 19 Conference 2024

  • Theme: Religious and Worldview Education at a Time of Multiple Crises
  • Date: 18th - 19th of September, 2024
  • Location: Online

Newsletters

People who are interested in contributing to the next newsletter should contact the Coordinators or Newsletter Editors.

Past Conferences

SIG 19 Biennial Conference 2022

  • Theme: The Significance of Religions and Worldviews in Education for Social Cohesion
  • Date: 13th - 15th of September, 2022
  • Place: Dortmund, Germany
  • Conference website

SIG 19 Conference 2021

  • Theme: The Place of Religion in Education
  • Date: 27th - 29th of October, 2021
  • Place: Stockholm University, Sweden
  • Conference website

SIG 19 Biennial Conference 2018

  • Theme: Worldviews in creating meaning and purpose for learning
  • Date: 11th - 13th of June, 2018
  • Place: University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
  • Conference website
  • Book of abstracts

SIG 19 Biennial Conference 2016

  • Theme: Experiencing Religion and Religious Experience in Religious Education
  • Date: 21st - 23rd of September, 2016
  • Place: University of Siegen, Germany
  • Conference website