Summary: In this project, we will develop a learning community in which 10 early career teachers (thereafter ECTs) will co-create resources for teaching about science and religion in relation to issues of sustainability. Participants will be recruited from Canterbury Christ Church University’s home and international PGCE programmes (based in Karachi, Pakistan). The community will participate in 3 workshops led by research fellows from the Learning about Science and Religion (LASAR) Centre. In the workshops, ECTs will engage with research around science, religion and sustainability, co-create lesson plans and a teacher guide, then deliver and evaluate their lessons in primary and secondary schools. The aim of the project is to (i) evaluate the effectiveness of the learning community for developing ECTs’ understanding of, and confidence in exploring, science and religion in relation to issues of sustainability, (ii) explore ECTs’ perceptions of the value of the learning community and (iii) explore ECTs’ perceptions of the importance of recognizing diversity in religion and worldview around these topics.
The research will be structured around four research questions:
- What is the impact of the workshops on ECTs’ understanding of the relationship between science and religion in issues of sustainability?
- What is the impact of the workshops on ECTs’ confidence in exploring these ideas in classrooms?
- How do ECTs perceive the value of being part of the learning community?
- How do ECTs perceive the importance of recognizing diversity in religion and worldviews when exploring these ideas in classrooms?
These questions will be answered with a mixed methods approach using pre/post surveys and interviews with ECTs on their experiences of participating. Academic outputs to journals and conferences will discuss the potential of the learning community model and explore the value of recognizing and including religious diversity alongside scientific approaches in sustainability education. Outputs will also advance current thinking about teacher development models and pedagogical practices that build students and teachers capacity for working with multiple forms of knowledge in schools. Resources will be disseminated to LASAR’s network of schools/teachers and their impact evaluated.
