In our current world, democracy and peaceful coexistence face challenges as we encounter tendencies towards polarization among different groups. Polarization is frequently linked to diverse interpretations of issues concerning identity, such as politics, history, and religion (Richardson & Gallagher, 2011).
In pluralistic societies, as well as societies marked by conflict, controversies from the broader society often manifest in the classroom leading to a tendency to reproduce fixed identity positions. Teachers who bear their own internal struggles, concerns and ambivalences need pedagogical strategies as they seek to address such challenges and promote an open dialogue on these issues (Bekerman & Zembylas, 2011; Flensner, 2020).
Research on controversial issues in education has often focused on social studies. (Hess, 2009; Stradling et al., 1984) However, RE as a discipline that encompasses different outlooks, values, ethics and practices, is in need of pedagogical strategies to address controversial issues. Inspired by Stradling et al (Stradling et al., 1984), controversial issues in this paper are defined as:
Issues of public relevance for which significant groups in society offer conflicting explanations and solutions based on differing values
In RE this may encompass issues related to non-discrimination, the freedom of religion and belief, colliding rights, ethical disputes or contested narratives concerning representation and interpretation of religious practice and beliefs. Including controversial issues in teaching has been associated with viewing the classroom as a community of disagreement (Iversen, 2014, 2021), where the community does not rely on strong consensus, but on the rights of others to hold and express conflicting views and disagreements.
Integrating controversial issues in education is a field that has received increasing attention in international research as well as from policymakers. The Council of Europe (CoE) recommends that the teaching of controversial issues should be considered a priority area for teacher training in education and that it should include ‘real-life’ issues:
‘European policy on education for democracy and human rights has shifted in recent years from reliance on text-book exercises and the acquisition of theoretical knowledge to an emphasis on active and participatory learning and engagement with ‘real-life’ issues.’(CoE, Papamichael et al., 2015, p. 7).
Furthermore, CoE underscores the importance of learning how to engage in respectful dialogue with individuals whose values differ from one’s own, as this ability is critical to the democratic process, as well as for fostering a culture of human rights.
However, research reveals that many teachers feel insecure and find it challenging to include controversial issues in their teaching for several reasons: fear of emotional reactions in the classroom; anxiety about indoctrinating students with their own values or beliefs; and difficulties in managing polarisation in the classroom and facilitate student talks that approach the topics explorative, critical and communicate with respect for the views of others (Hess, 2009; Kello, 2016; Zembylas & Kambani, 2012).
This paper will address two research questions related to teaching controversial issues:
- What do teachers in Danish public schools consider to be controversial issues in History, Social Studies, and RE and when do they find it challenging teaching these issues?
- How do students engage in dialogues concerning controversial issues in two RE-classes and how can it promote citizenship education?
The research questions will be addressed through findings from a mixed methods study that combines survey data and observational data. This study involves teachers in History, Social Studies, and Religious Education (RE) from eight public schools, as well as classroom observations from two RE classes.
The analysis will provide insight into the characteristics of the issues that educators deem controversial and will identify the specific challenges they encounter when students engage in dialogues on these topics.
As issues are always controversial in a particular context, the findings of this study underscore the importance of recognizing contextual factors—related to societal, school, and classroom contexts—when dealing with controversial issues in RE. It illustrates how national and transnational discourses on controversies can manifest within the classroom setting and influence students' attitudes toward particular religions or religious practices.
In conclusion, this paper will examine pedagogical strategies aimed at establishing the classroom as a community characterized by constructive disagreement, and discuss if we need to agree on some fundamental values to be able to include controversial issues in the teaching in RE.
References:
Bekerman, Z. & Zembylas, M. (2011). Teaching Contested Narratives - Identity, Memory and Reconciliation in Peace Education and Beyond. Cambridge University Press.
Flensner, K. K. (2020). Teaching Controversial Issues in Diverse Religious Education Classrooms. Religions (Basel, Switzerland ), 11(9), 465. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11090465
Hess, D. E. (2009). Controversy in the classroom : the democratic power of discussion. Routledge.
Iversen, L. L. (2014). Uenighetsfellesskap : blikk på demokratisk samhandling. Universitetsforlag.
Iversen, L. L. (2021). Communities of Disagreement: Tracking Truth without Consensus. Common knowledge (New York, N.Y.), 27(3), 337-353. https://doi.org/10.1215/0961754X-9265269
Kello, K. (2016). Sensitive and controversial issues in the classroom: teaching history in a divided society. Teachers and teaching, theory and practice, 22(1), 35-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2015.1023027
Papamichael, E., Gannon, M., Djukanovic, B., Fernández, R. G., Kerr, D. & Huddleston, T. (2015). Living with Controversy: Teaching Controversial Issues through Education for Democratic. Council of Europe.
Richardson, N. & Gallagher, T. (2011). Education for diversity and mutual understanding : the experience of Northern Ireland. Peter Lang.
Stradling, R., Noctor, M. & Baines, B. (1984). Teaching controversial issues. Arnold.
Zembylas, M. & Kambani, F. (2012). The Teaching of Controversial Issues During Elementary-Level History Instruction: Greek-Cypriot Teachers' Perceptions and Emotions. Theory and research in social education, 40(2), 107-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2012.670591
This paper explores how Danish teachers deal with controversial issues in religious education (RE). The study uses a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both survey data and observational data collected from workshops with teachers across eight public schools. The analysis will examine which issues teachers consider controversial in RE and the specific challenges they face when addressing these topics in the classroom. Furthermore, it will explore characteristics with the student talks on controversial issues in two RE-classes.
The findings of this study underscore the importance of recognizing contextual factors, related to societal, school, and classroom contexts, when dealing with controversial issues in RE. It illustrates how national and transnational discourses on controversies can manifest within the classroom setting and influence students' attitudes toward particular religions or religious practices.
Finally, the paper will explore teaching strategies that create an environment in which the classroom can function as a “community of disagreement”.