In England levels of religious practice are rapidly declining. this raises the question of how we are able to promote religious identity across England. This paper explores the religious identity in Catholic primary school in England. this research project found that children that attend Catholic school, despite the religious ethos, are usually unaware of their religious identity and what being a Catholic means.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature review
3. Methodology
3.1 Procedures
3.2 Sample
3.3 Ethical issues
4. Analysis and discussions of results
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Topics
This study investigates the decline of religious identity among young children in the United Kingdom and seeks to determine whether a Catholic primary school environment possesses the capability to foster and promote such an identity. The research explores the interplay between institutional religious ethos, personal identity development, and the subjective understanding of faith among primary-aged students.
- Impact of Catholic school environments on student religious identity
- Developmental stages of religious understanding in children
- Influence of social context and peer groups on personal identity
- Role of religious education and institutional affiliation
Excerpt from the Book
Analysis and discussions of results
The first activity ‘who am I?’ aimed to provide a picture of what children perceive to be important to them. This helped to construct a picture of their identity as one’s identity is “at the core of the self” (Hitlin, 2003, p.121). Below is a table to show the categories the children drew on their ‘who am I?’ sheet (appendix 1) and the amount of children out of the 20 participants that recorded that category.
Table one clearly shows that a large proportion (16 out of 20) of the children identified their family and pets to be very important to them. Closely behind, is the category of friends with 50% of the children feeling that their friends were important to them. This clearly indicates that the people/animals that are around the children for a significant amount of time are seen to children as being important. This coincides with the evidence gathered in the literature review (Casson, 2011).
This research study set out to find out whether or not religion can affect ones identity. The first activity found that only one of the children out of the 20 children thought that their religion (Catholicism) was immediately important to them. These initial results signify that the identities of the children that attend Catholic school are not necessarily immediately impacted by the strong religious ethos of the school. The literature view showed the significance of their peer’s values on the religious identity of children. Due the lack of children that associated religion as being immediately important to them then it is unlikely that this will have an effect. However, 3 children specified the school as being important to them and 2 thought their teachers were important. It is unclear why they held these views, but it could be due to the religious ethos of the school and the teachers. As Schweitzer and Boschki (2004) said children tend to talk about their religious identity in terms of relationships i.e. teachers that transmit religious views. In this case the children are all taught by a teacher from the Catholic faith.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the decline of religious practice in the UK and establishes the research goal of evaluating the effectiveness of Catholic primary schools in promoting religious identity.
Literature review: Examines existing theories on personal and religious identity, the cognitive development stages of children regarding religious concepts, and the influence of social environments like faith-based schools.
Methodology: Details the research design, including the use of group-based activities and qualitative discussion, the selection of a sample of 20 children, and the ethical considerations taken during data collection.
Analysis and discussions of results: Presents the findings from the activities, highlighting that while most children identify primarily with family and friends, some demonstrate an awareness of the Catholic ethos and a moral understanding of religious teachings.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, concluding that while Catholic schools may not define the identity of all pupils, they do possess the potential to foster a deeper religious understanding in some children.
Bibliography: Provides a comprehensive list of all academic sources, theories, and studies referenced throughout the investigation.
Keywords
Religious identity, Catholic primary schools, personal identity, faith transmission, religious socialisation, child development, religious ethos, UK education, social environment, Christian denominations, values, moral development, quantitative research, qualitative analysis, belonging.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work examines whether attending a Catholic primary school helps young children develop or sustain a religious identity amidst a broader secular culture in the UK.
What are the central themes covered in the study?
Key themes include the construction of personal identity, the impact of school environments on belief, and the cognitive developmental stages of children as they attempt to understand religious concepts.
What is the primary research question?
The study specifically asks: "Can Catholic primary schools promote children’s religious identity?"
Which scientific methodology was applied?
The author conducted a mixed-methods approach involving two structured group activities with 20 year-four students, combining quantitative data collection with qualitative informal discussions.
What does the main body of the work address?
It covers a comprehensive literature review of identity theory, a methodology section detailing ethical considerations and procedures, and a critical analysis of empirical data collected from school children.
What are the primary keywords characterizing this work?
Key terms include Religious identity, Catholic primary schools, faith transmission, child development, and social environment.
Why did the author use group activities instead of individual interviews?
The author chose group activities to avoid the potentially intimidating or invasive nature of one-to-one interviews, which might cause children to withdraw and provide less authentic responses.
How does the study reconcile "belonging" with "believing"?
The research notes that many children treat their religious identity as a label or social category associated with their uniform, demonstrating "belonging without believing" until they reach a stage of deeper moral understanding.
What was the significance of the "future" category in the findings?
The study found that 80% of participants believed their religion influenced their future, primarily because they associated the school's religious setting with the skills and career paths they intend to pursue.
- Quote paper
- Laura Beirne (Author), 2013, Catholic Primary schools and their ability to promote religious identity, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/212091
