Religion and Culture in the Classroom and the Curriculum Developing an Inclusive Curriculum Friday 7 September 2007 Dr Emma Tomalin, Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies and Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of

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Religion and Culture in the Classroom and the
CurriculumDeveloping an Inclusive
CurriculumFriday 7 September 2007Dr Emma
Tomalin, Subject Centre for Philosophical and
Religious Studies and Department of Theology and
Religious Studies, University of Leeds
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Supporting Cultural and Religious Diversity in
Higher Education

• The PRS Subject Centre has been working with
  other subject centres to explore the implications
  of cultural and religious diversity in higher
  education.
• For example, how does cultural and religious
  diversity impact upon teaching style, content,
  assessment and student support?
• The project was set up in response to interest
  from the academic community as they find
  themselves working with an increasingly diverse
  student population.

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Changing Dynamics in Higher Education and Wider
Society

• Internationalisation
• Widening participation
• Debates about multiculturalism
• New legislation The Employment Equality
  (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 were
  introduced in response to the EUs Employment
  Directive. Outlaws discrimination on grounds of
  religion or belief in employment and vocational
  training. Associated legislation, but outside of
  the immediate remit of this project, includes
  anti-racism legislation and the proposed
  anti-religious hatred laws.

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The project so far.

• Design and dissemination of questionnaire to
  individuals working in higher education
• On-line resources to assist individuals in
  answering specific questions relating to cultural
  and religious diversity in their work
  environments
• Faith Guides
• Collection of good practice case studies.

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Main focus of questionnaire

• Asked respondents
• to tell us about situations when they felt it was
  necessary to make adjustments to accommodate
  students cultural and religious needs.
• what hindered and what helped them.
• for suggestions about how Higher Education
  Academy subject centres could support staff in
  the future in similar situations.

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• My own lack of cultural awareness certainly
  hindered me at first. It is still something that
  I am learning on the job. There are also some
  issues relating to an institutional lack of
  cultural awareness within the NHS (healthcare).
• I feel ignorant about religious beliefs and what
  the rules and customs are e.g. drinking
  behaviour, making jokes about the typical student
  lifestyle that might offend (psychology).
• I would very much like some sort of general
  advice guide as to the branches of Muslim belief
  and other religions and an outline of the
  practices of these religions. For example,
  knowing that fasting may cause students to go to
  sleep in
• class! (law).

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• A typical situation was finding or using relevant
  examples to illustrate the course content -
  management studies related to social services and
  care homes, in this example. Many of these
  students worked only within racial minorities and
  language, custom and practice differed from those
  of white colleagues. The situation is not unique
  to ethnic minorities of course - some parts of
  the UK are very different to others (business
  management and health).
• I am pretty unaware of the potential needs a
  Muslim female might have for residential
  fieldwork arrangementsso a check list of things
  to consider, perhaps as a constructive way of
  having that conversation during making
  arrangements, might be useful (physical
  geography).

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Main findings and their relationship to the
curriculum

• In terms of situations that respondents had
  faced, four main categories
• Religious festivals and holy days
• Course content
• Teaching styles
• Student participation

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Course content

• reflecting worldviews, cultural background of
  students (e.g. teaching of psychology reflecting
  'western' values)
• avoiding 'sensitive' issues? Sex(uality),
  politics (e.g. Islam and terrorism), evolutionary
  theory etc...
• BUT, At what level is it appropriate to challenge
  views of students?

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• Teaching stylesBeing aware of teaching styles
  students are familiar with
• Avoiding imposing stereotypes
• Student participation
• In social events (e.g. food and alcohol
  restrictions, gender issues)
• In the classroom (e.g. mixed groups,
  anti-vivisection, clothing - health and safety
  regulations)
• In work placements (e.g. clothing, restrictions
  facing women, cultural constraints concerning
  certain occupations)

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Forthcoming paper

• Tomalin, E., Pedagogy and Beyond Supporting
  Cultural and Religious Diversity in Higher
  Education. Teaching in Higher Education, 2007,
  12(5-6)  (special edition on Diversity and
  Commonality in Higher Education).
• Web details for resource on religious and
  cultural diversity http//www.prs.heacademy.ac.uk
  /projects/diversity/index.html

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Workshop activity

• In groups/pairs discuss
• An example from your own teaching experience or
  broader subject area where religious and cultural
  diversity has had or could have an impact upon
  the curriculum
• How you did or could deal with this
• What hindered and what helped
• What support could be offered to academics to
  deal with religious and cultural diversity in the
  classroom
• Whether and/or to what extent the curriculum
  should be broadened to accommodate religious and
  cultural perspectives