Effective tools for pedagogical change in religious education: Experience of teachers in Hong Kong Catholic kindergartens and primary schools

Abstract

The growing student population with pluralistic views and diverse background in Catholic schools all over the world is raising ethical and pedagogical issues in Catholic Religious Education (CRE). In the past, much emphasis was given to theological concerns (Grimmitt, 2008). However, there has been more research paying attention to CRE in terms of teaching technique, methods, approach and pedagogies (Buchanan, 2005; Figiel, 2013; Grimmitt, 2008; Groome, 1996). One of the most discussed approaches in CRE is the Shared Christian Praxis (SCP) proposed by Thomas Groome (1996, 2011). His approach was adopted and evaluated in various countries including Australia, Lithuania, Sweden and Korea, and was appreciated. However, some reports suggested there were difficulties in equipping teachers to use this approach in their teaching (Bezzina, Gahan, McLenaghan, & Wilson, 1996; O’Connell, 2008). Hong Kong, as the first East Asian region to adopt SCP in CRE, also faced problems in implementing the approach. This chapter will discuss the implementation problems in the Hong Kong context and suggest ways to overcome the hurdles.