Project Details
Projekt
Professionalization of the profession of the Religious Education teacher in the Federal Republic of Germany between 1949 and 1989
Subject Area
Protestant Theology
Term
from 2016 to 2020
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 313777677
The project aims for a description of the historical process of the professionalization of the profession of RE teachers in the Federal Republic of Germany between 1949 and 1989, as a presupposition for understanding professionality in religious education. In this manner, the research on professionalization in general education is taken up for the area of religious education where questions of professionalization have barely been researched, especially not for the period chosen for research here. The project is guided by a theoretical framework developed in international collaboration (Germany - England) in order to be able to use the results for future comparisons. Guiding questions are: How can the process of professionalization of the profession of RE teachers be conceptualized and how can it be researched historically? What characteristics and patterns of professionalization can be found in the history of religious education? What factors influenced the professionalization of the teachers and of teaching in Germany? In order to answer these questions and based on theories of professionalization from general education and the social sciences, the project will investigate three areas which are understood as operationalizations of the concept of professionalization: 1. initial and continuing training of RE teachers for different tracks of schooling; 2. self-organization and professional politics (including legal frameworks and regulations of the Churches); 3. the professional body of knowledge. The first two aspects will be researched in archival work for selected locations and associations of RE teachers, the third by analyzing textbooks and academic journals. Although the project serves the preparation of international comparisons, it does not proceed in an international-comparative manner in a stricter sense. The international basis can be seen in the design developed together with colleagues from England, a parallel bid from these colleagues offered to the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) for a parallel project referring to England as well as in the cooperation with the colleagues from England during the project. Following the advice of the possible sponsoring institutions, the project described here for Germany has been designed such that even by itself, it can be carried out in a meaningful manner.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
International Connection
United Kingdom
Cooperation Partners
Professor Rob Freathy, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Stephen Parker
