Frontmatter	1
	Cover	1
	Imprint	4
	Contents	5
	Introduction (Rob Freathy, Friedrich Schweitzer, Stephen Parker, Henrik Simojoki)	7
	1. Teacher education and the quality of RE	7
	2. Approaches to research on RE in international context	8
	3. Aims and intentions of the book	10
	4. Disciplinarity, definitions and differences in RE	12
	5. The relationship between teacher education and teaching quality	14
	6. Overview of the book	15
	References	19
	Insights from the history of the education of teachers of Religious Education in England. Subject specialists and specialisation (Rob Freathy, Stephen G. Parker)	25
	Abstract	25
	1. Introduction	25
	2. Subject specialist, semi-specialist or non-specialist?	28
	3. Religious Education Council	32
	4. The elusive concept of subject specialisation	34
	5. Conclusion	38
	References	40
	Professionalisation of teachers of RE. Insights from the history of the education of teachers in Germany (Henrik Simojoki, Friedrich Schweitzer)	43
	Abstract	43
	1. Introduction	43
	2. Professionalisation and the quality of RE	45
	3. The RETPro study on the professionalisation of the RE teacher	46
	4. Researching professionalisation in RE teacher education: Key elements of the research design	47
	5. Selected results and their relevance for the development of teacher education for RE	49
	6. Conclusion: benefits and limits of using the concept of professionalisation as a lens for understanding and improving RE teacher education	52
	References	54
	The universitisation of teacher education and Religious Education (Stephen J. McKinney)	57
	Abstract	57
	1. Introduction	57
	2. The beginnings of formal teacher education and the denominational colleges 1800s–1905	58
	2.1 David Stow and the Glasgow Normal Seminaries	59
	2.2 Scrutiny of the colleges and the end of Presbyterian control	60
	3. The period: 1905–1980s	61
	4. The move to university based teacher education 1980s-2022	62
	5. RE and teacher education	63
	6. The 21st century and the future of teacher education	64
	7. Research on RE and teacher education	65
	8. Concluding remarks	67
	References	67
	Improving Religious Education via research and practices in which the voices of (future) RE teachers are included. Experiences from the Netherlands as illustrations (Gerdien Bertram-Troost)	75
	Abstract	75
	1. Introduction	75
	2. Religion and Dutch education	76
	3. RE in the Netherlands: secondary education	78
	4. Some relevant, more or less recent empirical studies	80
	4.1 Study on practical knowledge base of experienced RE teachers	80
	4.2 Dutch RE teachers and their views	81
	5. Conclusions for the further development of teacher education	84
	References	86
	How to improve Religious Education through teacher training?Experiences and research from Austria regarding the challenge of religious pluralisation (Melanie Binder, Martin Rothgangel)	89
	Abstract	89
	1. The context of religion teacher training in Austria	90
	1.1 Religious developments and consequences for RE	90
	1.2 Organisational aspects of the training of religion teachers	92
	2. Relevant empirical studies on the training of religion teachers	94
	2.1 Research in the context of KPH Vienna / Krems	94
	2.2 Research in the context of the University of Innsbruck	97
	2.3 Research in the context of the University of Graz	99
	2.4 Research on inter-religious competence in the curricula of teacher training colleges	100
	3. Summary and perspectives	102
	References	103
	Religious Education: Measuring impact and the impact of measuring. Recent developments in Catholic Religious Education in Flanders (Didier Pollefeyt)	107
	Abstract	107
	1. Introduction	107
	2. A hermeneutical-communicative concept of teacher training in religion	108
	3. Bridging the gap: How young adolescents look back to their RE classes	112
	4. Developments in the curriculum of RE	119
	5. Summary	123
	References	124
	What does neutral mean? Reflections on an all too self-evident guiding concept of religion-related teaching and teacher training in the Swiss context (Thomas Schlag)	127
	Abstract	127
	1. Contextual location	128
	1.1 On the political and social understanding of neutrality	128
	1.2 Neutrality as a hallmark of education	130
	1.3 Neutrality as a hallmark of religion-related education	131
	1.4 Neutrality as a hallmark of teacher education	133
	2. Explorations of the concept of neutrality in educational theory	134
	3. Plea for a deeper understanding of the concept of neutrality for the context of religion-related education in Switzerland and beyond	137
	4. Summary and conclusion	141
	References	141
	Religious Education teacher training in support of the public sphere. Reflections on an integrated model (Athanasios Stogiannidis, Evangelos Pepes)	145
	Abstract	145
	1. A starting point for researching Religious Education teacher training: Definitions	145
	1.1 The constitutional background of RE in Greece	146
	1.2 The legal framework of RE in Greece	147
	1.3 Basic aims of RE in Greece	148
	2. The legal framework of RE teacher training in Greece	150
	3. Brief description of the Pedagogical and Teaching Adequacy (PTA) Programmes in the Theological Studies Curriculum	150
	3.1 The School of Theology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki	151
	3.2 The School of Social Theology and Christian Culture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki	151
	4. Discussion	152
	5. Conclusions	154
	References	155
	How to improve Religious Education through teacher training. Experiences and insights from Islamic RE in Germany and Austria (Fahimah Ulfat)	159
	Abstract	159
	1. Teacher training development of Muslim RE teachers in Germany and Austria	159
	2. Role of research in the development of teacher training	161
	3. Religious beliefs and values of (prospective) Muslim RE teachers	163
	4. How can research on teacher professionalism improve the quality of Islamic RE?	165
	5. Self-relativizing reflexivity beyond confessional RE	167
	References	170
	Training teachers for Religious Education in German vocational schools. A special case? (Alexandra Wörn, Hanne Schnabel-Henke, Friedrich Schweitzer)	173
	Abstract	173
	1. Introduction	173
	2. What is the difference between BRU and RE?	174
	3. Teacher education for teaching RE in vocational schools within the federal state of Baden Württemberg	175
	3.1 The requirements for teachers in vocational schools	176
	3.2 Three general phases of teacher education for teaching BRU: A brief overview	176
	3.3 The two entry routes available for becoming a BRU teachers	177
	4. Research on teacher education for BRU – a desideratum	179
	5. Conclusion	181
	References	181
	Developing Religious Education teachers’ orientative knowledge. An analysis of provision for professional knowledge formation in England (Vivienne Baumfield, Karen Walshe)	185
	Abstract	185
	1. Teaching as a professional endeavour	185
	2. Constituent elements of professional knowledge in RE: Orientative knowledge	188
	3. The epistemic beliefs of beginning teachers	189
	4. Teachers’ engagement with research	192
	5. Orientative knowledge and the professional formation of RE teachers in England	195
	References	196
	Empirical research on professional knowledge of RE teachers. The FALKO-R Project (Michael Fricke)	201
	Abstract	201
	1. Theoretical framework	202
	2. Conceptualisation and validation of the FALKO-R test	203
	2.1 Basic reflections on tests	203
	2.2 Conceptualisation of CK and PCK in FALKO-R	203
	2.3 Constructing items	204
	3. Findings of the FALKO-R test	206
	3.1 Sampling and implementation	206
	3.2 Psychometric quality criteria	207
	3.3 Correlation between CK and PCK	208
	3.4 Primary predictor of performance in the test	209
	4. Reflecting the FALKO-R study and further research perspectives	210
	References	212
	Teacher education through collaborative research on teaching Didactical Design Research (Claudia Gärtner)	215
	Abstract	215
	1. Introduction	215
	2. Research and development of adaptive teacher competences through Didactical Design Research	217
	2.1 Adaptive teacher competences in view of heterogeneity	217
	2.2 Didactical Design Research as Research Approach	217
	2.3 Developing and conducting of the research project	219
	2.4 First findings with regard to teacher education	221
	3. Summary	224
	References	225
	Quality and Quality Development in RE Research on RE, research on initial teacher education and research on advanced teacher education. The QUIRU Project (Friedrich Schweitzer, Mirjam Rutkowski, Evelyn Schnaufer)	227
	Abstract	227
	1. The QUIRU project and its approach to improving RE	228
	2. Developing a research tool: Effects of RE and process related aspects	230
	3. Researching advanced education for teachers of RE	231
	4. Evaluating initial teacher education for RE	237
	5. Summary and perspectives for the future	238
	References	239
	Religious Education subject teacher education in the 2000s. Some Finnish perspectives (Kaisa Viinikka, Martin Ubani, Arto Kallioniemi, Tuuli Lipiäinen)	241
	Abstract	241
	1. Introduction	241
	2. Subject teacher education in RE in Finland	242
	3. The project and 21st century teacher professionalism	244
	4. Key results of the empirical research in the project	247
	5. Recommendations for 21st century teacher education based on the project	249
	6. Discussion	250
	References	251
	Understanding and developing RE teacher education. Conclusions and perspectives in a European horizon (Stephen Parker, Henrik Simojoki, Rob Freathy, Friedrich Schweitzer)	257
	1. Pathways of professionalisation: Contextuality and intercontextuality of RE teacher education in Europe	257
	2. Patterns of professionalisation: Overarching dynamics and contested concepts	260
	Collective professionalisation: Academisation and specialisation	261
	Professionalism: Professional knowledge	262
	Individual professionalisation	264
	3. Developing RE Teacher education	265
	Questions of identity and orientation	265
	Questions of Structure, Law and Politics	265
	Questions of improvement and de-professionalisation	266
	4. Developing RE Teacher Education Through Research	267
	5. Perspectives for the future	267
	References	268
	Backmatter	271
	Authors	271