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Special Interest Group

Religions, Values and Education

Building Bridges of Faith and Values: Cultivating Religious and Moral Education for All

Our Special Interest Group (SIG) is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and dynamic community of researchers, educators, and scholars who are deeply passionate about the critical intersection of Religions, Values, and Education. Our primary aim is to provide a dedicated platform within BERA for researchers to share their valuable insights, exchange ideas, and engage in meaningful discussions surrounding the important field of religious and moral education. Through our SIG, we strive to create an environment that encourages collaboration and the exploration of diverse perspectives. By doing so, we aim to facilitate the dissemination of innovative research findings and contribute to the broader academic community’s understanding and appreciation of the significance of religious and moral education within the realm of educational research and practice. We pride ourselves on adopting an inclusive approach that values and embraces multidisciplinary perspectives. We recognize that religious and moral education is a complex and multifaceted domain that intersects with various disciplines, cultures, and contexts. Additionally we work collaboratively with other SIGs including Educational Technology, Sexualities and Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Education, and Philosophy of Education.

Research interests:

  • Curriculum Development
  • Religious Identity and Pluralism
  • Moral Education and Ethical Development
  • Teacher Education and Professional Development
  • Interdisciplinary Perspectives
  • International and Comparative Studies
  • Assessment and Evaluation
  • Policy and Practice
  • Prevent Policy, Anti-terrorism and Radicalisation

SIG aims:

  • Foster a Research Community: Creating a platform within BERA for scholars of Religions, Values, and Education to collaborate, share findings, and inspire innovative ideas. Amplify Key Topics:
  • Promoting greater visibility and significance of issues pertaining to Religions, Values, and Education across the British Educational Research Association and the wider academic landscape.
  • Champion Research Engagement: Facilitating the acknowledgment and exploration of research in these domains through our annual conference, hosting seminars, and promoting research papers in esteemed journals like BERJ and other relevant publications.

SIG Convenors

Profile picture of Heather Marshall
Heather Marshall, Dr

Course Leader RE PGCE and Senior Lecturer at Edge Hill University

Heather Marshall is Senior Lecturer in Education at Edge Hill University. Her research interests include divergent worldviews, equality, diversity and inclusion in education, and pedagogy and curriculum development. She is currently the Secondary...

Profile picture of Francis Farrell
Francis Farrell, Dr

Senior Lecturer (Religious Education) at Edge Hill University

Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religion with extensive experience in ITE. Postgraduate researcher coordinator in the Faculty of Education at Edge Hill University. I have a wide range of research interests.

Content associated with this SIG