Bridging the research–practice gap on Facebook: a study of online communication between RE teachers and researchers

In this article I explore the research–practice gap in RE with a unique dataset: The communication by teachers, and between teachers and researchers in a Norwegian Facebook group for RE teachers. Posts and comments in the group reflect that teachers largely communicate a practical form of knowledge...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Aukland, Knut (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: [publisher not identified] 2022
In: British Journal of religious education
Year: 2022, Volume: 44, Issue: 2, Pages: 149-160
Further subjects:B theory–practice gap
B RE teachers and researchers
B Research–practice gap
B Facebook
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:In this article I explore the research–practice gap in RE with a unique dataset: The communication by teachers, and between teachers and researchers in a Norwegian Facebook group for RE teachers. Posts and comments in the group reflect that teachers largely communicate a practical form of knowledge with little engagement with research. At the same time, there are instances where members bridge the research–practice gap through interactions between teachers, and between teachers and researchers, especially through dissemination efforts. I discuss various institutional constraints contributing to the research–practice gap revealed in the data. Analysing three interactions between RE teachers and researchers, I argue that there are RE specificities tied to the challenges and possibilities in bridging this gap, including the question of how to relate insights from the study of religion to classroom teaching. Finally, I reflect on a striking absence, not only in the data but also academic descriptions of the theory–practice gap in RE: In stark contrast to teachers, researchers do not refer to their own practical knowledge from teaching on campus. Why is that?
ISSN:1740-7931
Contains:Enthalten in: British Journal of religious education
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/01416200.2021.1920366