The Shared Space Project

A joint initiative, by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) and the University of Bristol, is researching best ways of promoting community relations within RE lessons. The group comprises three university researchers and NATRE members who teach RE and the project is investigating whether ‘Contact Theory’ could be applied usefully to the RE setting. Developed by social psychologists, ‘Contact Theory’ promotes value in diversity and explains how individuals can interact meaningfully with their cross-group peers. The team are leading a national survey of teachers of RE and will develop a report, training resources and future recommendations for further work on this topic.

The Team:

Rachel Jackson Royal
Janet Orchard
Shelley McKeown Jones
Amanda Williams
Kathryn Wright
Kate Christopher

The Project:

Despite growing racial diversity, cultural tensions persist in UK primary and secondary schools, so that understanding how to improve community relations is of urgent importance. One way of improving community relations is through promoting value in diversity, which can encourage individuals to interact meaningfully with cross-group peers (‘contact theory’). Young people spend a substantial proportion of their time in education; schools are an important setting for possible interventions. In particular, the RE curriculum is well-placed to promote positive community relations. However, insufficient attention has been given to capturing how, and why ‘good RE’ promotes community cohesion.

This information is of considerable interest to our partners NATRE (the subject association for RE in England) who provide support for practicing RE teachers and who effectively lobby policy makers. NATRE seeks to establish persuasive evidence that RE has a positive impact on interreligious and intercultural relations in the classroom. Using contact theory and attitude development as tools in the psychology of education will help to capture, explain, and provide examples of best practice.

Report for Westhill Endowment Trust Sept 2018

Resources:

• Can we prove that RE promotes good community relations
• Handout PAGE 1
  Handout PAGE 2
  
• Teachers toolkit
• Policy document
• www.westhillendowment.org/natre-shared-space

Articles:

• Promoting good community relations - Christopher et al 2018