St Giles’ Centre staff are part of a European research team exploring core questions about what really matters in RE in light of Covid-19 experiences. This qualitative research project focuses on experiences and perspectives of RE specialists, and it is hoped that research results will play a role in informing future directions in RE in schools across Europe.
Phase 1 of the project was launched on 9 February 2022 with an online survey distributed to the Board members of the European Forum for Teachers of Religious Education (EFTRE), which includes 26 European countries.
Phase 2 of the project involves focus group interviews with RE practitioners from a smaller sample of five European countries: Wales, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Austria and Hungary. Phase 2 will begin later in 2022.
The members of the research team, who are drawn from the boards of the European Forum for Teachers of Religious Education (EFTRE) and the Intereuropean Commission on Church and School (ICCS), are:
- St Giles’ Centre staff (Wales)
- Bianca Kappelhoff (Comenius-Institute, Germany)
- Dr Sandra Cullen (Dublin City University, Ireland)
- Mag. Dr Sonja Danner (Private University College (KPH) Wien/Krems, Austria)
- Dr Eszter Kodácsy-Simon (Lutheran Theological University in Budapest, Hungary).
The St Giles’ Centre welcomes the opportunity for Welsh voices to be included in this exciting project, and for Wrexham practitioners to be a particular focus during phase 2 of the project.