Improving Religious Education via research and practices in which the voices of (future) RE teachers are included

There is a research gap between theoretical knowledge and reflections on (possible)
aims and didactics of Religious Education (RE) and what is actually going on
in classrooms and teacher-training institutions. There are hardly any empirical
insights into how RE is concretely taught in schools. And there is even less in‐
sight into how future teachers are prepared to teach RE. Generally speaking, in
the Netherlands there is more knowledge on how school subjects like science, lan‐
guages, etc. are given shape and what happens in teacher training of these subjects
than related to RE. Nevertheless, given the challenges RE is confronted with in a
context of secularisation and plurality, RE research is of great importance. Not
only with an eye on future development of (inter)national policy on RE, but also
with an eye on RE teacher-training programmes and the professionalisation of
teachers. On the basis of what is known about religious education in the Nether‐
lands and the way future teachers are prepared to teach RE in secondary schools,
this contribution elaborates on what can be learned from the limited amount of
studies on religious education and teacher training. It is argued that in order to
improve RE teacher training, the perspective of (experienced) teachers should be
included, next to theories and ‘methods’. Additionally, it is argued that teacher
training designers should have a clear view on what is actually happening in
(national) RE classrooms in order to prepare future teachers as well as possible.