Is Christian pedagogy any different to sound secular pedagogy? Part 1

This was the question that shaped one of two plenary addresses I presented to the 'Christian Schools Australia' annual conference in Brisbane recently. I was asked to speak to the 300 delegates about the key points of difference in pedagogy in Christian schools compared to public schools. The brief was to unpack the ideas in my book 'Pedagogy and Education for Life'. It was a challenging task to synthesize all aspects of my work in two 45 minute addresses. But, it's even more difficult to do so in two posts. But here goes!

1. "Is There Such a Thing as Christian Pedagogy?" 

The word 'Pedagogy' is derived from the Greek word “Paidagogeo” which is a compound of “paidos” (child) and “agogos” (one who leads or guides) (Cairney, 2018, p.32). Some quick questions in response. Is this how we see the role of the teacher in Christian schools? I believe it should be. If so, how do we lead or guide our students? Does it look any different to secular schools?

 

The Apostle Paul used the word “Paidagogeo” in Ephesians 6:4 in relation to “discipline" which is how it is often translated. But Paul and others were using it in the sense of “bringing [them] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” But what does he mean by this? Let me work through some key points.

 

2. What does it mean to teach 'Christianly'?

I think most Christian Christian leaders would agree that teaching is different in Christian schools. But as I have visited Christian schools, and talked with teachers and administrators, much of what they mean when using the term “Christian teaching”, or in some cases “Teaching Christianly”, is have a faith in God, and that their personal faith somehow shapes their work in the classroom. That's one of the reasons, I use the term Christian pedagogy NOT Christian teaching.

In a school with all (or mostly) Christian teachers, what's different about their practices? Is the relationship between teacher and students different? At a broader level, what do the principal, school board and parent body, see as the fundamental things that make their school a Christian school?

 

How recognisable would this be to others? Would they be recognisable to parents, students, other non-Christian schools and so on? Or, are our schools (and parents) just as distracted by academic success, and simply relegate matters of faith to the background?

I believe we need to devote more time in Christian schools to considering what faith-based pedagogy looks like in all classrooms. In fact, we need to develop a 'whole of life perspective' as well as a community perspective in our schools. Why? Because our schools should be places where faith is evident in varied ways, and where it is discussed and seen as a priority with teachers, students and parents.

3. Education is the whole of life of a school community?

One of the key assumptions and priorities in the type of pedagogy I'm suggesting, is that we create classroom and school environments where:

"Education is seen as the whole of life of a community, and the experience of its members learning to live this life, from the standpoint of a specific end goal" (Cairney, 'Pedagogy and Education for Life'). And of course, I'm suggesting that the "whole of life" of the school is more than studying subjects and succeeding academically, in order leading to gain good results and employment. 

Rather, the "whole of life of the school" should be just as much about shaping students to grow in faith, with an understanding that God created them to do more than simply being successful in life. Our God wants our students to know Him, seek to honour Him, and lead lives that bring glory to Him.

• If so, what does such community ‘life’ look like?
• How do we live from the standpoint of a specific goal? 
• What might the goals of the school and the teacher look like?
• What is our role in helping to achieve such communities? 
  

I will look more closely at some of these questions in my next post. But I quote John Hull in the introduction to me book, who helpfully notes:

"What normally passes for Christian Education can more accurately be named 'Christians educating'." Ouch!

Trevor Hart identifies rightly in the foreword to my book that I have sought to describe a “teleology” (i.e. a reason or explanation for the function or purpose of something) or an “eschatology” (i.e. seeing our students in the light of a bigger and more ultimate vision). We do not simply seek educational and intellectual accomplishments, or future wealth.

Hart also suggests, as I do, that what makes “Christian Education” distinctive, is not the curriculum, specific pedagogical methods and so on, but an “eschatology” that views our hopes for our students, in light of a much bigger vision than academic success, future employment and ongoing self-advancement.

4. Summing Up

 

I hope our schools, teachers and leaders, articulate and offer clear reasons for the faith that drives their every action? I implore all of us to assess whether our pedagogy and priorities demonstrate a much bigger vision for our students’ future (and their parents), than just top marks and rankings, careers and success. Of course, this might be different from what some parents (and even staff) perceive as the ‘good life’. But there is no reason to see these things are incompatible. We need to keep asking, what does “success” look like for students and us as teachers? Finally, if teachers, parents and students have different views, how do we reconcile them?

 

Christian schools should seek to create rich school environments, that point students towards faith in our Lord and Saviour, not just ‘success’ in life?

 

In my next post, I will look more closely at how Christian Pedagogy has a key role in shaping our students in the faith which at times might be invisible. While we can easily see and assess student growth in knowledge, skills, and commitment to learning, how do we assess growth in the inner life of our students?

---

John Hull, “Aiming for Christian Education, Settling for Christians Educating”, Christian Scholar Review 32 (2009) 203-23.

 

Australian Children's Book Awards: Winners & Honour Books Younger Readers (Ages 0-12 Years)

 

The Winners & Honour Books Younger Readers (Ages 0-6 Years)

Voting has been completed and winners in all categories announced for younger readers.  As always there were SO many great books. Glad I'm not a judge this year! I should point out that this year we have the appointed judges of the awards, and for some reason there a group of 'Appointed Judges' also suggest winners. 

In this post I will review nominations and the winners in the 'Early Childhood' & 'Picture Book of the Year' Awards.

 

1. Early Childhood (0-6)

And the winner is....

'Gymnastica Fantastica!' Briony Stewart 

And what a worthy winner! 

Quick! Come and see! Something fabulous, it’s . . . me!

Gymnastica Fantastica! is a joyful and exuberant picture book about a child discovering and attempting new physical skills and putting on wonderfully imperfect shows for whoever will watch them.

Gymnastica is a small person with big energy, as they bend and balance, bounce and roll, attempt a cartwheel and a spectacular trapeze flip-out finale. Written in playful rhyming text and with brightly energetic and appealing illustrations, this is a book that kids and parents alike will find irresistible to read aloud and delight in its energy and humour.

The CBCA judges commented…

This book conveys so much energy and life which children will connect with immediately. The young child’s voice permeates the tight, joyful rhyming text which includes a rich assortment of verbs, nouns and adjectives. Pencil, ink, crayon, gouache, and digital illustrations are filled with zoom in action and movement matching the equally energetic text.

And the 'Shadow Judging' winner is...

'The Concrete Garden' Bob Graham

Bob Graham is one of our finest writers and illustrators. Once again he doesn't disappoint! The judges said of this book:

"An exuberant group of children spill out from the confines of a grey apartment block, finding joy in a simple box of chalk. The power of creativity and strength in community shine...  The language is simple and succinct... and rich in imagery."

 As always, his illustrations have the usual use of watercolour, pastel colours, gentleness and warmth. The illustrations are so sensitively created in watercolour, pencil and pastel colours. And as always Graham leaves the reader with a view of how the world should be.

Honour Books

'Bear and Duck are Friends' Sue deGennaro

Now here is an unlikely pairing! And an even more unlikely dance pairing.

Bear and Duck are best friends, but they are very different. Duck likes to try new things, and Bear ... well, Bear likes not to.

When Duck needs a friend for her dance class, Bear reluctantly agrees. Bear’s big size causes problems at first, but he soon discovers that he might just be a very good dancer.

 'Grace and Milligan' Caz Goodwin & Illustrated by Pip Kruger

Grace lives next door to old Mr Milligan and his goat Charlie. They are the best of friends. But when Mr Milligan’s beloved goat dies, everything changes. Will Grace be able to help her friend overcome his sadness?

Grace and Mr Milligan is a heart-warming story of grief, love and the healing power of friendship.

2. Book of the Year Picture Books (Ages 0-18 Years)

Entries in this category should be outstanding books of the Picture Book genre, in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations. Ages 0-18 years.

Note: Some of the books in this category may be for more mature readers

Winner Picture Book

'Timeless' by Kelly Canby

Emit (whose parents turned back time to name him) is surrounded by busyness. Dad's too busy to read stories, Mum is too busy to play games and Emit’s brother and sister are simply too busy doing nothing, to do anything at all. Emit tries everything he can think of to get more time... but it’s not until Emit tries to 'buy' some time, that he learns the secret which is, if you want time, you have to make it.

Note: This award is for picture books that are relevant and of interest for readers 0-20 years of age.

BUT: Amazon lists it as suitable for children 0-8. Parent discretion should be exercised.

And the Shadow Judging Winner is...

'Every Night at Midnight' by Peter Cheong

A little lone werewolf prowls the nights on his own until he finds friendship in the most unexpected of places. This is a  whimsical and tender picture book in the spirit of Julie Fogliano’s 'My Best Friend'.

Every night at midnight, Felix turns into a wolf. His hands and feet turn into velvety paws, his senses become sharper, and he grows a long, furry tail. Felix loves exploring on four legs, and he has the nighttime world to himself. There’s no one else like him.

During the day, Felix is human, but it still feels like there’s no one like him. The other kids used to invite him to play, but now they keep their distance. That’s fine, though, Felix doesn’t need anyone else. But after a chance encounter, Felix the little lone wolf starts to wonder whether he might find his pack after all.

 There were other awards as usual in additional categories:

3. Book of the Year: Eve Pownall Award

This award is for factual books.

Entries in this category should be books which have the prime intention of documenting factual material with consideration given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style. Ages 0-18 years.

Winner: 'Country Town' Isolde Martyn & Robyn Ridgeway (Illust: Louise Hogan)

The Tricky Relationship Between Open-Mindedness, Critical Thinking and Indoctrination

In this post I want to address what I see as the tension for people of faith between three well known concepts, 'Open-mindedness', 'Critical thinking' and 'Indoctrination'. My specific focus will be on how Christian schools deal with them. For some of my readers who identify with other faiths, what I have to say has equal relevance to you too. Educating the whole child, involves many things, but the role of faith in their (and our) lives must be central and obvious.

Etienne Wenger in his book "Communities of Practice" suggests that living in the world is a process of "negotiated meaning". In saying this he isn't saying there is no such thing as "truth", but his comment is still a bit confusing. I also find his use of the term "negotiated meaning" as quite dangerous. 

A "truth" IS something that is known to be true. We can of course argue about such things with others, but in reading a book like the Bible, which seeks to shape the lives and beliefs of Christians, we need always to be seeking the truth. But what is a 'truth'?

An application of this relationship between truth & life

The implications of the above for Christian life are significant. I DO believe in "truths" and clearly this is what the Bible teaches. But ensuring that we understand how we live by faith and seek the truth as believers, requires attention to the Word of God and the mutual support of others. 

I want to illustrate this by looking at the relationship between the three key words in my title, the difference between "open-mindedness", "Critical Thinking" and "Indoctrination".

What Wenger DOES NOT mean in his statement is that we can arrive and believe in a specific truth by negotiation (and perhaps convenience). As Christians we have little trouble answering the question "is Jesus the Son of God"? But what about "does being a Christian require us to meet together as believers"? And, "is the Bible really truth or can we leave out the bits we don't like"? I recall a teenager in a young adult group I led once, who tore Romans from her Bible because she didn't like its teachings on Homosexuality.

As we unpack these questions about truth, indoctrination and so on, we might also keep in mind some of the practical matters we deal with constantly as parents, and also as parishioners. For example, at a time when we are still emerging from three years of the COVID pandemic, we might ask is watching my church services online every Sunday okay? My answer is no if members are healthy and can get to church. 

Above: Image of the COVID-19 image

But why? Because the Bible teaches us that while we should worship and pray privately (Matthew 6:6) it's also clear that we should not give up meeting together to worship and pray (Heb 10:25). Involvement in our Christian community is important and an imperative. Technology enabled us to 'meet' as churches during the global COVID 19 pandemic, but now it is much less of a threat, we need to meet together as much as possible. As Hebrews 10:25 reminds us, we should NOT

 "... give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Surely this isn't essential for salvation? Of course it isn't, but we need to meet with one another. But is it essential for salvation? No! And yet in the Catholic Church the attendance at Sunday Mass is seen as an imperative. But why? One frequently used justification for it is, that it's our obligation to meet to pray, listen to the message from the priest, and go to communion to keep in a 'state of grace'. The last bit of this Catholic view is what is most problematic. Christians are commended and encouraged to gather together. Not simply to take part in the "sacraments" but to learn from God's word, grow in faith and serve one another as we learn, worship our God and rejoice. Devotion to attending Church and taking part in Mass does NOT save anyone. Only faith in our God and the only true access to forgiveness and salvation, Jesus!

Above: St Mary's Cathedral Sydney

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

So what about the "Tricky relationship between these three things..."?

My post is meant to be a cautionary word to Christians and in fact all people of faith with belief in God. 

a) Open-mindedness

The dictionary meaning of "Open-mindedness" is not the acceptance of anyone's views about God and salvation. Rather it is "the willingness to search actively for evidence against one's favoured beliefs, plans, or goals, and to weigh such evidence fairly when it is available". It has nothing to do with being humbly accepting everyone's views of the world and their views on what faith in God looks like.  

b) Critical thinking

Again the Oxford Dictionary meaning is "the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement". This has nothing to do with accepting the beliefs of others and allowing this to reshape your own view of God and our obligations before him. No, we must examine the Bible and read it to seek the truth for ourselves.

c) Indoctrination

Finally, what is the meaning of "indoctrination"? This might surprise you. "The process of teaching a person to accept a set of beliefs uncritically".

Summing up and a few warnings

So, what implications do the above have to those of us who support religious schools of any type. 

First, as teachers in all religious schools, our task is NOT to indoctrinate. Rather, as Christians it is to present our beliefs as they are reflected in the Bible, and challenge our students to consider these for themselves. And of course, as teachers, we are to live our lives in a manner that is based on our beliefs. Children very quickly see through hypocrisy.

Second, as parents we should not simply send our children to a faith-based school to ensure their salvation, no matter what our faith might be. If we want our children to accept and follow the faith we profess, we must live this life ourselves. Children once again see through hypocrisy. 

Third, we should not simply seek to enforce our beliefs on any child, whether your own or one you teach. Our children must be taught and encouraged to have faith, but ultimately they must accept this for themselves.

Hopefully, our schools as institutions, and their teachers and leadership, demonstrate their faith is genuine in their lives and actions. As well, in all aspects of what the school demonstrates as most important, should offer the most powerful demonstration of the value and truth of the faith they accept.

 

The Challenge to Reduce the Gap Between School and the World

Life as we Inhabit many communities

As I have written before on this blog, our children learn much more in the day-to-day life of the school than just curriculum content. Education is more than reception of knowledge. The life of the school in and outside the classroom has an influence in shaping them as people and citizens. Hence, all schools and their teachers have some responsibility to keep in mind a focus on transformation of students as learning and life are enacted together in a school 'community'.

A key agenda for teachers and leaders in our schools, should be to narrow the gap between our students experience of school and life (Cairney p19). Students like all people, inhabit multiple communities. How do their actions, values and priorities and so on, vary as they move from one community to another? It is critical for all teachers and parents to understand the interrelationship of home, school and community. It's easy to adopt such priorities as a goal, but it needs to be more than words. It needs to be a deeply held beliefs and values founded on a rich understanding of the complexity and differences between the communities students inhabit. 

In 'Pedagogy and Education for Life', I offer vignettes of students I taught. For one student, I could identify at least 8 key and influential communities she experienced simultaneously. Including her 'group' of school friends, members of her art class, her extended family (especially her grandparents), a dance group, staff she worked with part-time at a pizza parlour, her netball team, other students in a technical college food service class, and her 2,500 Facebook friends.

Why is this Important?

Every one of the varied communities that students inhabit require them to take on specific roles, values, forms of engagement, priorities and their view of what the 'good life' looks like (Cairney, pp 20-21).

And here's the rub! Each of our students varied communities has an influence on shaping values, desires and priorities in life. These of course, reflect the type of person the world seems to value, and hence who they 'should' seek to become. Sadly, there is often great inconsistency between these diverse communities. As a result, sometimes we will give a kind of tacit agreement to some things, but not challenge other positions which we might not accept. In this way, over time our students are shaped in word and action as they negotiate their complex lives. All our students' diverse communities of practice have an impact and begin to shape the things they love, desire and value.

James Smith helpfully suggests that we need to understand that our Christian education efforts need to influence our students' loves and desires that "...in turn govern and generate action both individual and collective" (James Smith, "Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview and Cultural Formation", 2009). The role of school must always be seen as more than teaching knowledge and skills; it is also a key vehicle and context for student formation as people.

Smith helpfully reminds us that the 'heart' not simply the mind, should be our primary target. Why? Because it is from here that our students' loves and desires are shaped. As he puts it, "our doing bubbles up from our loves, whether we realize it or not." As teachers and parents, it is critical that we seek to influence such loves and desires, for it is these that will generate the things they value most and hence priorities and actions.  

What are some of the means to achieving this goal?

In the rest of the post, let me suggest three tests or questions we should regularly apply to our schools, as well as our teachers and leaders within them. You could use a variety of ways to assess these simple questions, including discussing your observations with a few other parents, as well as with your students as their teacher. And as parent you should discuss this with your children. You might also look carefully at the school website to see how it promotes itself. Here are three simple questions or 'lenses' to get started.

First, try to take a 'step back, and identify the things your children's school seems to value most in its actions, priorities and promotion of itself. The website will be helpful here as well as your children's reflections on their experiences. List the top three.

Second, how easy is it to see how the school understands its position within the world? Does it make explicit how the priorities of a faith-based school are different from secular schools?

Third, sit down with your children and ask them to share what they believe the school values most. Try to drill down to the level of the teacher and ask what various teachers seem to value most.  

Fourth, now consider whether the above observations are similar or different to those of the faith-based school. What is special and distinctive about your school? What is the same?

There is nothing startling about these four questions, but I suspect if you consider them carefully, and perhaps discuss them with other parents as well as your children, you might have some useful conversations about the things that matter most to the school and your children and you as parents.

 

 

 

The Power of Community to Create Change in Disadvantaged Schools

Foundations for Change in Secular Education

While this blog has focused largely on pedagogy in faith-based schools, I've been reminded recently that secular schools face similar challenges with students, and also in relation to teacher development, I think there is more common ground than we might imagine. Having started my teaching life as a non-Christian in secular government run education, I have spent many years helping to develop teachers and schools in both sectors. As such, I have been an insider to both. I often ponder what's the same and what is different? In this post, I want to concentrate on teacher and school development.

A Helpful Recent Case Study of School Transformation

Cessnock is a rural town in Australia about 112km from Sydney. I know this area well. As a child, I spent all of my school holidays with my maternal Grandparents in Cessnock. My Mother also grew up there, and fell in love with a smooth Scotsman who was working in the coal mines nearby. Her family owned and ran mixed businesses, essentially 'General Stores' or shops in the days before major supermarkets, department stores, huge shopping centres and online shopping. My mother's family were staunch Methodists and from the late 1890s until 1964 they ran General Stores in the area.

 

Above: One of my Grandparents' Stores (Closed in 1964)

My Mother and her brothers attended a government primary school at Kearsley, just two doors from their store in the town. Later they attended Cessnock High School. One of my uncles (my Mother's brother) eventually taught at Cessnock High for many years and was Science Master. In those days, it was a 'tough' school and achievements were mixed. Decades later, I was posted to the town in the 1990s as a curriculum consultant for the Hunter region for English and Literacy learning, and could see that there were many problems. It was a tough place to be a teacher.

So, how is education going in this once difficult place for teachers? Cessnock High has been dramatically transformed! The change in this particular school has been so significant, that the Department of Education in our State (New South Wales) has decided to adopt and 'role out' the Cessnock model to seek reform in all of the schools in the Hunter Region of NSW, and perhaps the whole state, if not the nation.

 

Above: Cessnock High School

The school where teachers once feared having to work due to student violence and indifference, has undergone an amazing transformation. A dedicated principal, some excellent teachers and new education methods, have led to some of the most improved NAPLAN scores in the country. NAPLAN is an international assessment program that assesses student performance on a common test covering reading, writing, language and numeracy. I sat on the national committee that oversaw these tests for 15 years and understand how difficult it was to affect change and improvement.

Surprisingly, Cessnock High now has some of the most improved NAPLAN scores in the country. Its year 12 results have improved by 50 per cent. The learning model they have adopted may well be rolled out across Australia. I find this extraordinary. In a school where violence amongst students was rife and school performance was so poor, there has been such an incredible transformation.

While the principal is clearly a great leader, he is reluctant to take too much credit. He explains the change in these words:

"We've been able to build a culture … where there are very few negative behaviours," he said. "The violence doesn't exist at all in our school anymore and school is a calm place." Of course, there is more to it than that!

 A Whole School Approach

The transformation in this school is remarkable. One of the keys reasons appears to be a whole of school approach using a model developed with Newcastle University staff that they label "Quality Teaching Rounds". 

 

Just what is this model? In essence, it is a structured learning model to improve classroom teaching and student results. It does this by creating small groups of teachers who take turns to observe and critique colleague's lesson against three criteria:

• Quality teaching: demonstrates a deep understanding of important knowledge and the best ways to communicate this to students.
• Quality learning environment: ensures the classroom environment is optimized so students can absorb knowledge and learn.
  
• Significance: effort is made to ensure lessons are relevant to students' lives and hold significance in order to boost engagement.

What have they found? In the words of the Principal, the "lessons are more engaging, the environment to learn is safer and the learning is more significant." As a result of the changes, the behaviour of students has changed dramatically allowing learning to blossom and as a result, academic achievement has risen markedly. I think our Christian schools can learn much from this, but how might it be slightly different?

So What's Different?

My definition of education in 'Pedagogy and Education for Life' is in short:

"Education is the whole of life of a community, and the experience of its members learning to live this life, from the standpoint of a specific goal."

There is no doubt that Cessnock High School has created a desire amongst parents, teachers and students to change community life, and in particular classroom behaviour and application to school and learning. One of the features of the 'Cessnock' approach is that teachers collaborate together, and even sit in on each other's lessons to offer feedback and advice. This is very helpful and shows that they are concerned not only for their own teaching, but that of others and even more importantly, the learning and welfare of their students. 

It would be wonderful if teachers could sit in each others classrooms at times to help one another reflect on how in the cut and thrust of each day, they are not only teaching their students, but are also shaping them for life. As I write this, I recall a colleague who taught next to me in a primary school in Sydney. His class was always out of control and he screamed constantly at the students, while they laughed and messed about. I coped by closing my door to shut out the chaos. But might I have been able to help him?

Above: My first school as a teacher

What might be different if used by Christian schools?

Central to the 'Cessnock Model' is the visitation of teachers to one another's classrooms. They do this to watch, learn from and help colleagues for example to:

• Use effective and sound methods,
• Maintain student attention,
• Offer feedback and support to students, and
  
• Use more engaging approaches to teach subject content etc.
  

But what might a Christian colleague also be looking for? Might they also use some extra lenses? For example:

• How does the content and learning relate to their lives;
• How does content (especially in the Humanities) relate to Christian views of the world;
• How might student non-engagement with content, teaching etc, reflect more than disinterest or boredom;
• How might some behaviour relate to life outside the classroom not just within it; and
  
• How do student responses at times offer windows into where students stand in terms of personal happiness, faith and trust in God.
  

A good way to test such an approach in Christian schools would be to consider first the approach being used by Cessnock, and reflect on how their school might benefit. Some questions might help:

First, what is the balance in classroom and school life between promoting success in school learning and growth as people, citizens and ultimately, children of God. How is the school different to public schools, and what is common?

Second, staff might consider how the approach could be implemented in a way not only to make them better students, but also to help shape our student's as God's children who develop a whole of life understanding of how their faith should shape all of life.

I will continue to ponder how Christian Schools might respond to this new work. I hope you will too. I'd be keen to hear your thoughts on the topic which I might revisit later.