129.151 Course Outline

Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba
Department of Educational Administration, Foundations, and Psychology (EAFP)

PROFESSOR:
Dr. David G. Creamer, S. J.
Office 124, St. Paul's College (Office hours are posted)
Phone: 474-9141 Fax: 474-7613
E-mail: creamer@ms.ummanitoba.ca

COURSE TIME & LOCATION:
Term 2: Monday evenings: 5:30-8:30 p.m. St. Paul's, Room 234

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course (129.151: Foundations of Moral and Religious Education) considers the theory and practice of moral and religious education. It begins with a study of Values Clarification, perhaps the most common technique used in public schools in North America. Then, Jean Piaget, Ronald Goldman and Lawrence Kohlberg illustrate the influence of structuralism and developmental psychology on moral and religious education (Robert Coles is a dissenting voice). Erik Erikson's research serves to introduce life-span development. Erikson and structuralism are foundational to James Fowler's comprehensive theory of "faith" development. Fowler's work and Paulo Freire's "praxis" approach to education are integral to the theory/practice of religious education as outlined by Thomas Groome in his seminal work: Christian Religious Education (1980) and expanded upon in Sharing Faith: A Comprehensive Approach to Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry (1991).

While the emphasis in this course is on the Judaeo-Christian tradition, application can readily be made to other religious traditions, secular vocations such as nursing and counselling, and even school subjects such as History and English.

Practical experience with Values Clarification exercises, Piagetian and Kohlbergian dilemmas, Fowler's "image of God" and "life tapestry" exercises, and Groome's "shared praxis" approach to religious education form an important part of the course. Film excerpts, video tapes, PowerPoint presentations, and WebCT help facilitate understanding of the various approaches considered.

BOOKS:
Sweet, Lois. God in the Classroom: The Controversial Issue of Religion in Canada's Schools. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1997.
Copies of assigned readings not from the text are available on the 129.151 WebCT Site or on two hour reserve in the St. Paul's College library.

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Read the assigned readings before class.

2. Attend and participate in class and on WebCT Bulletin Board Discussion. Class attendance is monitored periodically and is strongly recommended. You might be asking yourself, "But why?" There are several reasons. First, hearing a second presentation of information you have already read is practically guaranteed to help you learn the material (especially important for "multiple choice" tests). Second, although most of the information covered will be in the textbook or assigned readings, class lectures and student presentations will offer examples and clarification of what is in the text, including an opportunity for you to ask questions about what you have read. Third, at times, classes will include material that is NOT in the textbook or assigned readings, but will nonetheless appear on the "multiple choice" tests. Finally, note the University's policy on Attendance at Class (3.13)--"Regular attendance is expected of all students in all courses. An instructor may initiate procedures to debar a student from attending classes and from final examinations and/or from receiving credit where unexcused absences exceed those permitted by the faculty or school regulations." In the Faculty of Education that is three hours of scheduled classes in any one term.

3. Web CT Postings: (10%)

(a) Before Tuesday, January 15, students are asked to post a brief "biographical sketch" in the Class Biographies section of the Bulletin Board. Include your name, program of study and year (if you have a photo, please include it). Then give a brief summary of the education you have received to date and your evaluation of it. Why did you enroll in this course? Finally write a paragraph explaining why you want to be a secondary school teacher.

(b) At least once each week (i. e., a total of 12 times including the "biographical sketch"), students are to make a course related posting on the Main Bulletin Board. You may post comments about the course content, ask a question about course content, or seek clarification of some course topic. You may share a personal educational experience, summarize something you have read, tell us about a film you have seen, or review Web Sites related to course topics. Feel free, of course, to "reply" to postings by other class members at any time.

You will receive 3/4 of a point for each appropriate and substantive posting (total of 9); one additional point will be awarded at the discretion of the instructor.

3. A mid-term test. The results of this test will provide students with feedback about how they are doing prior to the last date for Voluntary Withdrawal (March 18) without academic penalty from second term half-courses.

4. One major term paper. Term papers are 12-15 pages in length (maximum). They should conform to an appropriate style manual.

TOPIC: An exposition and critical review of the work of one of the moral or religious educators we studied, OR a review (in light of the theorists studied in the course) of some Moral or Religious Education Curriculum materials, OR a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor.

Papers will be graded according to style and the quality, accuracy, and creativeness of presentation. The main objective of these research papers is to have students familiarize themselves with original source material and the extensive literature available in moral and religious education.

A starting point for researching any topic would be items on the course Bibliography. If books are not readily available in the Faculty of Education Library or other University Libraries (most are in the St. Paul's College Library), they can also be borrowed from my office.

5. A synthesis question: How has this course influenced what you understand by moral and/or religious education and the way it/they should be taught? Your answer is to take the form of a critical review of selected course topics and materials. It is to be a maximum of 1000 words and is due on the last day of class.

6. Final examination, in class, on the last day of classes.

EVALUATION:

Mid-term test 20%
WebCT 10%
Term paper 40%
Synthesis question 15%
Final examination 15%

GRADING SCHEME:

The grading scheme for this course is that used by the Department of Educational Administration, Foundations, and Psychology.

Incomplete Grades: See page 32 (4.3.15) of The University of Manitoba General Calendar for the regulations. Please note that you must "apply to the instructor PRIOR TO THE END OF LECTURES for consideration of an Incomplete grade classification and time extension for work completion." Such an extension is NOT automatic!

Academic Dishonesty: Acquaint yourself with the University's policy on plagiarism and cheating and examination personation (see pages 31 and 32 of The University of Manitoba General Calendar).

Your attention is also drawn to pages 156-158 setting forth the Faculty of Education's Academic Regulations.

COURSE OUTLINE:

1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

(a) Moral and religious education is going on in schools (public and denominational) whether we want it or not!

(b) Overview of current theories and strategies

[READING: Robert E. Carter, "Ethics and moral education," chapter 2 in Robert E. Carter, Dimensions of Moral Education (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984), pp. 43-49.]

2. VALUES CLARIFICATION

(a) Exposition of theory (Sidney Simon and others)

(b) Practical experience with selected strategies

[READING: Robert E. Carter, "Ethics and moral education," chapter 2 in Robert E. Carter, Dimensions of Moral Education (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984), pp. 49-53.]

3. JEAN PIAGET/RONALD GOLDMAN/ROBERT COLES

(a) Genetic Epistemology of Jean Piaget

(b) Implications of Piaget's findings for moral and religious education

(d) Robert Coles: The Crayon Man (Video, 23 mins)

(e) The moral intelligence of children

(f) The spiritual life of children

[READING: "Symposium: Ronald Goldman and Religious Education," in Religious Education, Volume 63, Number 6 (Nov-Dec, 1968), pp. 419-456; Robert Coles, The Moral Intelligence of Children (New York: Random House, 1997) "Letter to Parents and Teachers," pp. 169-196; and Robert Coles, The Spiritual Life of Children (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990) "Psychoanalysis and Religion," pp. 1-21.

4. LAWRENCE KOHLBERG

(a) Exposition of his stage theory of moral development

(b) Practical experience with Kohlbergian moral dilemmas

(d) Carol Gilligan's critique of Kohlberg

(e) Kohlberg's legacy to moral and religious education

[READING: Robert E. Carter, "Ethics and moral education," chapter two in Robert E. Carter, Dimensions of Moral Education (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984), pp. 53-105; Appendix; Carol Gilligan, In a Different Voice: Psychological theory and women's development (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982), pp. 5-23; and James R. Rest, Darcia Narvaez, Stephen J. Thoma, and Muriel J. Bebeau, "A Neo-Kohlbergian Approach to Morality Research," Journal of Moral Education (Volume 29, Number 4, Dec 2000), pp. 381-395.]

5. CLIVE BECK

(a) Exposition of his argument for moral and religious education in schools

(b) "the aim of schooling is to promote human well being"

[READING: Clive Beck, Better Schools: A values perspective (New York: The Falmer Press, 1990), "Moral and Values Education," pp. 143-156 and "Religious and Spiritual Education," pp. 157-174.]

6. ERIK H. ERIKSON

(a) Exposition of his research into life span development

(b) Everybody Rides the Carousel (Video, 67 minutes)

[READING: David M. Wulff, Psychology of Religion: Classic and contemporary views. Second Edition (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997), Chapter 9. "Erik H. Erikson: Religion in the Human Life Cycle," pp. 371-401 and 405-413.]

7. JAMES FOWLER

(a) The "Image of God" and "Life Tapestry" exercises

(b) Exposition of Fowler's theory of "faith" development

[READING: David G. Creamer, Guides for the Journey: John Macmurray, Bernard Lonergan, James Fowler (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1996), Chapters 6 and 7.]

MID-TERM

8. PAULO FREIRE

(a) Exposition of his approach ("conscientization," "praxis")

(b) Peace and justice education/ecological education

[READING: Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the City (New York: The Continuum Publishing Company, 1993), Chapters 9 & 10 (pp. 83-136.]

9. THOMAS GROOME

(a) What is (Christian) Religious Education?

(b) Groome's "shared praxis" approach

(b) Practical experience of shared praxis methodology

[READING: Thomas H. Groome, Sharing Faith: A comprehensive approach to religious education and pastoral ministry (1991), Part II, Prologue and Chapter 4 (pp. 133-154]

10. SUMMATION & FINAL EXAMINATION

How has this course influenced what you understand by moral and/or religious education and the way it/they should be taught?

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Beck, Clive, et al. Reflective Approach in Values Education. Moral Education Project, Year 3. Toronto: Minister of Education of Ontario, 1976. [Jesuit Centre]

Beck, Clive. Better Schools: A values perspective. New York: The Falmer Press, 1990. [LB/41/B39/1990(SPC/DAF)]

Best, Ron, ed. Education for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development. Herndon, VA: Cassell Academic, 2000.

Borba, Michele. Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing. Toronto: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.

Bowers, C. A. Educating for an Ecologically Sustainable Culture: Rethinking Moral Education, Creativity, Intelligence, and Other Modern Orthodoxies. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1995.

Carter, Robert E. Dimensions of Moral Education. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984. [LC/268/C26(SPC/DAF)]

Charles, C. M. Teacher's Petit Piaget. Belmont, CA: Pitman Learning, Inc., 1974. [LB/775/P49/C47/1974(SPC)]

Children in the Way: New directions for the church. London: National Society/Church House Publishing, 1988. [Jesuit Centre]

Coles, Robert. Lives of Moral Leadership (2000)

Collins, Denis. Paulo Freire: His life, works & thought. New York: Paulist Press, 1977. [Jesuit Centre]

Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy. Volumes I - IX. Garden City, NY: Image Books, A Division of Doubleday & Company, 1985. [B/72/C6(DAF/SJC/SPC)]

Creamer, David G. Guides for the Journey: John Macmurray, Bernard Lonergan, James Fowler. Lanham, MD: The University Press of America, Inc., 1996. [B/1647/M134/C74/1996(SPC)]

Crowe, Frederick E. Old Things and New: A strategy for education. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1985. [BT/738.17/.C76/1985(SPC)]

Crowe, Frederick E. Lonergan. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1992. [BX/4705/L7133/C765/1992(SPC)]

Crowe, Frederick E. The Lonergan Enterprise. Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 1980. [BR/118/C75/1980(SPC/SJC)]

Droege, Thomas A. Faith Passages and Patterns. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983. [BT/771.2/.D75/1983]

Duska, Ronald & Mariellen Whelan. Moral Development: A guide to Piaget and Kohlberg. New York: Paulist Press, 1975. [BF/723/M54/D87(SPC)]

Dykstra, Craig, and Sharon Parks, eds. Faith Development and Fowler. Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press, 1986. [BT/771.2/F25/1986(SPC)]

Eaton, Mary, Jane Longmore, and Arthur Naylor, eds. Commitment to Diversity: Catholics and education in a Changing World. Continuum Publishers Group, 2000.

Erikson, Erik H. Life Cycle Completed: A review. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1982. [BF/713/E73/1982(SPC/DAF)]

Fowler, James W. Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian: Faith development and Christian faith. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1984. [BT/771.2/F65/1984(SJC/SPC)]

Fowler, James W. Faith Development and Pastoral Care. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987. [BV/4011.6/F69/1987 (SJC/SPC)]

Fowler, James W. Faithful Change: The personal and public challenges of postmodern life. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997. [Jesuit Centre]

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the City. New York: The Continuum Publishing Company, 1993. [Jesuit Centre]

Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: The Continuum Publishing Corp., 1970. [LB/880/F7313/1970(DAF)]

Freire, Paulo. Education: The practice of freedom. (London: Writers & Readers Publishing Cooperative, 1974. [Jesuit Centre]

Garber, Steven. The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior During the University Years. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Gillespie, V. Bailey. The Dynamics of Religious Conversion: Identity and transformation. Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press, 1991. [Jesuit Centre]

Gilligan, Carol. In a Different Voice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982. [HQ/1206/.G58(SPC)]

Gilligan, Carol, Janie Victoria Ward, Jill McLean Taylor, and Betty Bardige, eds. Mapping the Moral Domain: A Contribution of Women's Thinking to Psychological Theory and Education. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1990.

Goldman, Ronald. Readiness for Religion: A basis for developmental religious education. New York: The Seabury Press, 1968. [BV/1475.2/G6/1970(SPC)]

Goldman, Ronald. Religious Thinking from Childhood to Adolescence. New York: The Seabury Press, 1964. [BV/639/C4/G6(SPC)]

Gow, Kathleen M. Yes Virginia, There is Right and Wrong! Toronto: John Wiley & Sons Canada Limited, 1980. [LC/312/.G68(SPC/DAF)]

Groome, Thomas H. Christian Religious Education: Sharing our story and vision. San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1980. [BV/1471.2/.G687(SPC)]

Groome, Thomas H. Sharing Faith: A comprehensive approach to religious education & pastoral ministry. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. [BV/1471.2/.G688/1991(SPC)]

Hersh, Richard H., John P. Miller & Glen D. Fielding. Models of Moral Education: An appraisal. New York: Longman Inc., 1980. [LC/268/H469(DAF)]

How Faith Grows: Faith development and Christian education. London: National Society/Church House Publishing, 1991. [Jesuit Centre]

Hunter, James Davison. The Death of Character: Moral Education in an Age Without Good or Evil. Boulder, CO: Basic Books, 2000.

Jacobs, Donald Trent nd Jessica Jacobs-Spencer. Teaching Virtues. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Scarecrow Press, 2001.

Kirschenbaum, Howard. 100 Ways to Enhance Values and Morality in Schools and Youth Settings. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1994.

Kirschenbaum, Howard, Sidney B. Simon, eds. Readings in Values Clarification. Minneapolis, MN: Winston Press, 1973. [LC/268/S48/1973(DAF)]

Kuhmerker, Lisa. The Kohlberg Legacy for the Helping Professions. Birmingham, AL: R.E.P. Books, 1991. [BF/109/K6K84/1991(UOW]

Kurtines, William M. and Jacob L. Gewirtz, eds. Handbook of Moral Behaviour and Development Volumes 1-3. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1991. [BF/1723/M54/H35/1991(DAF)]

Lantieri, Linda and Daniel P. Goleman, eds. Schools With Spirit: Nurturing the Inner Lives of Children and Teachers. Boston: Beacon Press, 2001.

Lonergan, Bernard. Topics in Education. Volume 4 of Collected Works of Bernard Lonergan. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1993.

Miller, John P. and Thomas Moore. Education and the Soul: Toward a Spiritual Curriculum. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1999.

Nucci, Larry P. Education in the Moral Domain. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Parks, Sharon Daloz. Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Faith. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Piaget, Jean. Moral Judgment of the Child. New York: The Free Press, A Division of Macmillan Publishing Co., Ltd., 1965. [LB/1117/P5/1965(SPC/DAF)]

Puka, Bill, series ed. Moral Development: A compendium (7 vols). New York: Garland Publishing, 1994. [BF/723/M54/M66/1994(SPC)]

Raths, Louis E., Merrill Harmin & Sidney B. Simon. Values and Teaching. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., 1966. [LB/1033/R37/1966(DAF)]

Rest, James R., Darcia Narvaez, Stephen J. Thoma, and Muriel J. Bebeau. "A Neo-Kohlbergian Approach to Morality Research," in Journal of Moral Education, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Dec, 2000), pp. 381-395.

Ryan, Kevin and Edward A. Wynne. Reclaiming Our Schools: Teaching Character, Academics, and Discipline, Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1997.

Seymour, Jack L. and Donald E. Miller. Contemporary Approaches to Christian Education. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1982. [SJC]

Seymour, Jack L. and Donald E. Miller. Theological Approaches to Christian Education. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990. [BV/1464/T46/1990(SJC)]

Simon, Sidney B., Leland W. Howe. & Howard Kirschenbaum. Values Clarification: A handbook of practical strategies for teachers and students. New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1972. [BJ/1661/S55/1972(DAF)]

Singer, Dorothy G. and Tracey A. Revenson. A Piaget Primer: How a child thinks. New

York: New American Library, 1978. [BF/723/C5/S6/1978(DAF)]

Sizer, Theodore R. and Nancy Faust Sizer. Students are Watching: Schools and the Moral Contract. Boston: Beacon Press, 2000.

Smith, Gregory A. Education and the Environment. New York: State University of New

York Press, 1992.

Sweet, Lois. God in the Classroom: The Controversial Issue of Religion in Canada's Schools. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1997.

Vidal, Fernando. Piaget before Piaget. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994. [BF/109/P5/V53/1994(DAF)]

Wulff, David M. Psychology of Religion: Classic and contemporary views. 2^nd Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997. [BL/53/W77/1997(SPC)]