“There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools
This article examines how student voice informed the development of <i>Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith</i>, the national Religious Education (RE) curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Through student-submitted RE questions and 63 informal Zoom-based “Interschool Catholic...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/887 |
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| author | Colin MacLeod |
| author_facet | Colin MacLeod |
| author_sort | Colin MacLeod |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article examines how student voice informed the development of <i>Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith</i>, the national Religious Education (RE) curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Through student-submitted RE questions and 63 informal Zoom-based “Interschool Catholic Yarns” with over 400 senior students over several years, the National Centre for Religious Studies gathered valuable insights into student experience and expectations. These contributions influenced RE curriculum content, nuance, and priorities. Emphasising accessible engagement with young people, the two outlined approaches align with Catholic commitments to synodality and formation. This article demonstrates that engaging student voice is both possible and necessary in designing RE that is meaningful, faithful, and grounded. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ebf6d87562b148efae61150c25ced8a5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-ebf6d87562b148efae61150c25ced8a52025-08-20T03:32:15ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-07-0116788710.3390/rel16070887“There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic SchoolsColin MacLeod0National Centre for Religious Studies-Te Kupenga, Dunedin 9016, New ZealandThis article examines how student voice informed the development of <i>Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith</i>, the national Religious Education (RE) curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Through student-submitted RE questions and 63 informal Zoom-based “Interschool Catholic Yarns” with over 400 senior students over several years, the National Centre for Religious Studies gathered valuable insights into student experience and expectations. These contributions influenced RE curriculum content, nuance, and priorities. Emphasising accessible engagement with young people, the two outlined approaches align with Catholic commitments to synodality and formation. This article demonstrates that engaging student voice is both possible and necessary in designing RE that is meaningful, faithful, and grounded.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/887student voicereligious educationCatholicinterschool Catholic yarnAotearoaNew Zealand |
| spellingShingle | Colin MacLeod “There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools Religions student voice religious education Catholic interschool Catholic yarn Aotearoa New Zealand |
| title | “There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools |
| title_full | “There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools |
| title_fullStr | “There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools |
| title_full_unstemmed | “There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools |
| title_short | “There’s a Difference Between Staying a Catholic and Being a Catholic”: Gathering Student Voice in Creating a Meaning-Full RE Curriculum for Catholic Schools |
| title_sort | there s a difference between staying a catholic and being a catholic gathering student voice in creating a meaning full re curriculum for catholic schools |
| topic | student voice religious education Catholic interschool Catholic yarn Aotearoa New Zealand |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/887 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT colinmacleod theresadifferencebetweenstayingacatholicandbeingacatholicgatheringstudentvoiceincreatingameaningfullrecurriculumforcatholicschools |