What is the New Normal for Religious Education? Understanding Learning, Learners, and their Ideas about Religion and Spirituality in a Post-Pandemic World

Abstract

The religious education program of any Catholic school has often been referred to as the heart of the institution. However, for teachers and students, this often remains an aspirational statement rather than a concrete goal, much more a reality. Many factors contribute to this lack of focus and action, many outside religious educators' purview and control. However, religious educators are responsible for ensuring that the content and manner of teaching are relevant and relatable. Updating the curriculum is a critical step in ensuring the centrality of religious education in a school. This descriptive qualitative study aims to review literature related to (a) the ways by which our students learn, (b) the personal issues they hold, and (c) their views on religion and spirituality. The result of the study will be a set of fundamental assumptions (or a conceptual framework) that will be used to review and revise the entry-level college course in Lasallian Spirituality in De La Salle Lipa. These assumptions can be used to review and revise the remaining three religious education college courses. The findings can also be used to evaluate the religious education curriculum of the basic education unit of De La Salle Lipa.