title: Exploring the Use of Story as a Pedagogically Beneficial Support for Teaching Christian Studies in the Early Years of Primary School
Creators: name: Huth, Kerrin
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Religious Education
subject: story
subject: early years
subject: primary school
subject: Christian Studies

description: Learners in the first years of schooling have unique needs because of their age and educators plan activities to best meet their needs. One prominent feature of the classroom in the first years of school is the use of story. Stories are a key part of our lives and provide rich experiences for children which allow them to build literacy skills, understand their own experiences and learn about language. They invite questions, promote discussion, and can allow the opportunity to delve deeper as students place themselves in the context of the story and the life of the characters. Considering the vital role stories play in engaging learners as they make sense of the world around them, it is important to link the use of story with effective pedagogical practices, for the purpose of ongoing professional development. Literature on the broad fields of early childhood, Religious Education and story, reveal a depth of research and theory in each field. Although significant areas of overlap were found, the literature search highlighted a gap in the research which connected all three areas. This research was informed by the issue of exploring the connection between a theory of best pedagogical practice in early childhood Religious Education (known as Christian Studies in Lutheran Education Australia), and classroom practice. This thesis outlines an exploration of the use of story as a pedagogically beneficial support for teaching Christian Studies in the early years of primary school. The aims of the research were to explore both teacher perceptions of the use of story in Christian Studies and reported teacher usage trends associated with the use of story within a school system’s Christian Studies curriculum. The research was informed by an interpretive paradigm and explored the use of story through a phenomenological investigation. Sociocultural theory provided a lens through which to view the research, recognising the sociocultural environment of a classroom. A case study method was employed to explore teacher perceptions and usage trends of Preparatory to Year 3 teachers in Lutheran Schools in Queensland, Australia. Surveys, interviews and classroom observations provided insight into teachers’ experiences. Initially, the quantitative data indicated patterns and trends while the qualitative data revealed pictures of the use of story in practice. Together the data offered a more holistic view of participants’ realities. The research revealed four key findings: 1. Stories are an effective, age-appropriate pedagogical support for teaching Christian Studies in the early years of primary school 2. A variety of stories and storytelling strategies or methods used frequently, provides greater opportunities for learners to engage 3. Support helps teachers to select, resource and train in using stories to teach Christian Studies effectively 4. Teachers perceive interaction with a story within the sociocultural context is important The findings of this exploration inform the theory of teaching Christian Studies through an investigation into authentic pedagogy that has an explicit focus on classroom practice. It advises theory generally and provides practical real-world information for building whole-school capacity to improve early years’ curricula outcomes for both general and religious schools. It provides a point for teacher reflection on current practice, drawing on theory of early childhood and religious education and their potential impact in Christian Studies.