TEACH Journal

Christian education is distinctly different from other approaches to education. But knowing what that distinctiveness is and acting consistently on it is vital, for Christian schools to be authentic and to justify their existence. This article seeks to identify fundamental premises underlying Christian education; then to establish a set of ground rules for critical discussion and the development of a model to faithfully represent that enterprise. The purpose of the model is two-fold: to capture realistically the dynamic nature or ‘special character’ of Christian schools as communities of faith, and in so doing, provide a useful frame of reference for critical review, strategic planning and renewal of schools calling themselves ‘Christian’.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many schools around the country into turbulent waters and forced a transition to virtual learning.

The 21st century is placing new demands on teachers and schools. Children are growing up in a society that is characterised by exponential change, escalating social issues and everchanging technology. Because of this rapidly changing culture, our students will face challenges that do not currently exist, when they reach the workplace (Davies, McNulty & Maddox, 2011). These factors have shifted the perceived necessary skill base from knowledge based to thinking based skills such as creativity and flexibility. One area of education that is continuing to receive attention is the area of critical thinking, or mental flexibility (Davies et al., 2011). This article explores one model of teaching mental flexibility and evaluates its effectiveness for teaching discernment in a Christian environment.

As people living in a modern world, our connection with nature is varied, which has an impact on health. This paper looks at cross-disciplinary research conducted on the impact the outdoors has on health, more specifically mental, physical, social and spiritual benefits. Results from different fields of research collectively strengthen claims made for the positive influence time outdoors has on health, and prompt educators to ask how Christian schools can take this knowledge and apply it in an educational setting for the benefit of students.

Teaching involves teachers acting as hospitable hosts who create learning spaces that welcome their students into learning. Much of the literature on pedagogical hospitality works from the assumption that the teacher is the host and the students are the guests. However, in the period of remote learning during the Covid19 pandemic, this was turned on its head when teachers became guests as well as hosts as they “entered” their students’ homes, albeit remotely, to teach. This experience of being a guest is similar to the experience of Special Religious Education (SRE) teachers as they enter Australian Public School classrooms to teach about their Christian faith. This article explores pedagogical hospitality during remote learning with reference to the experiences of SRE teachers who experience being guests of the classroom teachers where they teach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many schools around the country into turbulent waters. In a short period of time, many K – 12 Christian schools had to transition into the alternate universe known as virtual learning. Many educators have probably dabbled in virtual learning elements as a supplement to their normal pedagogical practice. Ironically, the challenges and questions with which many schools were immediately concerned were perpetually at the doors of many schools, not just Christian schools.