DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

SECOND YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER - 2021/2022 ACADEMIC YEAR

COURSE OUTLINE AND ACTION PLAN
COURSE CODE: RME J251
COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EDUCATION

CONTEXT
The main aim of Religious and Moral Education is to develop religious, moral, and inclusive
principles in student teachers, to enable them function as religiously literate teachers who are
able to model morally upright behaviours and make sound decisions in today's religiously
plural world. With increasing globalization and technological advancement, physical and
social barriers are being broken down, occasioning increased interaction between people from
varied societies, economic backgrounds, and cultures. While this pattern is valuable for
development, it brings with it two social challenges and opportunities for education. First,
increased association with people of varied religious backgrounds requires pluralistic
competencies that young people ought to acquire in order to remain relevant in a religiously
plural world. Schools ought to take this charge to make learners to be inclusive in their
thoughts and collaborative in their dealings with persons of varied faiths. Second, increasing
globalization also occasions cultural transfer, with the propensity of unhealthy influences
challenging the moral fabric of the Ghanaian society. Religious and Moral Education fulfils
this need by providing learners with education that will imbibe in them sound religious and
moral principles, and also develop appropriate attitudes and values that will help them to
make healthy associations and sound decisions in an ever-changing religiously diverse world.
Course Description
This course introduces student teachers to key concepts and terminologies in Religious and
Moral Education (RME) such as religion, morality and education. It also highlights the
meaning, aims, scope, and historical perspectives of RME. Through tutorials, discussions,
presentations and other interactive pedagogies, the course will draw on student teachers’
previous knowledge and map connections of RME to other areas in the curriculum such as
History, Social Studies and Literacy. The purpose of the course is to equip student-teachers
with required background knowledge that will shape their values and attitudes towards
becoming professional in the teaching of RME. Student-teachers will be assessed based on
project assignments, quizzes, presentations, artefacts from practical work, reports of school
observation and end of semester examination

COURSE AREA GOALS/OBJECTIVES

On the successful completion of the course, Student Teachers will be able to:
 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key concepts and terminologies in
RME and link them to their professional practice. (NTS 1a, 2c, NTECF pg 20; NTS
1e)
  Apply knowledge of the principles of equity and inclusivity in teaching RME. (NTS
2c,e, f)
 Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the multi-religious nature of the
Ghanaian society, and integrate competencies such as honesty, integrity, tolerance,
respect and commitment in teaching and learning of RME to promote inclusivity
(NTS 2f,NTS 3n; NTECF pg
 Demonstrate the application of the understanding of religious principles to achieve
collaboration and peace in the school community (NTS 3n, NTECF pg 20)
 Identify their own professional needs in terms of professional practice, knowledge,
values and attitudes (NTS 3g, h,k,n)
 Demonstrate an understanding of the Integration of ICT and multimedia in teaching
and learning of RME. (NTS 3j)
 Explore student-teacher and learner personal bias and stereotypes as well as
institutional discrimination within the school (NTEF p.41, NTS 3f)

UNIT TOPIC SUBTOPICS

1  Meaning
 Rationale
 Scope
Nature of Religious and  Historical perspectives of RME
Moral Education  Relevance of RME
2 Aims of Teaching RME • Non-Educational
 (Ecclesiastical) Aims
 R S Peters Criteria for determining inclusion of
Religious Education in the School curriculum
 Educational Aims as Stated in the RME syllabus
3 The Concept of Religion • Meaning of Religion
• Characteristics of Religion
• Approaches to the Study of Religion
• Functions and Dysfunctions of Religion
• The Religiously Educated Person
4 The Concept of • Meaning
Morality • Characteristics of Morality
• Importance of Morality
• Promoting Moral Values in the Society
• The Morally Educated Person
5 The Concept of Education • Meaning
• Types & Characteristics of Education
• Importance of Education
• Religious Education
• Moral Education
6 Indoctrination in RME • Meaning of Indoctrination
• Processes of Indoctrination
• Indoctrination and Religious and Moral
Education
• (Similarities and Differences)
• Ways of Avoiding Indoctrination in the
 Classroom
7 Religious Sources of • Christian Sources
Morality • Islamic Sources
• African Traditional Sources
• Implications of the Sources for Teaching
RME
8 Non-Religious (Secular) • The National Constitution (The State Law)
Sources of Morality • The Home Environment
• The School Environment
• The Mass Media (Print & Electronic)
• Governmental and Non- Governmental
• Organisations (NGO’S)
• The Human Conscience
• Implications of the Sources for Teaching
RME
9 Spiritual Development • Meaning of Spirituality
and • Nature of Spirituality
Religious Growth of • Spirituality and Religious Growth
young • Factors that Shape Children’s Spirituality
People • Ways of Expressing Spirituality
• Educational Implications of Spiritual
Development

ACTION PLAN

RME J251 INTRODUCTION TO RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EDUCATION

SECOND YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER - 2021/2022 ACADEMIC YEAR

Mode of delivery
Lessons will take the form lectures, discussions, presentations, interaction with Christian
religious leaders or their representatives and mini subject-based project work which must not
be less than 3 pages and not more than 5 pages, in Times New Roman font 12, double space.
Students are encouraged to participate in all activities and reflect on their learning to develop
interest in working independently and also as a group. Students are required to do
preparatory reading before coming for lectures.
Class attendance and participation will have a toll on students’ assessment marks. This is
aimed at ensuring positive attitudes, comportment and general desire for knowledge
acquisition.
Assessment Plan
With regard to the assessment of students, a student will have to attend lectures and take part
in all activities. The student must participate in all assignments, quizzes and end of semester
examination. Continuous assessment is made up of one quiz and two assignments and class
works of which the best score of a student shall be used in combination with the quiz score to
constitute CA mark.
Assignment shall be given and students will have one week to submit and do presentations on
their works. Dates of assignment shall be decided by tutor and group leaders. Presentation
dates of assignments will be scheduled in consultation with students. The quiz will be taken
tentatively after three unites.
External examination takes 40% while the CA takes 60%. The quizzes, class attendance,
exercises and assignments shall constitute your formative assessments leading to your total
continuous assessment marks to be determined internally.
I wish you all the best in your lectures.
Instructional Resources: Audio visual equipment and Video clips and Field trips.

REFERENCES
Addai-Mununkum, R. (2014). Rethinking Christian Religious Education in Ghana: History,
Challenges and Prospects. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 23(3), 294–306.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10656219.2014.966873
Annobil, C. N., (2018) Religious and Moral Education for Colleges of Education and
Universities. Winneba: Franko Printing Press and Stationary.
Anti, K. K., &Anum, E. B. (2003). Religious and moral education for diploma in basic
education programme. University of Cape Coast Centre for Continuing Education, Cape
Coast. Encyclopedia of Religion (2005). L. Jones – ed. 2nd Edition. Michigan: Thompson
Gale
Asare-Danso, S., Annobil, C. N., Afriyie, O., &Agyemang, M. (2014). Religious and Moral
Education for Colleges of Education. Kumasi: Jerusalem Press.

Asare-Danso, S., &Annobil, C. N., (2016) Religious and Moral Education in Early Childhood
Education. University of Education Institute for Educational Development and Extention,
UEW, Winneba.
Awuah, G. J., &Afriyie, O. (2005). General Introduction to Religious and Moral Introduction
for Colleges of Education and Higher-Level Students. Kumasi: Jerusalem Press.
Awuah-Nyamekye, S. (2010). Religious Education in a Democratic State: The case of Ghana.
Presented at the International Conference on Religious Education in a Democratic state, Bar-
llan University: Bar-llan University. Retrieved from
http://law.biu.ac.il/files/law/shared/FinalRevisedIsraelKwasi.pdf
Hare, J. (2010). Religion and Morality. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy (Winter 2010). Retrieved from
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2010/entries/religion-morality/
Jackson, R. (2004). Rethinking religious education and plurality: issues in diversity and
pedagogy. Psychology Press.
Marshall, J. M. (2003). Religion and Education: Walking the Line in Public Schools. Phi
Delta Kappan, 85(3), 239–242.
Matemba, Y., & Addai-Mununkum, R. (2017). “These religions are no good – they’re
nothing but idol worship”: mis/representation of religion in Religious Education at school in
Malawi and Ghana. British Journal of Religious Education, 40(3), 1–19.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2017.1329706
McKay, R., & Whitehouse, H. (2015). Religion and Morality. Psychological Bulletin, 141(2),
447–473.
Willaime, J.-P. (2007). Religion and Education in Europe: Developments, Contexts and
Debates. (R. Jackson, S. Miedema, W.Weisse, & J.-P. Willaime, Eds.). Germany:
WaxmannVerlag.
Yaokumah, J. H., Opoku, F. K., &Annobil, C. N. (2010). Religious and moral education for
basic school teacher. Winneba: Institute for Educational Development and Extension.
Tutors: