How does the social unrest of 2020/21 affect the teaching of Religious Education? Findings of a European study on the effects of the Covid-19 period

The Covid-19 pandemic brought various issues such as social cohesion, social inequalities, climate change and racism to the forefront. Religious Education (RE) teachers were confronted with questions as to how and if they respond to such issues in their teaching. This study investigates the research question How do RE specialists see the effects of social issues on RE in a challenging time? using the data analysis of a 2022 European qualitative study, which explored what Covid-19 revealed to RE specialists about their subject. Regarding the effects of social unrest, a frequency analysis of social issues identified in the survey responses is provided, followed by analysis and discussion of perceived effects of social issues on RE. Conclusions relate to commonalities and differences across responses and their potential contributions to discourse concerning understandings of RE.