Course Topics
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Teaching format
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Educational objectives
The objective of the module is to introduce knowledge of the topics covered and to initiate the development of specific professional skills. In particular, students are expected to acquire the following ca-pabilities and knowledge: - Ability to use concrete examples to illustrate the relevance of 'religion' in terms of contemporary social phenomena; - Ability to reflect on one's own religious biography and confessional identity; - Knowledge of the dogmas and values of the world's major religions; Ability to integrate them into concrete school life; - Knowledge of the rites and rituals, festivals and customs of one's own culture and ability to reflect on cultural origins and current significance; - Ability to deal with existential questions (e.g. separation, death) in a child-friendly manner; - Ability to reflect and deal professionally with ethical problems and human rights issues as they arise in everyday school life; - Ability to perceive the importance of religious and cultural pluralism for the school and to deal with it constructively in the sense of interreligious and intercultural learning; - Knowledge of the rules of civil coexistence and functioning of institutions, especially in relation to school life; - Ability to develop a conception of one's own citizenship on four levels: individual, social, spatial, temporal; - Ability to reflect on one's own idea of citizenship and participation in social life, starting from one's own living environment; - Being able to identify and evaluate one's own, group, and community rights; - To develop critical thinking in order to direct one's action according to principles of sharing, participation, dialogue and respect for differences. Expected learning outcomes and competences Knowledge and understanding Students know the main elements of the historical-critical debate around the birth of religions, their historical development and their role in shaping different contemporary cultures. They know the general lines of ethical reflection around the great existential questions. They know the lines of development of the concept of citizenship and participation. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding The students know how to contextualise knowledge of the history of religions, ethical understanding and citizenship education in everyday teaching, where the national indications explicitly require this and where children's questions are addressed. Autonomy of judgement Students know how to critically evaluate their own experience, in terms of religiosity and participation in civil life, and the existential questions of children, in order to build a classroom climate open to dialogue, cultural diversity and reflection on religious, social and ethical issues. Communication skills Students know how to converse on religious, ethical, social and civic issues, using appropriate logic and vocabulary, referring to a scientific and historiographical approach. Learning skills Students are able to critically evaluate their own scientific investigation of religious experience and dialogue, ethical issues and active participation in different forms of citizenship.

Assessment
Oral examination with a single final mark. Each course will offer individual or group project work as midterm tests, following procedures that will be described at the beginning of the course. In the case of a negative mark for the whole module, any successful partial examinations will be considered as already passed in the next attempt to take the whole module examination. It should be borne in mind that, even in this case, a negative mark for the entire module will be counted towards the number of attempts available to take an examination. According to the Examination Regulations, if a student fails an examination in three consecutive attempts, he/she may not register for the same examination in the three sessions following the last attempt (Art. 6, para. 4 of the current Regulations for Proficiency Examinations).

Evaluation criteria
Clarity and scientificity of the argumentation, reflective and transfer capability.

Required readings

Lenoir F. (2011), Piccolo trattato di storia delle religioni, Milan: Saggi Garzanti.

Parricchi M., (2019), Vivere il mondo. Sentieri di educazione alla cittadinanza, dalla partecipazione all'educazione economica, Milan: FrancoAngeli.

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Supplementary readings

Santerini M. (2010). La scuola della cittadinanza. Rome-Bari: Laterza. 

 

Further indications will be provided during the course of the module

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