ABSTRACT
This final chapter, firstly, summarises and discusses the key findings in relation to the research questions of this study. The findings of this study suggest that the use of the Critical Religious Education and Variation Theory framework can achieve successful outcomes in terms of teaching and learning in Islamic religious education. They indicate that Variation Theory can help to create the necessary conditions for learning to happen, for it guides teachers to critically engage with students’ prior knowledge and experiences through the use of variation. The study also demonstrates that Critical Religious Education can enable Muslim pupils to become involved in an intellectual and critical dialogue with the transcendental and contingent truth claims of Islam and other religious traditions and gain a more complex, integrated, and differentiated understanding of their faith identity. Next, the chapter presents the theoretical and pedagogical implications for Islamic religious education research, religious education teachers, and practitioners. One important implication of this study is that the framework of Critical Religious Education and Variation Theory and the learning study model could improve Islamic religious education teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and professional development. Finally, the chapter discusses the limitations of the study and presents suggestions for future research.
