ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 addresses curricular coherence, which, for Religion and Worldviews, is recognised to be challenging: the field is vast, grounds for selection must be clear, and progression is difficult to plot. There are prior questions. How does the Religion and Worldviews curriculum cohere with the school’s curriculum and values? The intent-implementation-impact curriculum model currently favoured in England could be broadened to account more for purposes and values. Still, the Big Ideas for RE curriculum development project is considered through the same structure. Though the need for broadening is also seen to apply to Big Ideas, it is important that curriculum developers and school communities have their own discussions of educational values and purposes, and Big Ideas potentially clarifies content organisation at the next stage of planning. If not a complete model, Big Ideas is viewed as an excellent Religion and Worldviews curriculum development tool. Proposals to add four big ideas about the study of religion(s) and worldview(s) to the set of six big ideas about religion(s) and worldview(s) are found valuable, but it is asked whether it would be better to build reflexivity and encounter into all teaching, and academic methodological awareness as pupils gain in age and experience.
