Catholic Religious Education Standards and Pedagogy

Teacher Requirements and Legislation

Requirements: Baptism is required. Legislation: A degree equal to or equivalent to that of other teachers is required, with a study of theology and teaching of the Catholic religion appropriate to the stage where they will teach the classes (the DECA, which consists of 180 teaching hours for primary education).

• It also requires knowledge of the subject, identification with what is taught, and being attuned to the Church that sends them.
• A life lived according to what is taught.

The Second Additional Provision of the LOE

This is basically the same as that of the LOGSE. It is important to distinguish:

• Teaching of the Catholic faith and other religions: Education in the teaching of religion is not dependent on the Spanish Constitution.
• It is present in this new law and, consequently, in the educational system because there is an agreement or arrangement between the State and the Church.
• This ignores the obligation of the state to guarantee the right to religious education.
• Any guarantees are reduced to a one-sided interpretation of the agreement.
• The area offers no guarantees of its comparability to core subjects, leading to difficulties in setting academic conditions because the grade is not taken into account.

Early Educational Intervention and Methodologies

Learning by Discovery

The student is the subject building their own knowledge. This learning requires an active search for documentation. The teacher should provide problem situations that stimulate the students and is responsible for providing appropriate material, through which the student must come to the discovery of knowledge.

Meaningful Learning

This leads to a significant change in experience; it occurs when establishing a substantial, non-arbitrary connection between new and prior knowledge structures present in the subject.

Globalization

These are grounds around which content can be grouped into different types and areas, establishing meaningful connections.

Motivation and Functionality of Learning

This involves a number of variables and processes involved in the activation, management, and maintenance of behavior. There are two types of grounds:

• Extrinsic: External conditions that trigger, regulate, maintain, or manage the subject's behavior.
• Intrinsic: Internal conditions of the subject, which arise in connection with the content area to be developed.

The Role of Prior Knowledge

These are instruments for the development of knowledge. It is necessary to make an initial assessment at the beginning of each work unit to meet the students' previous knowledge, adapt the content to them, make the student conscious of what they know and what they do not, and facilitate the connection of knowledge with new information.

Ability to Learn to Learn

This means the student is able to learn by themselves, promoting their independence. Education is oriented towards the interest of seeking information and personal treatment.

• Cooperative climate
• Playful character