Content Analysis of Integrating Religious Material with the Arts and Humanities Textbooks in Elementary School

• Main Authors: Liao ,Yu-Ting, 廖玉婷
• Other Authors: 林金木
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/51288956776113936803

碩士 === 玄奘大學 === 宗教學系碩士在職專班 === 103 === Since the implementation of the grade 1-9 curriculum, school textbooks have covered a larger number of topics. Nonetheless, religious material has not been taken seriously. Although textbooks in the arts and humanities learning area include a large amount of religious information, it is scattered unevenly throughout the books. Therefore, this study seeks to understand the appearance of religious material in arts and humanities textbooks. The study applies the content analysis method, the most appropriate method for analyzing textbooks, to examine the three most widely circulated books authored by Kang Hsuan, Han Lin, and Nan I. The results of the analysis are used as a basis for developing recommendations on the future incorporation of religious material into textbooks in the arts and humanities learning area. In this study, we use two types of classification tables as research tools: a classification table for religious material and a classification table for the appearance of religious material in the arts. The former analyzes the content of religious material — religious ideas and thought, religious experience, religious behavior and activities, and religious organizations and systems. The latter looks at the forms in which religious material appear — visual arts, music, and performing arts. Together, these two classification tables enable us to understand religious content and the forms in which it appears. According to research findings, arts and humanities textbooks cover a rich and diverse range of religious material. However, the themes are not systematically organized. Some of the volumes and categories are too concentrated, while others are too fragmented. Overall, the content is focused on local cultural festivals, as well as sacred objects and stories. The form also tends towards festivals and traditional art, and fails to adequately present the affective aspects of religion, which has had an enormous impact on the creativity of religious art. Overall, both religious context and form have clearly been neglected. Therefore, this study suggests that religious materials are included as a major subject in education policy, so that they can be systematically organized within the curriculum. In addition, this study recommends adding affective content, including more content on religious architecture and creative art forms, expanding international horizons, and increasing the diversity of religious material in the study of music. Finally, this study suggests that a comprehensive organization of possible religious material is carried out, focusing on different religious information according to subject area, to enable students to receive a comprehensive religious education.