| Abstract [eng] |
Relation of Religious Teaching and Sociocultural Environment In Rural Schools The research paper analyses Catholic religious program, which was certified in 2006 and Lithuania’s sociocultural environment in rural areas. Sociocultural environment is an important factor that forms schoolchildren’s intellection. So, responding to environmental challenges, religious teaching can benefit schoolchildren’s spiritual perfectness in secularized world and in particular environment. Religious teaching in common rural area is the only way to develop Christian values but it has not been researched in sociocultural context yet. The aim of the research paper is to reveal the relation of religious teaching to sociocultural rural environment and to highlight the features of religious teaching of higher grades in rural basic schools. There are reviewed theological, psychological and educological literature as well as Catholic religious program. With reference to quantitative survey, teachers were interviewed to find out their attitude to religious lessons in sociocultural context of rural areas and schoolchildren of 9 and 10 grades were interviewed to reveal their relation to faith and their social environment in rural areas. The object of the research is religious teaching in higher grades of rural basic schools. The methods of the research are the following as analysis, qualitative (interview) and quantitative (questionnaire) survey. There were used such theories as social individual theory, social learning theory, Bronfenbrenner’s model of environment influence, Kohlberg’s moral development theory and T. Groome’s system. According to the conclusions we can claim that it is particularly important to take into account schoolchildren’s age peculiarities, the context of school and sociocultural environment. Catholic religious program emphasizes schoolchildren’s daily environment and the context of moral, social, existential and cultural questions in forming Christian attitude and values. The teachers of religious working in rural basic schools have not been realized the demand regarding sociocultural environment of rural areas in religious teaching; moreover, it does not respond in practice. The ninth and tenth graders in rural basic schools usually choose religious lessons not only due to their gospel and faith experience but also considering personality of religious teacher. Teenagers are looking for a person who can get in touch with them and respond to their religious and social needs. After revealing the links of religious teaching and sociocultural environment in rural areas, practical recommendations for teaching in rural areas were introduced. |
