Improving the Pedagogy of Islamic Religious Education in Secondary Schools: The Role of Critical Religious Education and Variation Theory by Ayse Demirel Ucan (review)

Reviewed by: Improving the Pedagogy of Islamic Religious Education in Secondary Schools: The Role of Critical Religious Education and Variation Theory by Ayse Demirel Ucan Asma Ahmed Improving the Pedagogy of Islamic Religious Education in Secondary Schools: The Role of Critical Religious Education and Variation Theory AYSE DEMIREL UCAN Routledge, 2021, 262 pages. Muslim youth undertaking Islamic Religious Education worldwide face challenges in engaging with the repetitive and simplistic learning methods employed in their institutions. In contrast to non-religious subjects that benefit from dynamic and interactive approaches in learning institutions, the traditional teaching and learning of Islam often lack relevance to the real-life experiences of youth, leaving them ill prepared to navigate the complexities of the modern world. Ayse Demirel Ucan (2021) addresses these challenges in her book by proposing a new theoretical and pedagogical framework based on Critical Realism (CR), Critical Religious Education (CRE), and Variation Theory (VT). Her overarching objective is to revitalize Islamic Religious Education (IRE), align it with its intended purpose, and facilitate meaningful teaching and learning. She advocates for implementing the above framework in an Islamic studies classroom to enhance student learning and to provide Muslim youth with learning spaces to develop a strong Islamic identity. Her analysis assesses Islamic studies curricula from both a constructivist and a confessional approach, in a framework where authors avoid plurality within religion and explorations of Islamic movements or varying ideologies within Islam, and offers recommendations to enhance student experiences of IRE. Demirel Ucan is a distinguished researcher in the religious education department at Marmara University, Türkiye, and her expertise in this study stems from her previous experience teaching religious studies to young girls in schools in Türkiye. Her experience as a teacher provides valuable insights into Muslim youth, and her proficiency in lesson planning was instrumental in implementing the intervention for this study. This book represents the culmination of her PhD study, showcasing her dedication to advancing the field of IRE. [End Page 145] She sets the stage for her study by offering an effective and powerful dichotomy critiquing the two leading trends in IRE: the confessional Islamic rote memorization and liberal/constructivist approaches, demonstrating a troubling identity crisis in IRE learners. She highlights the shortcomings of the confessional framework as rooted in the ontological truth claims of Islam, where the learner inhabits a state of passive learning devoid of agency and meaning-making. Additionally, she contrasts the liberal/constructivist methods in IRE, framing knowledge as constructed, contingent on perspectives and context, and subject to error. She criticizes the influence of such an approach on multicultural and multi-faith religious education contexts in Western countries. Her portrayal of the liberal approach as a myth is on point. She suggests it poses a contention between ultimate truth claims and modern ways of life, thus creating cognitive dissonance for learners and threatening multicultural ideals. Ucan further asserts that IRE should go beyond the confessional and liberal approaches of mere knowledge acquisition and foster a deep understanding of core Islamic concepts; it is intended to guide learners through a transformative process known as tarbiyah, preparing them for a life of purity and sincerity (Badawi, 1979, p.110). She advocates for a more contextually relevant approach to IRE that acknowledges the existence of ultimate truth claims while making space for learners' experiences, autonomy, and diverse perspectives within the Islamic ontological and epistemological framework. The book features a coherent arrangement of eight chapters, following the structure and style of a doctoral dissertation, with each chapter addressing a crucial aspect of IRE reform. This format suggests that its intended readership includes researchers and graduate students who are familiar with such structure and can engage with the content of some chapters. The initial three chapters delve into the philosophy of CR and VT with respect to the study. The fourth chapter outlines the research methodology used—a combination of interviews, videos, and written text—that provides a varied and diverse set of data that Ucan brings into cohesion. Phenomenography and VT were employed as analytical approaches, ensuring a robust and evidence-based approach to her findings. The subsequent three chapters provide new insights and information on the practical implementation of CRE...