Teaching Qur’an in Irish Muslim schools – curriculum, approaches, perspectives and implications

This article draws on ethnographic fieldwork that took place in 2014 in two primary Muslim schools based in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. Based on observations and semistructured interviews, three teachers were observed and interviewed on how the Qur’an was taught to fourth and fifth class pupils. The research findings explore the following: the content of the Qur’an lessons; the pedagogical approaches adopted; views of the teachers as well as a description of some of the common features of the Qur’an class. The author concludes with some implications and offers some direction for future research in the field of Qur’an education in western contexts.