Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) Religious Education Officer Dr Beth Nolen is transforming how students learn Scripture.
Her seven years of research while completing a PhD empowers educators to make Scripture ‘come alive.’
Using hooks like, ‘I know what happened to the little shepherd boy David, I bet you can’t guess,’ to spark curiosity, Dr Nolen's methods allow students to engage deeply and meaningfully with Scripture.
“My research identifies the best practices and actionable strategies for teachers and Assistant Principals of Religious Education to use in their lessons,” Dr Nolen said.
“By working with various BCE schools, I was able to develop learning and teaching practices which meet the needs of our diverse learners.
“A major finding of my research was the importance of hooks, critical thinking, and to teach critical literacy when teaching religious education.
"Learners loved using little wooden characters or imagining themselves as a character in the story to engage in Scripture storytelling.
“Getting teachers to ask questions like, what do you think the author is trying to tell us about God through this story?
"How does this story tell us about God’s dream for our world? Is anyone’s voice missing in this story? Assisted learners to find deeper meaning from stories.
“When teachers planned the learning opportunities around the needs of learners they engaged in informed learning and teaching practices.
“There was an important shift from teachers talking about what will the learners do next to what do the learners need now.”
Dr Nolen said this type of thinking allows Early Years Learners to explore, investigate, and learn about Scripture, as well as derive personal meaning from the text.
“As they uncover layers of meaning in the Scripture, students can relate the lessons to their own lives and experiences, making the teachings more relevant and impactful,” she said.
“This method not only enhances their comprehension of the Bible but also promotes a lifelong interest in learning, personal growth, and social responsibility.
“Teachers found that learners loved to find the ‘treasures’ in the text.
“The rich meaning they found from the biblical stories, became known as the ‘treasures’ in the text.”
As part of her research, completed through The University of Southern Queensland and working with Dr Ian Elmer at the Australian Catholic University, Dr Nolen has also developed professional learning programs for teachers, including the Scripture Day for the Religious Education Accreditation Program and Scripture Twilights.
Dr Nolen led the development of the successful model for Scripture Twilights. These were delivered by Dr Maurice Ryan with Dr Nolen providing professional learning on how to teach the Scripture Twilight topics. The twilights attracted over 1500 participants every year.
Dr Nolen adds it is rewarding to see her research transcend into the “real-world”.
“In a Year 1 class, learners considered how Jesus was trying to help people in need," she said.
"They went home then came back to school with 17 bags of resources for the teacher to take to a local shelter for women.
“There were a few instances where students went home talking so much about Scripture stories that parents purchased Bibles and later asked about Baptism for their children.
“As faith had become meaningful for them within the home context.”
Dr Nolen's research has earned her recognition within the educational community, and she is set to present her research at an international meeting of the Religious Education Association on 11 July.
Dr Nolen is currently a contender for a scholarship innovation award through the Religious Education Association.