Profession religious studies lecturer

Religious studies lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of study, theology, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for grading papers and exams and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their respective field of theology, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.

Personality Type

• Social / Enterprising
• Social / Investigative
• Social / Artistic
• Social / Conventional
• Social / Realistic

Knowledge

• Religious studies

  Study of religious behaviour, beliefs, and institutions from a secular point of view and based on methodologies from various fields such as anthropology, sociology, and philosophy.

• History of theology

  The study of the development and evolution of theology throughout history.

• Curriculum objectives

  The goals identified in curricula and defined learning outcomes.

• Theology

  The study of systematically and rationally understanding, explaining, and criticising religious ideas, concepts, and all things divine.

Skills

• Assess students

  Evaluate the students' (academic) progress, achievements, course knowledge and skills through assignments, tests, and examinations. Diagnose their needs and track their progress, strengths, and weaknesses. Formulate a summative statement of the goals the student achieved.

• Liaise with educational support staff

  Communicate with education management, such as the school principal and board members, and with the education support team such as the teaching assistant, school counsellor or academic advisor on issues relating the students' well-being.

• Write work-related reports

  Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.

• Liaise with educational staff

  Communicate with the school staff such as teachers, teaching assistants, academic advisors, and the principal on issues relating to students' well-being. In the context of a university, liaise with the technical and research staff to discuss research projects and courses-related matters.

• Develop course outline

  Research and establish an outline of the course to be taught and calculate a time frame for the instructional plan in accordance with school regulations and curriculum objectives.

• Apply intercultural teaching strategies

  Ensure that the content, methods, materials and the general learning experience is inclusive for all students and takes into account the expectations and experiences of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Explore individual and social stereotypes and develop cross-cultural teaching strategies.

• Apply teaching strategies

  Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners' level, goals, and priorities.

• Demonstrate when teaching

  Present to others examples of your experience, skills, and competences that are appropriate to specific learning content to help students in their learning.

• Prepare lesson content

  Prepare content to be taught in class in accordance with curriculum objectives by drafting exercises, researching up-to-date examples etc.

• Guarantee students' safety

  Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.

• Give constructive feedback

  Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.

• Monitor developments in field of expertise

  Keep up with new research, regulations, and other significant changes, labour market related or otherwise, occurring within the field of specialisation.

• Teach religious studies class

  Instruct students in the theory and practice of religious studies, more specifically in critical analysis applied to ethics, various religious principles, religious texts, religious cultural history, and different traditions of various religions.

• Compile course material

  Write, select or recommend a syllabus of learning material for the students enrolled in the course.

• Perform classroom management

  Maintain discipline and engage students during instruction.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB