| Given the abundance of religious conflicts worldwide, knowledge about religions is crucial for living on a spiritually diverse planet. While research has broadened knowledge on religion in public education, misrepresentations, biases and outright marginalization of religious beliefs and practices in schools remain under-explored in empirical research. Using a qualitative case study research design that employed interviews, observations and focus groups, I examine the representation of religions in multi-religious secular classrooms in Ghana. From schools' social environments to classroom discourses, I trace how school ideology, teachers' religious identities, and students' experiences in the socio-cultural milieu converge to create environments that foster misrepresentations of "non-normative" religions. Even as I highlight student agency, I explore the dangers of such misrepresentations and suggest reforms for teacher education, curriculum development and pedagogical practices. |
