An easy A or a question of belief: pupil attitudes to Catholic religious education in Croatia

This paper describes the results of a mixed model research that, as the first of its kind, aimed to determine the nature of, and underlying factors influencing, Croatian elementary pupils’ attitudes towards confessional Catholic religious education (RE). Analyses of the questionnaire responses of the eighth-grade pupils from the stratified sample of schools revealed generally positive attitudes towards confessional RE as well as homogeneity with respect to academic achievement and higher estimations of girls. Qualitative analyses offered more critical pupil perspectives on RE and its delivery. From the triangulation of the data, three separate elements emerged as the foundation of the attitudes towards RE. The first and primary influence is the exposure to religious sentiment and values from their families. Secondly, pupil attitudes are affected by their own personal development and a growing ability to critically observe the world around them. Finally, the methods through which RE is delivered and assessed also serve as a strong contributor to pupils’ attitudes. The voices of pupils demand an adoption of a more dialectical approach to teaching and learning, and lesser reliance on catechesis which could reflect positively on the attitudes of all pupils, and especially of those who are most critical of the subject