Can we talk about paradigm in religious education? ‘Parents’ views on religious education in preschoolers’

This study examines parents’ views on preschool religious instruction in Muğla, Turkey’s southern district, using Thomas Kuhn’s paradigm concept. In Turkey, preschool education does not legally include religious education, however some local customs may include Islamic religious content. Alternative Islamic courses for 4–6-year-olds are also offered by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs. Families desiring religious instruction have demanded these courses despite ongoing disagreements over their purpose. The study examines how parental views indicate continuity or change in religious education using Kuhn’s paradigm idea. The study investigates parents’ views on religious education’s necessity, content, and technique and its consequences on children’s development. We interviewed 25 preschool parents for the study. Data illustrates parents’ various religious educational attitudes. Some parents choose faith-based religious education, while others prefer a more inclusive and value-oriented model or avoid it. The research emphasises school-family cooperation in religious education and indicates that attitudes and expectations matter. Teachers’ educational skills, impartiality, attitude influence children’s religious education. The study uses Thomas Kuhn’s paradigm theory to argue that epistemology and pedagogy affect religious education more than scientific paradigms. Religious education cannot be independent of society’s ideologies and cultures; hence flexible techniques are needed to serve varied social groups.