Information Package / Course Catalogue
Psychology of Religious Development and Learning
Course Code: FDB548
Course Type: Area Elective
Couse Group: Second Cycle (Master's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 3
Prt.: 0
Credit: 3
Lab: 0
ECTS: 5
Objectives of the Course

The aim is to enable students to comprehend—based on psychological foundations—the religious perceptions and learning styles of individuals across different developmental stages. In this context, the objective is to equip students with the skills to interpret religious learning processes, design pedagogical approaches appropriate for developmental stages, and examine developmental phenomena in the field within an academic framework using qualitative data analysis methods (such as interviews, narrative analysis, etc.).

Course Content

This course examines the lifelong development—from childhood to old age—of an individual's beliefs, morality, and religious conceptions, centering on psychological and learning theories. It addresses the impact of cognitive, affective, and psychosocial developmental stages on religious learning processes in light of constructivist approaches, virtue-value-action models, and data from qualitative field research.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.Explains the fundamental theories (Fowler, Oser, Piaget, Vygotsky, etc.) and the conceptual framework of the psychology of religious development and learning.
2.It interprets individuals' religious conceptions and quests for meaning across the stages of early childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age using the principles of developmental psychology.
3.It analyzes individuals' moral and religious learning processes within the framework of the virtue-value-action (VVA) model, employing a holistic approach.
4.It establishes qualitative research designs to examine the stages of individuals' religious development and [analyzes] the obtained data (e.g., developmental interviews or narratives) using qualitative data analysis software.
5.It designs psychologically healthy religious learning environments and pedagogical materials tailored to the cognitive and affective capacities of audiences across various ages and developmental stages.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.? Fowler, J. W. (1981). Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. Harper & Row. ? Oser, F. K., & Gmünder, P. (1991). Religious Judgment: A Developmental Approach. Religious Education Press. ? Hökelekli, H. (2010). Psychology of Religion. TDV Publications. (Related sections)
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
IntroductiIntroduction and Basic Conceptson and Basic Concepts
Week 2 - Theoretical
Learning Theories and Religious Education
Week 3 - Theoretical
Cognitive Development Theories and Religious Concepts The development of concepts of "God," "prayer," and "worship" within the context of J. Piaget’s and L. Vygotsky’s theories of cognitive and socio-cultural development.
Week 4 - Theoretical
Faith Development Theory (James W. Fowler)
Week 5 - Theoretical
Development of Religious Judgment (Fritz Oser)
Week 6 - Theoretical
Moral Development Theories and Religious Learning
Week 7 - Theoretical
Religious Development in Early Childhood: Fairy Tales and Symbolic Learning
Week 8 - Theoretical
Moral/Religious Learning within the Virtue-Value-Action (VVA) Framework
Week 9 - Theoretical
Religious Development and the Search for Identity During Adolescence
Week 10 - Theoretical
Religious Development in Adolescence and Adulthood
Week 11 - Theoretical
Religious Development and Coping in Old Age
Week 12 - Theoretical
Methodology and Qualitative Applications in Religious Development Research
Week 13 - Theoretical
Student Academic Presentations - I
Week 14 - Theoretical
Student Academic Presentations - II and Semester Evaluation
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Midterm Examination1%40
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory122248
Lecture - Practice121124
Midterm Examination121124
Final Examination121124
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)120
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
OÇ-1
5
5
5
5
5
5
OÇ-2
4
5
5
5
5
5
OÇ-3
5
4
5
4
4
4
OÇ-4
5
5
4
4
4
5
OÇ-5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026