A worldview is the unique lens through which each person understands, experiences, and responds to the world. More than just a set of beliefs, a worldview is a guiding philosophy of life that shapes how individuals navigate the world, relate to others, and pursue fulfillment. This is how we use it in our Religions and Worldviews framework.

We acknowledge that many academics have explored the word, adding nuance and depth to our understanding of the word, with some agreement as to what a worldview entails. These areas of agreement include:

1. Every human being has a worldview.
2. A worldview can be a secular or religious (or something in-between) view, vision or a set of assumptions about life.
3. A worldview is linked to the culture where an individual is living.
4. A worldview includes values and norms, and therefore worldviews are never neutral.

Worldviews Education is an umbrella term that can mean multiple things including:

1. The established academic field identified by the name;
2. Education about the concept of worldviews; and
3. Education that utilises worldviews as a framework for learning (about any subject matter).

For example, UK scholar Prof. Bob Bowie writes, “A worldview education means introducing pupils to the way things are organised, the grammar, the ways of knowing practiced from a place, a community, and how meaning is made.” (Bowie, B., (2020) Worldview Education, hermeneutics and teaching pupils how to know, not just what to know, https://www.reonline.org.uk/)

Under the Victorian Curriculum guidelines, Religions and Worldviews scope is limited to studying the six religions with the largest numbers of Australian adherents, along with two non-religious worldviews.

These are Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Humanism and Rationalism.

Yes—Religions and Worldviews is meaningfully different from World Religions studies.

While both approaches explore religious diversity in educational settings, Religions and Worldviews takes a student centered approach. It begins with the understanding that every student has a worldview—whether religious or non-religious—that shapes how they see and experience the world.

The Religions and Worldviews framework takes on a constructivist approach and invites students to reflect on their own perspective, while learning to understand and respectfully engage with the perspectives of others. It avoids positioning any one worldview—religious or non-religious—as “neutral,” “objective,” or the societal norm. No belief system is privileged. No student is left on the outside looking in. This equal footing is essential in a culturally and religiously pluralistic society.

This is supported by international research. A 2020 comparative study between Finnish and Australian approaches found that worldviews education helps students:

• Develop awareness of their own worldview
• Gain knowledge about others
• Practise and teaching of acceptance, respect and care in diverse settings

“Diverse worldviews education can contribute to developing individuals’ attitudes and understanding the worldviews of others, in order to learn to live together in harmony with diversity.”
– Lipiäinen et al., British Journal of Religious Education, 2020.

Yes! Unlike former Religious Instruction classes, Religions and Worldviews:

• Includes all students in the classroom, not faith-based segregation
• Encourages reflective and critical thinking through collaborative inquiry.
• Is taught by registered teachers, not volunteers
• Is fully aligned with the existing school curriculum
• Is delivered within regular class time, not added to the timetable
• Has support with professional development and classroom resources

It equips teachers to guide all students in exploring belief, identity and culture through structured, respectful dialogue—no matter what worldview they hold.

Religions and Worldviews is about preparing young people to live—and live well—in a diverse, pluralistic society.

We all have a worldview that makes sense of life through a set of beliefs, values, and lived experiences. That worldview shapes how we engage with others, what we care about, and how we navigate difference.

In classrooms today, students are growing up in a world where public conversations are increasingly polarised. Social media encourages performance over reflection. Disagreement can feel dangerous. And sometimes, the easiest option is to avoid hard conversations altogether.

But avoiding difference doesn’t make it go away. It just leaves young people unprepared to face it.

Religions and Worldviews gives students a safe, structured space to explore the big questions—about meaning, identity, belief and belonging—without promoting any one perspective. It helps them recognise their own worldview, learn about others, and practise engaging with curiosity and respect—even when views clash.

For students who don’t identify with any religion, this is still deeply relevant. The framework doesn’t assume religion is central to everyone’s life. It assumes everyone has a worldview—and that understanding our own and others’ helps us live better together.

This isn’t just about individual benefit, either. Social cohesion research shows that when people have the skills and confidence to talk across difference, whole communities become stronger, safer and more inclusive. That matters—for civic life, democracy, and the kind of society we’re handing on to the next generation.

In short, Religions and Worldviews is not just something for the religious. It’s something all of us need.