İslam Din Eğitiminde Eşik Kavramlar ve Kavramsal Netlik: Öğretmen Yetiştirme İçin Pedagojik Bir Perspektif

Abstract

Bu araştırma, pedagojik muhakemeyi geliştirmek amacıyla tasarlanmış bütünleyici bir çerçeve önererek, din eğitimi öğretmen yetiştirme programlarında eşik kavramların işlevselleştirilmesini incelemektedir. Öğretmen adayları, doğası gereği soyut, değer yüklü ve epistemolojik açıdan yoğun olan “sorunlu bilgi” ile sıklıkla karşılaşmakta ve bu durum söz konusu kavramların sınıf ortamına etkili biçimde aktarılmasını güçleştirmektedir. Meyer ve Land’in Eşik Kavramlar Teorisi (EKT), bu tür kavramsal eşiklerin dönüştürücü potansiyeline ışık tutmakla birlikte bunların İslam Din Eğitimi bağlamında pedagojik olarak nasıl yapılandırılacağına dair metodolojik yollar sunma noktasında sınırlı kalmaktadır. Bu kuramsal boşluğu gidermek amacıyla çalışmada, dini içeriğin ontolojik, epistemolojik ve normatif katmanlarını ele almayı mümkün kılan ve Selçuk tarafından geliştirilen Kavramsal Netlik Modeli (KNM) çok boyutlu bir araç olarak kullanılmıştır. EKT ile KNM’nin sentezlenmesi yoluyla, yalnızca kuramsal bir eşleştirmeyle yetinmeyen aynı zamanda kavramsal aracılık için de yapılandırılmış bir yol sunan temellendirilmiş bir çerçeve geliştirilmiştir. Bu yaklaşım, İslam teolojisinde merkezi bir yere sahip olmakla birlikte pedagojik açıdan karmaşık görünen ilahi adalet ve ahiret kavramlarının ayrıntılı analizi üzerinden gösterilmiştir. Bulgular, İslam Din Eğitiminde Kavramsal Netlik Modeli ile Eşik Kavramlar Teorisinin birlikte işe koşulmasının bilişsel erişilebilirliği ve öğretimsel uyumu doğrudan desteklediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Sonuç olarak bu çalışma, din eğitimi öğretmen adaylarının soyut ve değer yüklü teolojik kavramları pedagojik olarak anlamlandırmalarını destekleyen, kavramsal açıklık ve öğretimsel güven geliştirmeye yönelik temellendirilmiş bir yaklaşım sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• Din Eğitimi
• İslam Din Eğitimi
• Eşik Kavramlar Teorisi
• Kavramsal Netlik Modeli
• Kavramsal Zorluk
• Dönüştürücü Öğrenme
• Pedagojik Muhakeme.

Threshold Concepts and Conceptual Clarity in Islamic RE: A Pedagogical Perspective for Teacher Preparation

Abstract

This research investigates the operationalization of threshold concepts within religious education teacher training by proposing an integrative framework designed to enhance pedagogical reasoning. Prospective teachers often grapple with ‘troublesome knowledge’—concepts that are inherently abstract, value-laden, and epistemologically dense—which complicates their transformation into effective classroom instruction. While Meyer and Land’s Threshold Concepts Theory (TCT) illuminates the transformative potential of these conceptual barriers, it offers limited guidance on the methodological pathways for their pedagogical scaffolding within the specific context of Islamic Religious Education. To address this theoretical gap, the study utilizes Selçuk’s Conceptual Clarity Model (CCM) as a multidimensional tool to navigate the ontological, epistemological, and normative layers of religious content. By synthesizing TCT and CCM, the study develops a grounded framework that moves beyond mere theoretical alignment to offer a structured path for conceptual mediation. This approach is demonstrated through a detailed analysis of the concepts of divine justice and the afterlife. These concepts are central to Islamic theology yet pedagogically intricate. The findings suggest that the integrated application of the Conceptual Clarity Model and Threshold Concepts Theory within Islamic Religious Education offers a viable path to enhance both cognitive accessibility and instructional alignment. Consequently, this study proposes a grounded framework that aims to empower prospective Religious Education teachers in navigating abstract, value-laden theological concepts, thereby fostering pedagogical clarity and instructional confidence in the classroom.

Keywords

• Religious Education
• Islamic Religious Education
• Threshold Concepts Theory
• Conceptual Clarity Model
• Conceptual Difficulty
• Transformative Learning
• Pedagogical Reasoning.

Thanks

I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Dr. Mualla Selçuk, who guided and supported me in this study and my previous related researches.

References

1. Ariew, Susan. “How We Got Here: A Historical Look at the Academic Teaching Library and the Role of the Teaching Librarian.” Communications in Information Literacy 8:2 (2014): 208-224. https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2014.8.2.167.
2. Barradell, Sarah, and Mary Kennedy-Jones. “Threshold Concepts, Student Learning and Curriculum: Making Connections between Theory and Practice.” Innovations in Education and Teaching International 52:5 (2015): 536–545. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.866592.
3. Beitelmal, Wesam H., Ray Littlejohn, Paul C. Okonkwo, Israr U. Hassan, El Manaa Barhoumi, Fatemeh Khozaei, Abbas M. Hassan, and Khalid Ahmed Alkaaf. “Threshold Concepts Theory in Higher Education – Introductory Statistics Courses as an Example.” Education Sciences 12 (2022): 748. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110748.
4. Bigger, Stephen. “Victor Turner, Liminality, and Cultural Performance.” Journal of Beliefs & Values 30:2 (2009): 209–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617670903175238.
5. Blackie, Margaret A. L., Jennifer M. Case, and Jeff Jawitz. “Student-Centredness: The Link between Transforming Students and Transforming Ourselves.” Teaching in Higher Education 15:6 (2010): 637-646 https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2010.491910.
6. Booth, Nikki, and Victoria Kinsella. “The Importance of Threshold Concepts and Formative Assessment in Lower-Secondary School Group Composing.” British Journal of Music Education 39: 2 (2022): 145–156. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051722000067.
7. Brown, Megan E. L., Paul Whybrow, and Gabrielle M. Finn. “Do We Need to Close the Door on Threshold Concepts?” Teaching and Learning in Medicine 34:3 (2022): 301–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2021.1897598.
8. Çakır, Elif. “İslam Öğretiminde Eşik Kavramlar: Cihat ve Savaş İçin Pedagojik Alan Bilgisinin Keşfi.” In Kavramsal Netlik Bir Dinden Öğrenme Modeli, by Mualla Selçuk, 51–74. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık, 2022.

9. Çakır, Elif. “Din Öğretiminde Tümel-Tikel Gerilimi: Din Kültürü ve Ahlak Bilgisi Derslerinde Çevre Bilincini Geliştirme Üzerine Bir İnceleme.” Doktora Tezi, Ankara Üniversitesi, Ankara, 2023.
10. Çakır, Elif. “İslam Din Öğretiminde Eşik Kavramlar Teorisi: Yeni Bir Yaklaşım.” Dini Araştırmalar 68 (2025): 329–377. https://doi.org/10.15745/da.1648255.
11. Canner, Judith, and Jennifer Clinkenbeard. “Threshold Concepts in Quantitative Reasoning.” Numeracy 16:2 (2023). https://doi.org/10.5038/1936-4660.17.1.1446.
12. Chandler, Quentin. “Cognition or Spiritual Disposition? Threshold Concepts in Theological Reflection” Journal of Adult Theological Education 13:2 (2016): 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/17407141.2016.1213949.
13. Correia, Paulo R. M., Ivan A. I. Soida, Izabela De Souza, and Manolita C. Lima. “Uncovering Challenges and Pitfalls in Identifying Threshold Concepts: A Comprehensive Review.” Knowledge 4:1 (2024): 27–50. https://doi.org/10.3390/knowledge4010002.
14. Cousin, Glynis. “An Introduction to Threshold Concepts.” Planet 17:1 (2006): 4–5. https://doi.org/10.11120/plan.2006.00170004.
15. Davies, Jason P., Elia Gironacci, Susannah McGowan, Abel Nyamapfene, Julie Rattray, Anne M. Tierney, and Andrea S. Webb. Threshold Concepts in the Moment. Leiden: Brill, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004680661.
16. Davies, Peter, and Jean Mangan. “Recognising threshold concepts: An exploration of different approaches.” European association in learning and instruction conference (EARLI). Vol. 23. 2005.
17. Davies, Peter. “Threshold Concepts How Can We Recognise Them?” In Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding, edited by Ray Land, Jan H. F. Meyer, and Jan Smith, 70–84. London: Routledge, 2006. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203966273.
18. Dawes, Lorna. “Through Faculty’s Eyes: Teaching Threshold Concepts and the Framework.” Portal: Libraries and the Academy 19:1 (2019): 127–153. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2019.0007.
19. Entwistle, Noel. “Threshold Concepts and Transformative Ways of Thinking within Research into Higher Education.” In Threshold Concepts within the Disciplines, edited by Ray Land, Jan H. F. Meyer, and Jan Smith, 21–35. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2008.
20. Flanagan, Michael Thomas, and Jan Smith. “The Transformative Potential of Discourse Versus Syntax in Learning to Program.” In Threshold Concepts and Transformational Learning, ed. Jan H. F. Meyer, Ray Land, and Caroline Baillie, 29–46. Leiden: Brill, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789460912078.
21. Gonzalez, Lorna Stephanie, and Christopher Salem Ozuna. “Troublesome Knowledge: Identifying Barriers to Innovate for Breakthroughs in Learning to Teach Online.” Online Learning 25:3 (2021): 278–293. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i3.2641.
22. Göransson, Andreas, Daniel Orraryd, Daniela Fiedler, and Lena A. E. Tibell. “Conceptual Characterization of Threshold Concepts in Student Explanations of Evolution by Natural Selection and Effects of Item Context.” CBE—Life Sciences Education 19:1 (2020): ar1. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-03-0056.
23. Hattie, John. Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Reprinted. London: Routledge, 2010.
24. Hill, Sophie. “The Difference between Troublesome Knowledge and Threshold Concepts.” Studies in Higher Education 45:3 (2020): 665–676. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1619679.
25. Hill, Sophie. “Troublesome Knowledge: Why Don’t They Understand?” Health Information & Libraries Journal 27:1 (2010): 80–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2010.00880.x.
26. Kent, Sarah. Threshold Concepts Guide. Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning Guide Series. Calgary, AB: Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Calgary, 2016.
27. Koç, Didem Koban. “Identifying Threshold Concepts in Learning About Linguistics by Undergraduate Students.” In Theory and Research in Social and Administrative Sciences, edited by Özlem Kaya, 353–376. Ankara: İksad Yayınevi, 2020.
28. Land, Ray, Jan H. F. Meyer, and Jan Smith. Threshold Concepts within the Disciplines. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2008.
29. Land, Ray, Julie Rattray, and Peter Vivian. “Learning in the Liminal Space: A Semiotic Approach to Threshold Concepts.” Higher Education 67:2 (2014): 199–217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9705-x.
30. Loring, Philip A. “Threshold Concepts and Sustainability: Features of a Contested Paradigm.” FACETS 5:1 (2020): 182–199. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2019-0037.
31. Meyer, Jan H. F. “Threshold Concepts and Pedagogic Representation.” Education + Training 58, no. 5 (2016): 463–475. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-04-2016-0066.
32. Meyer, Jan H. F., and Ray Land. “Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge (2): Epistemological Considerations and a Conceptual Framework for Teaching and Learning.” Higher Education 49:3 (2005): 373–388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-6779-5.
33. Meyer, Jan H. F., and Ray Land. Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge: Linkages to Ways of Thinking and Practising within the Disciplines. (Oxford), 2003.
34. Meyer, Jan H. F., Michael T. Flanagan, and Julie Rattray. Threshold Concepts in Practice. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2020.
35. Meyer, Jan H. F., Michael T. Flanagan, and Ray Land, eds. Threshold Concepts in Practice. Educational Futures: Rethinking Theory and Practice, volume 68. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2016.
36. Meyer, Jan H. F., Ray Land, and Caroline Baillie. Threshold Concepts and Transformational Learning. Brill, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789460912078.
37. Monk, Claire, Elizabeth Cleaver, Christina Hyland, and Graham Brotherton. Nurturing the Independent-Thinking Practitioner: Using Threshold Concepts to Transform Undergraduate Learning. 2012.
38. Mosurinjohn, Sharday C. “Threshold Concepts in Religious Studies: A Qualitative and Theoretical Exploration of Threshold Concepts in a ‘Nodal’ Curriculum.” Teaching Theology & Religion 24:2 (2021): 79–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/teth.12584.
39. O’Donnell, Roderick M. Threshold Concepts and Their Relevance to Economics. Working Papers. Melbourne: University of Melbourne, 2009.
40. O’Mahony, Shenae E., Annette V. Joosten, and Jennifer O’Brien. “An Exploratory Study: Undergraduates’ Perspectives on How Threshold Concepts Influence Professional Identity.” Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 90:4 (2023): 374–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/00084174231154747.
41. Perkins, David N. “Constructivism and Troublesome Knowledge.” In Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding, edited by Jan H. F. Meyer and Ray Land, 33–47. London: Routledge, 2006. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203966273.
42. Polley, Scott, Beth McLeod, Joss Rankin, Brendon Munge, Peter Bovino, and Duncan Picknoll. “Assessing Outdoor and Environmental Education Threshold Concepts in Australian Universities.” Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education (2024): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-024-00168-2.
43. Rattray, Julie. “On the Affective Threshold of Power and Privilege.” Higher Education 87, no. 6 (2024): 1829–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01093-x.
44. Reeping, M. A., L. D. McNair, M. Wisnioski, A. Y. Patrick, T. L. Martin, L. Lester, B. Knapp, and S. Harrison. “Using Threshold Concepts to Restructure an Electrical and Computer Engineering Curriculum: Troublesome Knowledge in Expected Outcomes.” In 2017 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 1–9. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2017.8190444.
45. Rowbottom, Darrell Patrick. “Demystifying Threshold Concepts.” Journal of Philosophy of Education 41:2 (2007): 263–270. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9752.2007.00554.x.
46. Rymarz, Richard. “A Response: Threshold Concepts in Religious Education and Theology.” Journal of Adult Theological Education 13:2 (2016): 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/17407141.2016.1213952.
47. Salwén, Håkan. “Threshold concepts, obstacles or scientific dead ends?” Teaching in Higher Education 26:1 (2021): 36–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2019.1632828.
48. Selçuk, Mualla. Kavramsal Netlik Bir Dinden Öğrenme Modeli. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık, 2022.
49. Hodge, Steven. “Transformative Learning for Knowledge: From Meaning Perspectives to Threshold Concepts.” Journal of Transformative Education 17, no. 2 (2019): 133–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344618770030.
50. Stibbe, Arran. Work-Based Learning in the Humanities: A Welcome Stranger. York: Higher Education Academy, 2013.
51. Stopford, Richard. “Threshold Concepts and Certainty: A Critical Analysis of ‘Troublesomeness.’” Higher Education 82:1 (2021): 163–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00628-w.
52. Timmermans, Julie A. “The Developmental Potential of Threshold Concepts.” In Threshold Concepts and Transformational Learning, ed. Jan H. F. Meyer, Ray Land, and Caroline Baillie, 15–28. Leiden: Brill, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789460912078.
53. Tolbert, Sara, Rosemary Hipkins, Bronwen Cowie, and Pauline Waiti. “Epistemic Agency, Indigenous Knowledge, and the School Science Curriculum: Reflections from Aotearoa New Zealand.” International Journal of Science Education (2024): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2024.2356229.
54. Uçak, Habibe Erva, and Recai Doğan. “Din Eğitimi Bilimi İçin Kavram Öğretiminin Felsefi Kökenleri.” Marife Dini Araştırmalar Dergisi 23:1 (2023): 29–52. https://doi.org/10.33420/marife.1266010.
55. Walker, Guy. “A Cognitive Approach to Threshold Concepts.” Higher Education 65:2 (2013): 247–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9541-4.
56. Wason, Hilary. “The Troublesome Nature of Learning to Teach Critical Thinking: Using Threshold Concepts Theory to Support Teacher Education.” Thinking Skills and Creativity 55 (2025): 101661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101661.
57. Wilkinson, Lane. “The problem with threshold concepts.” Sense and Reference (blog), June 19, 2014. https://senseandreference.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/the-problem-with-threshold-concepts/.
58. Wright, Andrew. “Critical Religious Education and the National Framework for Religious Education in England and Wales.” Religious Education 103:5 (2008): 517–521. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344080802427184.
59. Threshold Concepts Bibliography. “Threshold Concepts: Undergraduate Teaching, Postgraduate Training, Professional Development and School Education a Short Introduction and a Bibliography from 2003 to 2018.” With Mick Flanagan, March 29, 2020. https://www.ee.ucl.ac.uk/mflanaga/thresholds.html.