Religion and Learning in the Life Course. Impulses of empirical educational research

In this article, we discuss the relevance of religion for research on returns to education and why and to what extent religion matters in this respect. Against the background of normative debates and research, the significance of the research questions is pointed out. In three areas (attendance in religious schools, reading literacy and civic engagement), we exemplify an empirical approach concerning the relevance of religion using data of the National Educational Panel Study and demonstrate that religion is a relevant factor when explaining differences in school attendance, number of books at home and time spent for reading. We finally argue for the value of including religion as a variable in surveys on education.

National Education Panel, education and religion, religious schools, reading competence, dedication