The article draws on experience of teaching, teacher education and qualitative research related to an impartial approach to inclusive religious education (that is, including pupils from families who identify with or do not identify with religion or belief groups), in publicly funded schools in England. Such religious education is considered to be intrinsically worthwhile, and instrumentally important in contributing to pupils' personal and social development. The general approach considered is hermeneutical, bringing reliable information, provided mainly by teachers, into relationship with knowledge and experience of both pupils and teacher through processes of active learning, including classroom dialogue. Qualitative research on student and early career teachers, including students and teachers with strong personal religious or non-religious commitments, suggests that appropriate skills and attitudes supporting an impartial approach to teaching can be developed, facilitating a relationship of trust between teacher and students. A condition for this is the development of teachers' knowledge and understanding of the various stances of pupils in their classes. However, some student teachers or teachers with very firmly held views find it very difficult to adopt an impartial approach. On the basis of examples from various types of qualitative research, it is argued that good quality well-fundedinitial and in-service teacher education can assist in developing appropriate skills and attitudes in the case of those who wish to take an impartial approach. Further research, ideally involving partnership between researchers and practitioners, is recommended.

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and Norway. It presents a study of the teachers' perceptions of and responses to the diversity within their classes, in relation to their professional role and their personal and professional biographies. The study employed biographical research methods and 36 teachers were interviewed. Key findings were that, in every country, there was a clear relationship between individual teachers' personal biographies and how they responded to religious and/or cultural diversity and common cross-national strategies for dealing with these aspects of diversity. However, socio-cultural factors within each country (including dominant views of the relationship between religion and education) affected the ways in which the teachers perceived the diversity within their classes and there were national differences in how teachers prioritised aspects of diversity. The study concludes that if teachers of religion are to extend the range of their responses to classroom diversity, they would benefit from opportunities to reflect on the relationship between their perceptions of and responses to religious and cultural diversity, their personal biographies, and national requirements and expectations related to their professional role.