Is worldview education achieved in schools? A study of Finnish teachers’ perceptions of worldview education as a component of basic education

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, the concept of ‘worldview’ has resurfaced into the forefront of the international debate among scholars of religious education. With this study, we aim to contribute to the discussion with empirical material having a focus on worldview education in whole school education. The study deals with the Finnish teachers’ perceptions of worldview education in basic education. Teachers (N = 110) responded to a questionnaire concerning their experiences on how they feel about worldview education, how they deal with it and where does worldview education take place in schools according to teachers. The questionnaire included both quantitative and qualitative sections. According to the results, it appears that teachers consider worldview education to be relatively important in schools and that they have a reasonably broad perception of worldview education, including aspects of value education, cultural encounters, and settlement of disputes. What is notable is that the teachers appear to associate worldview education not only with lessons; they also cite activities in the daily life of the school and outside the classrooms, especially celebrations, as incidents associated with worldview education.