Religious Education as a 21st Century Practice: A Quantitative Study of the Perceptions of In-Service and Pre-Service Teachers Concerning New Learning Skills

Abstract

This study compares quantitatively the perceptions of Finnish pre-service and in-service religious education (RE) teachers concerning future skills needed in the context of RE. The data consists of questionnaires (N = 157) collected from RE student teachers (n = 74) and practicing RE teachers (n = 83). Three groups of respondents were formed: students, established teachers and teachers in the induction phase. The perceptions of twenty-first century skills of the three groups were analyzed using the SPSS program. On the basis of the results, the different groups all saw different interaction-related skills as key skills for an RE teacher. Consideration of social issues and diversity in the context of RE was also seen as important. Religious literacy and the use of technology were anticipated to be emphasized in the future. In addition, critical thinking was interpreted as relevant in the context of RE. By contrast, for example, productivity and leadership were perceived as less relevant parts of religious education.