Why Teach about Religions? Perspectives from Finnish Professionals

Arniika Kuusisto,Liam Gearon

doi:10.3390/rel10060347

Arniika Kuusisto, Liam Gearon

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/rel10060347

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Abstract

Acknowledging recent research literature on professionalism and religious education across Europe, the article examines the scholars’ and senior professionals’ views on the curricula aims and objectives in religious education in Finland. Through asking the professionals’ views on the aims of RE in relation to supporting of child’s growth and development on one hand and the societal aims of RE on the other, the findings were thematically classified into the following categories. Firstly, the aims regarding the supporting of child’s growth and development were focused on literacy on religions and worldviews, increasing the understanding on oneself and others, personal growth, and the skills for global citizenship. From the societal perspective, RE was seen important for supporting the understanding as literacy, understanding as empathy, and competences for global citizenship. Finally, as regards the educational model of teaching about religions, these professionals held somewhat varied views. Some favoured an RE model based on teaching groups reflecting children’s own worldview affiliations, others supported whole-class instruction, and still others a hybrid model combining elements of both. However, the way in which the instruction is implemented and the position from which religions are examined in education were perceived to be in a key role in this, whatever the formal structures for instruction.

Highlights

Lifelong learning of educational professionals involves continuous reflexivity and development.This process includes negotiations between the old and new whenever curriculum guidelines, or the paradigms of teaching and learning, or the methods or age group or organization of teaching groups are renewed and updated
The aims of Religious Education (RE) related to literacy were seen to include the literacy related to cultures, religions and worldviews, including knowledge on religions, and tools for recognizing worldview related matters in life (n = 9)
The effective patterns of religious education have previously been the subject of an extensive study which asked Does Religious Education Work? (Conroy 2016; Conroy et al 2015), where the findings suggest a plethora of teaching and learning objectives in religious education

Summary

Introduction

Lifelong learning of educational professionals involves continuous reflexivity and development. This process includes negotiations between the old and new whenever curriculum guidelines, or the paradigms of teaching and learning, or the methods or age group or organization of teaching groups are renewed and updated. This process sometimes involves elements of juggling between the particular aims of education and instruction from the perspective of the developing child versus the society. Acknowledging recent research literature on professionalism and the Religious Education (RE). Its empirical evidence is based on the accounts of religious education among Finnish academics involved in research and teaching of education on religions and worldviews in the Finnish universities and other educational institutions

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