Worldview literacy as a part of teacher professionalism

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article, based on a mixed-method study, examines which dimensions of worldview are addressed by a group (N = 134) of Finnish students and in-service educators when interpreting a written imaginary case from everyday school life. The findings are interpreted in the framework of worldview literacy, derived from the concept of religious literacy and defined as an ability to decipher situations with aspects of worldview diversity. Data from open responses to a survey were approached in two ways, quantitatively, where worldview literacy was seen as an ability to recognise the impact of worldview in the case and argue for it, and qualitatively, where the different aspects of worldview mentioned by the participants were analysed. In terms of the quantitative analysis, the survey revealed a tendency to avoid explaining situations through worldview. From a qualitative point of view, the participants most often mentioned worldview as beliefs and something deeply significant and emotional. Furthermore, the data raised questions about essentialist attitudes towards worldviews and cultures, and recognising power issues. The case-based open question yielded multifaceted data, pointing to the fact that this method could be developed to measure worldview literacy.