Balancing Differences through Highlighting the Common: Religious Education Teachers’ Perceptions of the Diversity of Islam in Islamic Religious Education in Finnish State Schools

Abstract

Muslims are Finland’s largest and fastest-growing religious minority. In Finnish state schools, the number of pupils studying Islamic religious education (IRE) has almost doubled in a decade, and IRE has its own national curriculum, which is based on the general principles of Islam. Pupils are diverse in terms of their languages, cultures, ethnicities and in their religious and worldview backgrounds, religious diversity being reflected in the religious education curriculum content in which the diversity of Islam is addressed. In this study, we examine the diversity of Islam in IRE. The research results are based on interviews with IRE teachers (N = 17) working in comprehensive schools in the capital region of Finland, and we use data-driven content analysis to explore teachers’ perceptions. This study shows that IRE teachers use balancing pedagogical tools in order to deal with the diversity of Islam. According to the findings of our study, dealing with this diversity in religious education requires a dialogicity that both highlights and blurs differences related to diversity. Religion-related dialogue in IRE provides an arena for a balanced discussion about religious differences as well as what they have in common.

The Curriculum of Islamic Religious Education in the Whirlwind of Independent Education and Its Implementation on Learning

“…The focus of freedom of learning is the freedom to think creatively and independently. Teachers are expected to be the driving force behind actions that bring positive things to students (Putkonen & Poulter, 2023)the number of pupils studying Islamic religious education (IRE. The conclusion on the concept of learning is a form of proposal in the restructuring of the national education system.…”

“…This is in stark contrast to Islamic boarding schools or the PAI curriculum, which still heavily rely on educators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the PAI curriculum also utilized technological advancements for teaching and learning, but the focus remained on educators, leading to limited progress for students in the competitive job market (Putkonen & Poulter, 2023)the number of pupils studying Islamic religious education (IRE.…”

Building international standards for Islamic education teacher candidates with reference to CAEP guidelines

“…In the first phase, education literature and previous studies related to the features of IE teachers (e.g. Abdullah et al, 2023;Kurniawan et al, 2023, Mahfudz andSukarno, 2023;Putkonen and Poulter, 2023;R'boul et al, 2023;Suharsongko et al, 2023;Tuna et al, 2023) were reviewed to propose items representing the components of standards for candidates. These items were formulated into a questionnaire, which was conducted according to the Delphi method in three rounds, in which a committee of experts in of IE participated (Zartha Sossa et al, 2019).…”

“…, 2023; Kurniawan et al. , 2023, Mahfudz and Sukarno, 2023; Putkonen and Poulter, 2023; R’boul et al. , 2023; Suharsongko et al.…”

“…Similarly, Essabane et al (2022) linked the teaching of citizenship among primary school students in The Netherlands with IE. A study that explored attitudes of IE teachers in Finnish state and private schools toward diversity (Putkonen and Poulter, 2023) showed that these teachers use balanced pedagogical methods to take diversity into account. In an earlier but comprehensive work, Berglund (2015) stated that "standardizing teacher training may thus form an essential element in successful integration of Islamic Religious Education in Europe" (p. 11).…”