Estonian and Finnish Pupils’ Experiences of Religious Issues and Views on the Place of Religion in School

Kallioniemi, Arto; Schihalejev, Olga; Kuusisto, Arniika; Poulter, Saila

doi:10.1080/15507394.2017.1355176

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Estonia has participated in several international studies which examine how students evaluate knowledge about and dispositions towards religions they acquire from or develop through formal school education. Compared to their peers from other European countries, Estonian students disagree more that formal education provides them with knowledge about religions and teaches them to consider people with different worldviews (Kallioniemi et al 2018;Schihalejev 2013). Considering both Estonian religious diversity and the fuzzy concept of religious phenomena, it is essential to address religious themes more explicitly than they are addressed in the current curricula.…”

Section: The Discourse Of Religious Literacy In the Current Estonian ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Literacy in National Curricula of Estonia

Sooniste

Schihalejev

2022

Religions

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Religious literacy may be seen as a prerequisite for religious freedom. This article analyzes how the development of religious literacy is supported in the curricula of Estonian primary and secondary schools and the extent to which these schools guarantee religious freedom. We assume that developing religious literacy is not limited to the lessons of Religious Education but can also be achieved in schools in which Religious Education is not taught. We analyze the national curricula for both basic and upper secondary schools to understand how religious literacy is represented, whether implicitly or explicitly. We are particularly interested in how the competencies of religious literacy are supported in the curricula and how freedom of religion is ensured in state-funded schools. The texts are analyzed according to the core curriculum analysis method and the religious literacy model, which identifies four stages in the development of religious literacy: examining religion as a category, engaging with a disposition towards religions, building up relevant knowledge, and promoting skills to interact well in multicultural society. This analysis shows that the dominant discourse related to religious literacy in the curricula focuses on social skills for future citizens, but religious literacy itself, a vital skill for operating in the modern multicultural world, is scarcely mentioned. Instead, it is present primarily as an implicit concept, and religion is portrayed as distant both in time and in space. Thus, this approach to education contributes insufficiently to the freedom of religion needed in a contemporary multicultural society.

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Section: The Discourse Of Religious Literacy In the Current Estonian ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Religious Literacy in National Curricula of Estonia

Sooniste

Schihalejev

2022

Religions

Self Cite

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“…Older pupils agreed more on the fact that at school they had opportunities to discuss religious issues from different perspectives, and they found topics related to religions more interesting at school than younger pupils did. Older pupils were also more of the opinion that learning about religions at school helps them to understand themselves better (Kallioniemi, Schihalejev, Kuusisto & Poulter 2018).…”

Section: Children's and Youths' Experiences On Diversity In Education...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s and Youths’ Perspectives on Value Diversity in Education

Kuusisto¹,

Kallioniemi²

2021

Good Teachers for Tomorrow's Schools

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This article examines Finnish children's and youths' perspectives on encountering value diversity in education. Our examination builds on an ecological approach (e.g. Bronfenbrenner 1979;2005;Sameroff 2010) to learning and development along individual life trajectories (e.g. Kuusisto 2011;Kuusisto & Gearon 2017a;Lamminmäki-Vartia et al. 2020). The empirical findings presented here are based on various mixed methods data sets gathered from children, youths, parents, and professionals, in which our main focus is on the age groups 9 to 10, 12 to 13, and 15 to 16 (N = 2781) in Estonia, Finland and Sweden, and in particular the Finnish sub-sample of 1,301 children. This article presents a synthesis across a set of empirical studies, highlighting children's and youths' own perspectives encountering diversity in education. We conclude by discussing children's and youths' value learning trajectories in a changing Finnish society, and how the results can be used to inform teacher education programs and teachers' professional development on (super)diversity in school, thereby contributing to our st understanding of educating good teachers for tomorrow's schools and the role of values in education.

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Religious upbringing and other religious influences among young adults and changes in faith in the transition to adulthood: a 10-year longitudinal study of young people in Finland

Tervo-Niemelä

2020

British Journal of Religious Education

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Estonian and Finnish Pupils’ Experiences of Religious Issues and Views on the Place of Religion in School

Cited by 4 publications

References 9 publications

Religious Literacy in National Curricula of Estonia

Religious Literacy in National Curricula of Estonia

Children’s and Youths’ Perspectives on Value Diversity in Education

Religious upbringing and other religious influences among young adults and changes in faith in the transition to adulthood: a 10-year longitudinal study of young people in Finland

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