How Finnish Muslim Students Perceive and Deal with Religious and Cultural Difference: Negotiating Religious Tradition with Modern Liberal and Postmodern Ideals

Rissanen, Inkeri

doi:10.1155/2012/978317

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Furthermore, previous involvement specifically with Muslims had a stronger impact on preservice teachers’ attitudes to Muslim integration than experience with other cultures in general. This strengthens the view that there are different challenges in dealing with distinct forms of difference (see, for example, Rissanen ) and that knowledge and experience with particular forms of diversity are important in developing teachers’ attitudes.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…However, in our study, previous involvement with other cultures was the sole factor indicating more positive attitudes. Furthermore, previous involvement specifically with Muslims Rissanen 2012) and that knowledge and experience with particular forms of diversity are important in developing teachers' attitudes. However, practicing teachers' attitudes did not seem to be affected by the number of Muslim students in their school or among the students they teach.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Finnish Teachers’ Attitudes About Muslim Students and Muslim Student Integration

Rissanen¹,

Tirri

Kuusisto

2015

Scientific Study of Religion

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Although there is much discussion of educational needs and how to integrate Muslim students into modern Western contexts, there is a shortage of research on teachers’ attitudes about these issues. Finland offers a particularly interesting context for research, given its relatively new, small, yet rapidly growing Muslim population, its prominence of negative attitudes to visible religiosity, and its official policy of multiculturalism. This article presents the results of a quantitative study of Finnish teachers’ attitudes to Muslim students and to their integration into Finnish schools. A nonprobability sample of Finnish preservice and practicing teachers (N = 864) was surveyed and the resulting data analyzed with exploratory factor analysis, t‐tests, and ANOVA. The results indicate that Finnish teachers consider learning about general democratic values important, but their attitudes to dealing with Islam and Muslims are not quite as positive. However, previous involvement with other cultures indicated more positive attitudes among preservice teachers. Female teachers and practicing teachers were more oriented toward the teaching of commonality, and teaching at a more advanced level indicated more positive attitudes to Muslims and Muslim integration.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finnish Teachers’ Attitudes About Muslim Students and Muslim Student Integration

Rissanen¹,

Tirri

Kuusisto

2015

Scientific Study of Religion

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“…Similar to previous studies (Rissanen 2014;Sakaranaho 2019), it is also obvious in this research that teachers attempt to emphasize the things that unite Muslims in their teaching. Common issues are emphasized-while the differences are balanced-both in connection with the processing of the contents and in the teaching of speech in a way that does not distinguish Muslims by the names of denominations.…”

Section: Balancing Differences Through Highlighting the Commonsupporting

confidence: 82%

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

Putkonen,

Poulter

2023

Religions

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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.

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“…Data was analysed by means of inductive qualitative content analysis. The Finnish data has previously been analysed from the perspective of students' identity and value negotiations and how teachers supported these in the classroom (Rissanen 2012a(Rissanen , 2012b(Rissanen , 2012c(Rissanen , 2014. In this article, our comparative study discusses how social cohesion is promoted in Finnish and Irish IRE classrooms, with a focus on three main aspects.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Finnish IRE teachers' position as agents of identity politics was also seen in their active promotion of 'Finnish Muslim identity' in the classroom. They endeavored to promote citizenship "through" religion by pairing the conceptions of 'good' Muslim and 'good citizen' while emphasising the compatibility between Finnish and Islamic norms and values (Rissanen 2012b).…”

Section: Promoting Commitment To Societymentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative study of how social cohesion is taught in Islamic religious education in Finland and Ireland

Rissanen

Sai²

2017

British Journal of Religious Education

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Based on classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with teachers, parents and students, this comparative study looks at how social cohesion is promoted in Islamic Religious Education [IRE] lessons in Muslim schools in Ireland and non-faith schools in Finland. The study analyses teaching in the following areas: intra-religious cohesion; interreligious cohesion and commitment to society. The findings reveal that despite differences in the governance of IRE as a subject taught in both types of schools, the IRE classroom emerges as a space whereby teachers use power as agents for internal governance of religion. The authors conclude with some implications and offer some considerations for future research and practice.

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How Finnish Muslim Students Perceive and Deal with Religious and Cultural Difference: Negotiating Religious Tradition with Modern Liberal and Postmodern Ideals

Cited by 10 publications

References 25 publications

Finnish Teachers’ Attitudes About Muslim Students and Muslim Student Integration

Finnish Teachers’ Attitudes About Muslim Students and Muslim Student Integration

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

A comparative study of how social cohesion is taught in Islamic religious education in Finland and Ireland

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