Browsing by Author "Priklopil, Lukas"

This master's thesis deals with worldview education (WE) in Finland. Here, WE refers to religious education and secular ethics education. The aim of the study was to investigate how WE subject teachers would organize WE in Finnish public schools. Previous studies have indicated that the current separative WE model is supported by the minority religious education teachers (e.g. Zilliacus 2014, 90–97), however, extensive statistical analysis of WE teacher's perspectives is yet to be presented. This is a quantitative study that explores WE teachers' perspectives on WE, focusing primarily on those perspectives concerning WE delivery models. The research data is based on an online survey, which was carried out in spring 2017. A total number of 196 comprehensive and upper secondary school WE teachers, from all parts of Finland, participated to the survey. Of the participants, 141 were teaching Evangelical Lutheran religion, 99 were teaching ethics and 41 were teaching minority religion (Orthodox, Islam etc.). In data analysis, the sample was divided into groups based on taught WE subject. The differences between groups' perspectives and the interrelations between the perspectives and 11 background variables were then statistically tested. According to the research results, WE teachers predominantly agreed that all school levels should continue to deliver the current separative WE model. The current model received greatest support from teachers who were teaching minority religion(s), were above 50 years old and were religious. However, practically all teacher groups, at least partially, favored the current WE model. The integrative WE models, on the other hand, received mixed responses, as large proportion of teachers disapproved them. In general, integrative model was considered as an appropriate model by those teachers who were not religious, and – apart from those teachers of Orthodox religion – were no more than 50 years old. Despite of the current model's widespread approval among WE teachers, the findings suggest that the integrative approach will gain popularity in the forthcoming years. The findings moreover indicate that in case Finland does switch to integrative WE model, it will be opposed especially by those minority religion teachers who a) teach only one minority religion that corresponds to their own faith and b) have no prior experience in teaching WE with an integrative approach.