Browsing by Subject "osittain integroitu katsomusopetus"

Over the last few decades the religion and belief landscape in Finland as well as in other parts of Europe has become more pluralistic mainly due to secularisation and globalisation. Therefore, research regarding worldview education has questioned if the existing separative teaching model is current enough to create fertile ground for developing general worldview education. Some schools have adopted partially integrative teaching, which has sparked more interest to further research this topic. The aim of this thesis is to increase understanding of teachers’ perspectives on the purpose of worldview education and its future. The study was conducted as a part of the research project Osittain yhdistetty katsomusaineiden opetuksen kehittäminen (Odysseus). The material was collected in the autumn of 2022 by using qualitative research methods. Seven teachers who teach worldview education in primary school were interviewed individually for the study. The material was analysed using data-based content analysis. In the light of the results, the teachers described the purpose of worldview education through five dimensions. They saw the knowledge relating to the pupil’s own and others’ worldviews, the supporting of the pupil’s identity development, ethics, communication skills and teaching from a non-confessional standpoint as particularly important. The results show that the teachers consider the purpose of worldview education to be holistic and affiliated with both the personal growth of the pupil as well as the promotion of equality in the society. Concerning the future of worldview education the teachers brought up three different approaches, which are comparison between the subjects, the process-like nature of the development work and a spectrum of different emotions and attitudes. According to the study the teachers’ views on the future of worldview education keep up the negotiations around the purpose of worldview education and whether it should be modified or kept unchanged. Thus worldview education appears to be in the middle of an intense transitional phase.