Religious and Ethics Education in the Perspectives of Immigrant Students in Small-Group Instruction in Finland

Author(s):

Harriet Zilliacus

Conference:

ECER 2010

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

SES D 07, Paper Session

Paper Session

Time:

2010-08-23

15:10-16:40

Room:

Sali 212 (NW 21), Aurora

Chair:

Meinert Arnd Meyer

Contribution

Religious education is one of the school subjects which have clearly been affected by the increasing immigration to Finland since the 1990’s as the demands on developing a multicultural school and education have become imperative. The Finnish society is developing towards stronger religious pluralism at the same time as a strong tendency of secularization is apparent. On the one hand there is concern about securing religious freedom and religious education in school, but on the other hand voices speak for secularizing and even eliminating religious education from school altogether. The overall interest of this research is to look at religious education within the Finnish educational context with small-group instruction for the major religions. The focus of the research is on immigrant students’ experiences of religious and ethics education. The research goals are to construct and illuminate the meanings students give religious education in elementary school and how these relate to the religious and other aspects of their identity. The significance of religious education for the integration and/or segregation of the students in the school and society form central issues in the study. Students’ views on religious education are studied in small-group instruction in both Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, Orthodox and ethics classes on elementary school level in classes 1-6.

Method

The research methodology is that of constructivism, and participant observation is used as research method. The research material is collected in two elementary schools in the metropolitan Helsinki region in one Swedish- and one Finnish-speaking school. Classroom observation and individual interviews with students as well as teachers and rectors form the data. Data collection has commenced in the first school in autumn 2009, and includes 16 students, 7 of which are immigrants, 5 teachers as well as the local manager and rector. Classroom observations are made in each small-group instruction class, combined with 2-3 semi-structured individual student interviews, as well as teacher and rector interviews. Data collection in a second school will commence in spring 2010 and will be concluded by spring 2011.

Expected Outcomes

The preliminary data in the first school suggests that the small group instruction includes positive experiences for the immigrant students in identifying themselves as a minority religion group, even if there also are feelings of isolation from students taking Evangelic Lutheran religion. The impact of religious education for students’ identities varies within all groups; however the study of religion stands out as an important possibility for the children to access their immigrant background and especially their religion and culture. Also, there is opportunity to gain and use language skills connected to the religious background, which the children enjoy. Generally the students like to be in mixed groups from several class-levels, even if it is clear that it is not easy to organize mixed class instruction, and for some students it implies repetition and waiting for others. Instruction about other religions is part of all minority religion curricula; however there tends to be little knowledge about other religion classes and their activities among the students in the school.

References

Banks J. A. & McGee Banks C. (red.) 2005. Multicultural Education. Issues and Perspectives. Fifth edition. New Jersey: John Wiley & sons. Brömssen von, K. (2003). Tolkningar, förhandlingar och tystnader. Elevers tal om religion i det mångkulturella och postkoloniala rummet. Doktorsavhandling. Göteborg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburghensis. Hall, S. (1996). Who needs 'identity'? I Hall, S. & Gay, P. (red.) Questions of Cultural Identity. London: Sage Publications. Holm, G. & Zilliacus, H. 2008. Multicultural Education and Intercultural Education: Is There a Difference? Talib, M. (red.) Dialogues on diversity and global education. NY: Peter Lang. Holm, N. G. (2000).Introduction in Holm, N. G. (red). Islam and christianity in school religious education. Åbo: Religionsvetenskapliga skrifter, nr 52. Jackson, R. (2006). Rethinking religious education and plurality. Issues in diversity and pedagogy. London: Routledge Falmer. Kallioneimi A. & Salmenkivi, E. (red.)(2007). Katsomusaineiden kehittämishaasteita. Opettajakoulutuksen tutkinnoonuudistuksen virittämää keskustelua. Tutkimuksia 279. Helsinki: Yliopistopaino. Liebkind K. (1994). Maahanmuuttajat: Kulttuurien kohtaaminen Suomessa. Helsinki: Gaudeamus. Mikkola, P. (1991). Kahden kulttuurin taitajaksi: maahanmuuttajaoppilaan monikulttuurinen identiteetti, tavoitteet ja toiminta. Väitöstutkielma. Turku: Turun yliopiston julkaisu. Sakaranaho, T. (2007a); Johdanto. Katsomusaineiden opetus monikulttuursen yhteiskunnan haasteina. I Sakaranaho & Jamisto (red), Monikulttuurisuus ja uudistuva katsomusaineiden opetus, s. 12-30. Kurikka: Painotalo Kasper. Skeie, G. (2006b). Plurality and pluralism in education. I Souza, M. & al., (2006). International handbook of the religious, moral and spiritual dimensions in education, s. 307-319. Dordrecht: Springer. Souza, M. & al., (2006). International handbook of the religious, moral and spiritual dimensions in education. Dordrecht: Springer. Talib, M.-T.(red)(2006). Diversity - A challenge for educators. Finnish Educational Research Association. Turku: Painosalama. Torstenson-Ed, T. (2006). Children and God in the multicultural society. British Journal of Religious Education, 28, 1, 33-49 Velasco Diez de. F. (2007). Religion, identity and education for peace: beyond the dichotomies:confessional/non-confessional and global/local. British Journal of Religious Education, 29, 1, 77–8.

Author Information

Harriet Zilliacus

Helsinki University

Department of Education

Helsinki

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