Maps and Territory
Templates for exploring and comparing religious traditions in Norwegian upper secondary religious education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7577/njcie.6281Keywords:
religious education, template, exploration, World Religions Paradigm, interpretive approachAbstract
This study investigated the implementation of the LK20 educational reform by comparing how three religious education teachers incorporated two core elements of the upper secondary curriculum into their teaching. The focus was on the two digital/paper-based templates (forms) that the educators created to scaffold students’ exploration and comparison of religions. These templates, along with transcripts of video-recorded lessons, were first analyzed using thematic qualitative text analysis. Subsequently, the data were examined hermeneutically as two primary cases, one of which was analyzed as two interrelated subcases. These analytical methods were used to evaluate the overall scope of the materials while closely examining and comparing the teachers’ templates and how they contextualized them orally during lessons. One teacher employed Ninian Smart’s seven dimensions of religion as the foundational model for her template. The other two teachers collaboratively developed a template focused on specific aspects of religions, including history, rituals, deities, worldviews, and potential sources. Furthermore, the template emphasized the management of exploration and effective communication concerning feedback. During their presentations, all teachers referenced elements associated with the World Religions Paradigm and the interpretive approach, albeit in different ways. Finally, they introduced tasks to contextualize and prepare students for engagement with the templates.
Downloads
Metrics
References
Andreassen, B.-O. (2010). Bruk eller misbruk? Ninian Smarts dimensjonsmodell i tilnærmingen til religion i norsk religionsdidaktikk [Use or misuse? Ninian Smart’s dimensional model in the approach to religion in Norwegian religious education]. Religionsvidenskabeligt Tidsskrift, 55, 55–73.
Andreassen, B.-O. (2017). Hvordan kan vi forstå kristendommens sentrale plass i skolens religionsfag? [How can we understand the central role of Christianity in religious education?]. In M. von der Lippe & S. Undheim (Eds.), Religion i skolen: Didaktiske perspektiver på religions- og livssynsfaget (pp. 35–53). Universitetsforlaget.
Andreassen, B.-O. (2025). Religionsdidaktikk: En innføring [Religious education: An introduction] (3rd ed.). Universitetsforlaget.
Anker, T. (2017). På tide å si farvel til verdensreligionene? [Time to say good-bye to world religions?] In M. von der Lippe & S. Undheim (Eds.), Religion i skolen: Didaktiske perspektiver på religions- og livssynsfaget (pp. 25–34). Universitetsforlaget.
Anker, T. (2021). Fagfornyelsen og KRLE [The curriculum renewal and RE]. In K. Fuglseth & T.-A. Skrefsrud (Eds.), Innføring i KRLE-didaktikk: Undervisning i religion, livssyn og etikk i et flerkulturelt samfunn (pp. 61–73). IKO-forlaget.
Aukland, K. (2022). Kunnskapsproblemet og utforsking med ulike metoder: Å lære om vis-a-vis å lære hvordan [The knowledge problem and exploration with different methods: Learning about vs. learning how]. Prismet, 73(1–2), 79–97. https://doi.org/10.5617/pri.9699
Beckmann, M. (2023). Essensialisme og undervisning i jødedom etter LK20 [Essentialism and teaching Judaism after LK20]. Prismet, 74(1–2), 61–91. https://doi.org/10.5617/pri.10367
Bleisch, P., & Schwab, A. (2023). The ‘world religions paradigm’ as the organising principle of didactic action—A case study. British Journal of Religious Education, 45(2), 148–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2021.1960486
Brekke, Ø. (2022). Religions- og livssynsfaget som fagleg konglomerat – fagontologi, vitskapsfag, skulefag [The subject of religion and worldviews as an academic conglomerate—Subject ontology, scientific disciplines, school subject]. Prismet, 73(1–2), 51–78. https://doi.org/10.5617/pri.9698
Brevik, L. M., Gudmundsdottir, G. B., Doetjes, G., & Barreng, R. L. S. (2023). Å observere fagfornyelsen i klasserommet: Observasjonsprotokoller for livsmestring, utforsking og digital kompetanse. [Observing the curriculum renewal in the classroom: Observation protocols for life skills, exploration, and digital competence]. Rapport 1 fra forsknings-og evalueringsprosjektet EDUCATE ved Institutt for lærerutdanning og skoleforskning. Universitetet i Oslo.
Brevik, L. M., Gudmundsdottir, G. B., Aashamar, P. N., Barreng, R. L. S., Dodou, K., Doetjes, G., Hartvigsen, K. M., Hatlevik, O. E., Mathé, N. E. H., Roe, A., Siljan, H., Stovner, R. B., & Suhr, M. L. (2024). Å jobbe utforskende på Vg1 og Vg2. Den enkelte lærers undervisning har mer å si enn fagenes egenart. [Working exploratively in upper secondary school, grades eleven and twelve: The individual teacher’s instruction matters more than the nature of the subjects]. Rapport 3 fra forsknings-og evalueringsprosjektet EDUCATE ved Institutt for lærerutdanning og skoleforskning. Universitetet i Oslo.
Cotter, C. R., & Robertson, D. G. (2016). Introduction: The World Religions Paradigm in contemporary religious studies. In C. R. Cotter & D. G. Robertson (Eds.), After world religions: Reconstructing religious studies. Routledge.
Jackson, R. (1997). Religious education: An interpretive approach. Hodder & Stoughton.
Jackson, R. (2009). The interpretive approach to religious education and the development of a community of practice. In J. Ipgrave, R. Jackson, & K. O’Grady (Eds.), Religious education research through a community of practice: Action research and the interpretive approach (pp. 21–31). Waxmann.
Klette, K., Blikstad-Balas, M., & Roe, A. (2017). Linking instruction and student achievement: Research design for a new generation of classroom studies. Acta Didactica Norge, 11(3), 1–19.
Kuckartz, U. (2014). Qualitative text analysis: A guide to methods, practice & using software. SAGE.
Masuzawa, T. (2005). The invention of world religions: Or, how European universalism was preserved in the language of pluralism. The University of Chicago Press.
Norwegian Ministry of Church, Education and Research. (1996). Læreplan for videregående opplæring. Religion og etikk. Felles allment fag [Curriculum for upper secondary education: Religion and ethics. Common general subject].
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. (2005). Læreplan i kristendoms-, religions-, og livssynskunnskap (KRL1-01) [Curriculum for Christianity, religion, and worldview knowledge].
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. (2006). Læreplan i religion og etikk - fellesfag i studieforberedende utdanningsprogram (REL1-01) [Curriculum for religion and ethics—Common subject in study preparatory education program].
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. (2008). Læreplan i religion, livssyn og etikk (RLE1-01) [Curriculum for religion, worldviews, and ethics].
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. (2015). Læreplan i kristendom, religion, livssyn og etikk (KRLE (RLE1-02) [Curriculum for Christianity, religion, worldviews, and ethics (KRLE)].
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. (2019a). Læreplan i kristendom, religion, livssyn og etikk (KRLE) (RLE01-03) [Curriculum for Christianity, religion, worldviews, and ethics (KRLE)]. The National curriculum for the Knowledge Promotion 2020. https://www.udir.no/lk20/rle01-03
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. (2019b). Læreplan i religion og etikk – fellesfag i studieforberedende utdanningsprogram (REL01 02) [Curriculum for religion and ethics—Common subject in study preparatory education program. The national curriculum for the Knowledge Promotion 2020. https://www.udir.no/lk20/rel01-02
Owen, S. (2011). The World Religions paradigm: Time for a change. Arts & Humanities in Higher Education, 10(3), 253–268. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022211408038
Rasmussen, F. (2019). Verdensreligionsmodellen i religions- og livssynsundervisningen: Hva er egentlig problemet? [The world religions model in religion and worldviews education: What is the real problem?]. Prismet, 72(1), 39–55. https://doi.org/10.5617/pri.8729
Skeie, G. (2022). Fra vitenskapelig forskning til utforsking i skolefag. Hvilke utfordringer står religionsdidaktikken overfor? [From scientific research to exploration in school subjects: What challenges does religious didactics face?]. Prismet, 73(1–2), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.5617/pri.9695
Smart, N. (1989). The world’s religions: Old traditions and modern transformations. Cambridge University Press.
Smith, L. D., & Ramey, S. W. (2024). Religions of the world: Questions, challenges, and new directions. Equinox.
The Education Act. (2024). Lov om grunnskoleopplæringa og den vidaregåande opplæringa (LOV-2023-06-09-30) [Act on primary and secondary education]. Lovdata. https://lovdata.no/lov/2023-06-09-30
Vencatsamy, B. (2024). The world religions paradigm: Why context matters in religious studies. Critical Research on Religion, 12(1), 12–25.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Kirsten Marie Hartvigsen
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Declaration on copyright
- The author/s will keep their copyright and right of reproduction of their own manuscript, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, but give the journal a permanent right to 1) present the manuscript to the public in the original form in which it was digitally published and 2) to be registered and cited as the first publication of the manuscript.
- The author itself must manage its financial reproduction rights in relation to any third-parties.
- The journal does not provide any financial or other remuneration for contributions submitted.
- Readers of the journal may print the manuscripts presented under the same conditions that apply to reproduction of a physical copy. This means that mass reproduction of physical copies or production of copies for commercial purposes is not permitted without the agreement of the author/s.
