21st century skills and RE teacher education : a case study of Finnish religious education student teachers and their professional development

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KAISA VIINIKKA

21st Century Skills and RE Teacher Education

A Case Study of Finnish Religious Education Student Teachers

Dissertations in Education, Humanities, and Theology

PUBLICATIONS OF

THE UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND

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21ST CENTURY SKILLS AND RE TEACHER EDUCATION

A Case Study of Finnish Religious Education Student Teachers and Their Professional Development

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Kaisa Viinikka

21ST CENTURY SKILLS AND RE TEACHER EDUCATION

A Case Study of Finnish Religious Education Student Teachers and Their Professional Development

Publications of the University of Eastern Finland Dissertations in Education, Humanities, and Theology

No 167

University of Eastern Finland Joensuu

2021

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Grano Oy Jyväskylä, 2021

Editor in-Chief: Matti Kotiranta Sales: University of Eastern Finland Library

ISBN: 978-952-61-3741-4 (print) ISBN: 978-952-61-3742-1 (PDF)

ISSNL: 1798-5625 ISSN: 1798-5625

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Viinikka, Kaisa

21st Century Skills and RE Teacher Education. A Case Study of Finnish Religious Education Student Teachers and Their Professional Development.

Joensuu: University of Eastern Finland, 2021 Publications of the University of Eastern Finland

Dissertations in Education, Humanities, and Theology; 167 ISBN: 978-952-61-3741-4 (print)

ISSNL: 1798-5625 ISSN: 1798-5625

ISBN: 978-952-61-3742-1 (PDF) ISSN: 1798-5633 (PDF)

ABSTRACT

In Finland, religious education (RE) is compulsory in lower (age 7-13) and upper (age 14-16) comprehensive school and is defined by the national curriculum for basic education. Pupils study RE according to their religious affiliation, or alternatively, Ethics. For this reason, RE teachers are required to have a university-level master’s degree in theology, which includes subject studies in theology and pedagogical studies with teaching practices. This dissertation examines the perceptions of RE student teachers regarding their professional development during initial teacher education from the perspective of 21st century skills, also known as future skills. The following sub-questions are used to answer the research problem: What expectations do RE pre-service teachers have about the development of their competence and the contribution of major (theological) and pedagogical studies in the development of their future skills? What 21st century skills do they consider most important for an RE teacher in the future? What phases can be identified in RE teacher education from pre-service teachers’ interviews?

Teacher competence includes the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for the teacher’s work, and 21st century skills are one area of competence to be developed during teacher education. The study used a mixed method approach. Firstly, eleven interviews were conducted at the University of

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Eastern Finland; eight of the interviewees were at the beginning of teacher education and three near the end. Secondly, questionnaire surveys were conducted at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki.

Based on the results, RE student teachers consider 21st century skills as an important part of current and future RE teacher competence and, therefore, expect to be able to develop these skills during their teacher education.

In major (theological) studies, students expect to evolve religious literacy, critical thinking, dialogue skills, and skills related to global responsibility and sustainable development. In pedagogical studies and teaching practices, pre-service teachers expect to develop skills related to interaction, such as collaboration skills. In addition, students expect to evolve a variety of literacy skills during thesis work. Based on the interviews, it was found that RE teacher education includes three phases: the exploratory phase, the confirmatory phase, and the induction phase. The exploratory phase includes students’ experiences, such as uncertainty about the teaching profession and emphasizing learning subject content knowledge in teacher education. In the interpretations of the confirmatory phase, students perceived the teaching profession as their own, and emphasis was on integrating theory and practice.

The characterizations of the induction phase emphasized transition to working life and application of the knowledge and skills acquired in education.

Based on the results of the study, RE teacher education could be developed into a more cohesive whole by increasing the cooperation of teacher education actors. The professional development of student teachers could be supported from the beginning of their studies, for example with a portfolio that would include the competences acquired in different studies. Major and pedagogical studies could be developed to support the development of skills needed in a teacher’s work. 21st century skills can be explored in different teacher education programmes, which would enable the involvement of different social actors in the research context, as different perspectives are needed. However, further research is needed, for example, on how 21st century skills are taught and perceived in the context of RE in the classroom.

Keywords: 21st century skills, student teacher, teacher education, religious

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Viinikka, Kaisa

Tulevaisuuden taidot ja uskonnonopettajakoulutus. Tapaustutkimus suoma- laisista uskonnonopettajaopiskelijoista ja heidän ammatillisesta kehittymi- sestään

Joensuu: Itä-Suomen yliopisto, 2021

Publications of the University of Eastern Finland

Dissertations in Education, Humanities, and Theology; 167 ISBN: 978-952-61-3741-4 (nid.)

ISSNL: 1798-5625 ISSN: 1798-5625

ISBN: 978-952-61-3742-1 (PDF) ISSN: 1798-5633 (PDF)

TIIVISTELMÄ

Suomessa uskonnonopetus on peruskoulussa pakollista, ja sitä määrit- tää perusopetuksen kansallinen opetussuunnitelma. Oppilaat opiskelevat uskontoa uskontokuntansa mukaisesti tai vaihtoehtoisesti elämänkatso- mustietoa. Tästä syystä uskonnonopettajalta edellytetään yliopistotasoista teologian maisterin tutkintoa, johon sisältyvät teologian ainelaitosopinnot ja pedagogiset opinnot opetusharjoitteluineen. Väitöskirjassa tutkitaan us- konnonopettajaopiskelijoiden tulkintoja ammatillisesta kehittymisestään opettajankoulutuksessa tulevaisuuden eli 21. vuosisadan taitojen näkökul- masta. Tutkimusongelmaan haetaan vastausta seuraavilla alakysymyksil- lä: Millaisia odotuksia uskonnonopettajaopiskelijoilla on kompetenssinsa kehittymisestä ja ainelaitos- ja pedagogisten opintojen tarjoamasta tuesta tulevaisuuden taitojen kehittymisessä? Mitkä taidot he näkevät tulevaisuu- dessa uskonnonopettajalla tärkeimpinä? Mitkä vaiheet uskonnonopettajan- koulutuksessa voidaan tunnistaa opiskelijoiden haastatteluista? 21. vuosisadan taidot ovat yksi opettajankoulutuksen aikana kehitettävä kompetenssin osa-alue. Opettajan kompetenssi sisältää opettajan työssä tarvittavat tiedot, taidot ja asenteet. Tutkimus on monimenetelmäinen. Ensiksi Itä-Suomen yli- opistossa järjestettiin yksitoista haastattelua. Haastateltavista kahdeksan oli

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opettajankoulutuksen alkuvaiheessa ja kolme loppuvaiheessa. Toiseksi teh- tiin kysely, joka kerättiin sekä Itä-Suomen että Helsingin yliopistosta.

Tulosten perusteella uskonnonopettajaopiskelijat tulkitsevat tulevaisuuden taidot tärkeäksi osaksi nykyistä ja tulevaa uskonnonopettajan kompetenssia, ja tästä syystä he odottavat pääsevänsä kehittämään taitoja opettajankoulutuksessa. Ainelaitosopinnoissa opiskelijat odottavat pääsevänsä kehittämään uskontolukutaitoa, kriittistä ajattelua, dialogitaitoja ja globaaliin vastuuseen ja kestävään kehitykseen liittyviä taitoja. Sen sijaan pedagogisissa opinnoissa ja opetusharjoitteluissa uskonnonopettajaopiskelijat odottavat kehittävänsä vuo- rovaikutukseen liittyviä taitoja esimerkiksi yhteistyötaitoja. Lisäksi opinnäytteitä tehdessään opiskelijat odottavat kehittävänsä erilaisia lukutaitoja. Haastattelu- jen pohjalta havaittiin uskonnonopettajakoulutuksen sisältävän kolme vaihetta:

tutkiva vaihe, vahvistava vaihe ja induktiovaihe. Tutkivaan vaiheeseen sisältyvät opiskelijoiden kokemukset, kuten epävarmuus opettajan ammatista ja opettajankoulutuksen sisältämän tietoaineksen oppiminen. Vahvistavan vaiheen tulkinnoissa opiskelijat kokivat opettajan ammatin omakseen, ja teorian ja käy- tännön yhdistäminen painottui. Induktiovaiheen luonnehdinnoissa korostuivat työelämään siirtyminen ja koulutuksessa hankitun tietotaidon soveltaminen.

Tutkimuksen tulosten pohjalta koulutusta voisi kehittää yhtenäisemmäk- si kokonaisuudeksi lisäämällä opettajankoulutuksen toimijoiden yhteistyötä.

Opiskelijoiden ammatillista kehittymistä voisi tukea opintojen alusta alkaen, esimerkiksi portfoliolla, johon sisällytettäisiin eri opinnoissa hankittua osaa- mista. Ainelaitos- ja pedagogisia opintoja voisi kehittää tukemaan opettajan työssä tarvittavien taitojen kehittymistä. Tulevaisuuden taitoja voidaan tutkia eri opettajankoulutusohjelmissa, ja niiden tutkiminen mahdollistaa yhteiskun- nallisten toimijoiden osallistamisen tutkimuksen tekoon, koska eri näkökulmat ovat tarpeellisia. Kuitenkin jatkotutkimusta tarvitaan esimerkiksi siitä, miten 21. vuosisadan taidot ilmenevät ja miten niitä voidaan opettaa koulun uskon- nonopetuksessa. Uskonnonopettajalle tulevaisuuden taidot ovat pedagoginen työkalu, jota voidaan hyödyntää muun muassa eri opetusmateriaalien ja -me- netelmien avulla ja oppilaiden kanssa toimivana vuorovaikutuksena.

Avainsanat: 21. vuosisadan taidot, opettajaopiskelija, opettajankoulutus,

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Acknowledgements

This research is part of the ‘21st Century Skills, Multiple Literacies and Developing of RE Teacher Education’ project (2018–2021) funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Through the project, I have had the opportunity to conduct valuable collaboration with the two largest teacher educators in Finland, the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki. Experts from both universities and from different sectors of society have participated in the project and through them I have been able to deepen my knowledge of the development of higher education. I am grateful to all who participated in this study, in particular the RE student teachers of the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Without you, this research would not have been possible.

I have had the great privilege of working with Professor Martin Ubani as my supervisor. Martin, thank you for inviting me to join the project, for your encouragement and support throughout the whole process, and for opening up the world and workings of the scientific community to me. Thank you for your time, effort, and deep and wide-ranging expertise. My warmest thanks, too, to my second supervisor Professor Arto Kallioniemi for supporting and encouraging me throughout and for sharing your expertise in research, international networks and the world of science, from which I have learned so much.

Special thanks to Professor Rob Freathy for the opportunity to serve as a visiting researcher at the University of Exeter. With your solid expertise, you guided me to consider my research from different perspectives. Many thanks also to all of the experts at the University of Exeter who shared their knowledge and competence with me.

I would like to express my gratitude to the editor of this book series of the University of Eastern Finland, Professor Matti Kotiranta. Thank you for your help and expertise in publishing this study. I would also like to thank the publishers of the original articles, the Journal of Beliefs & Values and the International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research.

My gratitude also to the two reviewers of my thesis, Professor Vivienne

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Baumfield and Professor Kirsi Tirri, for their expert, constructive and valuable comments, which helped me to consider the relevant points of view related to the research topic. Many thanks also to lecturer Tapio Hokkanen.

Many thanks to all who have been involved in supporting me in my journey through this dissertation. Special thanks to Professor Ilkka Huhta, Director of the Theological Department of the University of Eastern Finland, for your constant encouragement and support. In addition, thank you to the whole staff of the Theological Department of the University of Eastern Finland for your supportive feedback during the dissertation. I am deeply grateful to project co-workers Tuuli Lipiäinen and Jasmin Riekkinen; thank you for all help and support along the way. In addition, my deep thanks to all of the experts at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki and elsewhere who have been involved in the project. I have learned so much from you. Many thanks also to the teacher training school in Joensuu for the opportunity to work as an RE and Ethics teacher, and special thanks to RE teachers Minna and Peter for your collaboration, support and encouragement during my thesis work. Special thanks also to Elaine for your support and encouragement in this research.

To my parents, Helmi and Raimo. Thank you for always encouraging me, supporting me, helping me in my studies and, whatever life brings, for being there for me. You taught me how to set goals and achieve them, both effectively and with quality. To my sisters Maria and Sari and to my brothers Juha, Jani and Jarkko and their families, thank you for all your support during my dissertation process. Last, but far from least, special thanks to my husband Risto, for your flexibility and encouragement, which has made my doctoral thesis possible. Thank you also to my husband's extended family for supporting me. Finally, many thanks to our daughter, Minttu, for your encouragement. From you I have learned a lot about the current school and the world of young people. Thank you all for our many discussions and for sharing and listening so generously.

On a snowy winter’s day, February 2021, in Finland.

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List of original publications

This thesis is based on following original articles:

ARTICLE I

Viinikka, K., and M. Ubani. 2019. “The expectations of Finnish RE student teachers of their professional development in their academic studies in the light of 21st century skills.” Journal of Beliefs & Values: 1–17.

[Re-printed with the kind permission of Senior Permissions Executive Lee- Ann Anderson, Taylor & Francis Group]

ARTICLE II

Viinikka, K., M. Ubani, T. Lipiäinen, and A. Kallioniemi. 2019. “21st century skills and Finnish student teachers’ perceptions about the ideal RE teacher today and in the future.” International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research 18 (8): 75–97.

[Re-printed with the kind permission of Editorial Director Professor Sprock, International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research]

ARTICLE III

Viinikka, K., and M. Ubani. 2020. “A qualitative analysis of Finnish RE students’

perceptions of their professional development during their initial teacher education.” Journal of Beliefs & Values: 1–21.

[Re-printed with the kind permission of Senior Permissions Executive Lee-Ann Anderson, Taylor & Francis Group]

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1 Introduction

This study aims to answer the following research question: How do religious education student teachers perceive their professional development in the light of 21st century skills during their initial RE teacher education?

Hereafter in this paper, the abbreviation ‘RE’ refers to the school subject and

‘religious education’ to the discipline as, a whole. In this study, professional development was studied qualitatively and quantitatively (mixed method approach) throughout initial RE teacher education. The research data consists of interviews (N = 11) and questionnaires (N = 43).

This study belongs to the field of religious education, which, in Finland, nowadays includes elements from a range of disciplines, such as generic educational sciences and multicultural education (Ubani 2017; Ubani et al. 2020b). In particular, the field contains features of generic educational sciences, including concepts such as competence and 21st century skills, and many theories of learning that are used globally in the field of education are also part of this study. Currently various methods that include both qualitative and quantitative approaches are also used in the field of religious education in Finland (Räsänen 2017), likewise in this study. In relation to religious education, both as a discipline and a school subject, and to research on professionalism and teacher education, this study aims to bring new insights into the development of the professionalism of RE teachers. In particular, my interest was to examine the role of 21st century skills in the professional development of RE student teachers and how 21st century skills are perceived as a part of the current competence of RE teachers following the recent emphases of Finnish education policy at different levels of education.

Teacher education, a primary research context of this study, has been studied extensively internationally (e.g. Darling-Hammond 2006; Huntly 2008; Darling-Hammond 2010) and in Finland (e.g. Niemi 2012; Niemi 2014).

The professional development and competence of RE student teachers and RE teacher education have been studied in Finland previously (Ubani 2012a, 2012b, 2016; Ubani and Tirri 2014). In those previous studies RE has been seen from many perspectives by student teachers. For instance, pre-service

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teachers have perceived religion as a very personal subject and considered that the teacher needs to reflect on questions in relation to his or her own religious identity in order to help students develop their own views (Tirri and Ubani 2012; Ubani 2015). In addition, a previous research in the context of pedagogical studies has found that RE pre-service teachers start to analyse on their own professionalism and in general professional thinking develops (Ubani 2016). Finnish student teachers interpreted also that nature and aims of RE supports reach of cross-curricular aims, such as personal growth, developing cultural identity and participating as a citizen (Kuusisto and Tirri 2014). However, earlier studies on initial RE teacher education in Finland have focused on investigating the role of pedagogical studies and how they affect the professional development of student teachers (see e.g. Ubani 2011, 2012a, 2018). There is a lack of research especially in the area of major studies and comprehensive research on RE subject teacher education. Major studies can be considered an important area for research as they constitute 3/4 of the studies of RE teacher education.

Professional development and its’ reflection during initial teacher education is an important focus of research as previous studies have identified teacher education as a key factor in shaping identity and teacher professionalism before working as a qualified teacher (Beauchamp and Thomas 2009; Sachs 2016; Wardoyo et al. 2017). Professional teacher identity has been found to develop during initial teacher education as well as in-service (Korthagen 2004, 2017). Dialogue between different stakeholders and critical reflection have been recognized to be effective tools for constructing the identity of teachers (Beauchamp and Thomas 2009; Narges et al. 2018). However, it has also been shown that the teacher education has an important mission to support the development of the increasingly complex skills of student teachers (Darling-Hammond et al. 2017). The demands on in-service teachers have increased to include developing pupils’ competencies for processing challenging content, critical thinking, self-direction, problem solving, and effective interaction skills. These competencies are crucial to learn at schools in order to meet the needs of further education and work in the 21st century (Darling-Hammond et al. 2017). In the previous research literature is also

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in-service teachers’ professional development is seen as continuous and it is supported for instance by training (Day and Sachs 2004; Niemi 2015).

The need to develop research-based RE teacher education has been identified in recent years within the field of theology in Finland and begun to be addressed, for instance, by the research project ‘21st Century Skills, Multiple Literacies and Developing of RE Teacher Education’ (2018–2021) funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. The three-year project aims to evaluate and develop research-based RE teacher education in collaboration with different actors. The project also recognizes that Finland, along with the majority of other countries, is becoming increasingly pluralistic and multicultural, and that the skill requirements in relation to different religions and beliefs have become more demanding. As a part of that project, the present study investigated RE student teachers and their professional development and the results will be used in evaluating and developing RE teacher education.

The need for this research has emerged due to the new competence requirements of RE teachers brought about by different societal changes such as secularization, multiculturalism, diversification of religions and worldviews, digitalization and increased access to information and technology.

These factors have been found to influence RE teaching in different policy documents across Europe (OSCE/ODIHR 2007; Jackson 2014; CoRE 2018).

Due to these societal changes, critical thinking, evaluation, and reflection skills are especially important to be practised in RE (OSCE/ODIHR 2007;

Jackson 2014). Societal changes have an impact on RE, for instance, in regard to what content, skills and attitudes teachers should address with pupils in the classroom (Bakker and Heimbrock 2007; Schreiner 2007; Räsänen et al. 2009; Freathy et al. 2017). There has also been research into what kind of atmosphere, defined as a safe space, is ideal for discussing different RE subjects safely in the classroom (Jackson 2014). In the Finnish context it is also acknowledged that digitalization requires learning new technologies and learning environments (Niemi 2012, 2014; Harju and Niemi 2016), which also affects the teaching of RE.

The teaching of RE is a current topic of debate in the Finnish media, including whether the current non-confessional religious education model

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should be reformed (https://newsnowfinland.fi/domestic; https://yle.fi/

uutiset/osasto/news). This social debate has tended to address the kinds of celebrations that are suitable in schools and the differentiation between religious education and practice of religion (Ubani 2013b; Niemi 2019).

Societal changes and their implications have brought changes to the nature of RE teaching and its competence requirements. For instance, in Finland, the change from a confessional basis towards more inclusive and dialogue- based RE and the adoption of new learning theories (Ubani 2018) has had an impact on the competence requirements of RE teachers. The need for continuing professional development and up-to-date qualifications has been recognized in the context of RE (OSCE/ODIHR 2007). To that end, 21st century competences opens opportunities to bring new perspectives, content and equality to teacher education and to meet the changing demands.

In the policy documents it is recognized that skills are a relevant part of teacher competence and there is a broad discussion, on what skills are relevant to teachers. The OECD has recommend to develop a common concept and understanding of the teacher’s competences for its organization members.

An idea is that the common definition would help to support professional development both pre-service and in-service teachers (OECD 2005; Caena 2011). The European Commission has emphasized the development of three teachers’ competences: working with people; working with information and technology; and working in society (European Commission 2013). In 2014 the Council encouraged European countries to promote the development of comprehensive professional competence frameworks for teachers to provide opportunities for dialogue and enhance the teaching profession by increasing transparency and developing teachers’ professional competencies. The competence frameworks can be used, for example, for identifying individual development needs and improving the skills of the teachers. Finland’s teacher education system does not include such a framework. When comparing frameworks across Europe, certain competence areas are common to almost all of them, but they may be described in different ways. These framework competence areas include psycho-pedagogical competences, subject specific knowledge and didactics, interaction with pupils, and collaboration with

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colleagues, parents and other partners (European Commission 2013; Council Conclusions 2014).

The aim of this study and the 21st century skills perspective is to shed new light on how to develop the working life skills that teachers need today.

The recent Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education includes seven cross-curricular aims for providing wide-ranging expertise to pupils during their comprehensive school education (age 7–16) so that they earn the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to live in the current knowledge society and a global world successfully (NCCBE 2014). In addition, the importance of equipping students with general skills to meet the demands of working life and society is being increasingly recognized in the context of higher education in Finland (Tynjälä et al. 2016; Virtanen and Tynjälä 2019; Ursin et al. 2021).

The current Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education also requires the teaching of different subject-specific skills, such as religious literacy and dialogue skills (NCCBE 2014). From the point of view of 21st century skills, the professional development of RE student teachers has not been studied in Finland or internationally before. As a framework, 21st century skills emphasize transformable, future skills, such as creativity, learning to learn, communication skills and flexibility, which can be applied in various contexts and at different times (Geisinger 2016). In this study, 21st century skills were studied as a part of the professional development of RE student teachers. However, it is also possible to examine the provision of RE through the lens of 21st century skills, such as the use of the skills in instruction to teach subject content knowledge. On the other hand, the 21st century competences developed in initial teacher education will be used in teaching RE and other subjects in different units and levels of education.

Teacher competence has been widely studied internationally (see e.g.

Miller 1990; Berliner 1991, Eraut 1994; Korthagen 2004; Eraut 2005). However, Korthagen (2017) emphasizes in his study that the professional development of teachers is unconscious, multi-dimensional and happens at many different levels, and that competence is one part of the professional development of teacher. Traditionally, the connection between theory and practice has been highlighted in relation to teacher education, but at the centre of every teacher education process is a genuine person with their own learning and reflection

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strategies (Korthagen 2017). In this study, competence is defined broadly as including knowledge, skills and attitudes that are expressed in practice in the pedagogical situation inside and outside the classroom (Baartman et al. 2007). However, in addition to the above definition of competence, it is important to remember the individual core qualities of student teachers and pay attention to the development of the teacher as a whole; for instance, the different levels of teacher education: environment, behaviour, competencies, beliefs, professional identity and mission (Korthagen 2004). Few studies on the professional competence of RE teachers have been published internationally.

The recent study by Fricke (2020) helps fill this gap by investigating the professional knowledge of RE teachers. According to the results, over the course of the work history of the teacher emphasis on content knowledge decreased and emphasis on pedagogical content knowledge increased.

Both content knowledges were needed: the teacher needs a certain level of content knowledge in order to develop solid pedagogical content knowledge (Fricke 2020).

RE student teachers gain from their RE teacher education a formal qualification to work as an RE teacher. Religious education can be seen as the second research context of this study, and extensive research on religious education has been conducted across Europe (e.g. Everington 2012, 2016;

Rothgangel et al. 2014; Skeie 2014). Comparing religious education between countries is challenging, not least due to cultural factors and different histories.

Models of religious education therefore differ from country to country in many respects (Skeie 2014). The current Finnish model of religious education, teaching one’s own religion, is unique in Europe, and societal changes have also had an impact on the Finnish model (Kallioniemi and Ubani 2016; Poulter et al. 2019; Ubani 2019). On the other hand, religious education can influence the direction of society, for example by increasing dialogue and tolerance between different religions and worldviews and preventing radicalism (Ghosh 2018; Niemi et al. 2019; Poulter 2019; Poulter et al. 2019; Ubani 2019).

The current Finnish model of RE sets many challenges for teacher education and the development of RE teacher competence. The teacher must be an expert not only in the pupils’ own religion of instruction but must also have

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of transversal and subject-specific skills (NCCBE 2014). In addition, as subject teachers, many RE teachers also teach at least one other subject (Kallioniemi 2009; Kallioniemi and Ubani 2016). In short, religious education is a part of compulsory basic education and general upper secondary school education in Finland, and a formal qualification is required for working as an RE teacher (Finnish National Agency for Education 2017). The qualification requires a Master’s degree, which normally takes approximately five years of study (NCCBE 2014; Kallioniemi and Ubani 2016). Due to RE being a part of the education system and general education and, in addition, that the teacher needs to be formally qualified, it is necessary to examine the current and future development needs of teacher education in order to keep religious education and RE teacher qualification up to date.

I have personally seen this research as important from four different perspectives. First, from the student’s point of view, having completed a Master’s degree in Theology and qualifying as an RE teacher at the University of Eastern Finland. The topic of my master’s thesis was Evangelical-Lutheran RE teaching based on the national core curricula for basic education during 1970–2014. During my studies, I noticed that the knowledge, skills and attitudes learned and developed during my initial teacher education did not accurately reflect the practical work of the RE teacher. Overall, I identified a need to comprehensively support the professional development of student teachers. Secondly, I have worked as an RE teacher and have witnessed the changes brought by various social factors to the teachers’ work. For instance, globalization, multiculturalism, the growing influence of the media, technology and digitalization have affected the work of teacher and the changes have in many cases been rapid and continuous (Rothgangel et al. 2014; Sachs 2016).

Thirdly, as a researcher I have identified a need for research-based evaluation of current RE teacher education to determine key areas of needed change and renewal. I have also participated in studies investigating RE teachers and their perceptions of 21st century skills (Lipiäinen et al. 2020; Viinikka et al.

2021) to get an overall view of the professional development of RE teachers, teacher education, and differences in views between pre-service and in- service RE teachers. Fourthly, as a parent, I have been observing a school and its teaching and noticed that pupils have greater expectations regarding

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the professional skills and work of the teacher, such as multi-professional collaboration and the competence to handle pupils’ different backgrounds in the classroom.

This study is divided into two parts. The first part begins with the current introduction (Chapter 1), followed by defining the research question in Chapter 2. The third chapter includes the theoretical basis of research and the fourth chapter presents the methodological underpinnings of the study. A summary of the results of the empirical studies (published articles) forms the fifth chapter, and the results of the study are further discussed in Chapter 6. Finally, the conclusions presented in Chapter 7 elaborate the practical applicability of the results and the possibilities for further research.

The second part includes the original three publications followed by the appendices.

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2 Research question

Based on the empirical data, this study investigates the perceptions and interpretations of RE student teachers regarding their professional development with respect to 21st century skills during their initial teacher education. Specifically, the study addresses the following research question:

How do religious education student teachers perceive their professional development in the light of 21st century skills during their initial RE teacher education?

This research problem has been investigated through the following sub- research questions, which have been presented and investigated in three published research articles (included in the second part of this dissertation):

1. What expectations do RE student teachers have regarding their competence development during their studies?

2. How do RE student teachers expect different types of major (theological) and pedagogical studies to contribute to the development of their twenty-first century skills?

3. What do RE student teachers perceive as the core skills of an ideal RE teacher now and in the future?

4. What phases are identifiable in the initial teacher education of RE student teachers?

The original publications, sub-research questions, data and methods, and the connections between different parts of the study are described in Table 1.

The first column gives the name of the publication, which can be found in the second part of this dissertation. The second column tells which sub-research question the study addresses, the third column presents the data type, and the fourth column describes the methods used.

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Table 1. Original publications, sub-research questions, data and methods Original publications Sub-research

questions Data Methods

Viinikka, K. and M.

Ubani 2019. ‘The ex- pectations of Finnish RE student teachers of their professional develop- ment in their academic studies in the light of 21st century skills.’ Journal of Beliefs & Values CJBV.

1. What expectations do RE student teachers have regarding the development of their competence during their studies?

2. How do RE student teachers expect different types of major (theological) and pedagogical studies to contribute to the development of their twenty-first century skills?

Semi-structured interviews (N = 8)

Deductive content analysis and quantification of results

Viinikka, K., M. Ubani, T. Lipiäinen, and A.

Kallioniemi 2019. ‘21st century skills and Finnish student teachers’ per- ceptions about the ideal RE teacher today and in the future.’ Internation- al Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educa- tional Research 18 (8):

75–97.

3. What do RE student teachers perceive as the core skills of an ideal RE teacher now and in the future?

Semi-structured interviews (N = 8) and questionnaires (N = 43)

Quantitative analysis Deductive content analysis and quantification of results

Viinikka, K and M. Ubani 2020. ‘A qualitative analysis of Finnish RE students’ perceptions of their professional de- velopment during their initial teacher education.’

Journal of Beliefs &

Values. [Online] ahead- of-print, 1–21.

4. What phases are identifiable in the initial teacher education of RE student teachers?

Semi-structured interviews (N = 3)

Inductive content analysis

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The first publication Viinikka and Ubani (2019) ‘The expectations of Finnish RE student teachers of their professional development in their academic studies in the light of 21st century skills’ aims to answer two sub-research questions:

1. What expectations do RE student teachers have regarding the development of their competence during their studies? and 2. How do RE student teachers expect different types of major and pedagogical studies to contribute to the development of their twenty-first century skills? The data consist of eight semi-structured interviews and the method was deductive content analysis and quantification of the results. The first author of this article, Viinikka, conducted the interviews with the RE student teachers and analysed the data. She wrote the analysis and results sections for the article. In addition, she also wrote extensively for the theory and other sections of the article.

The second article by Viinikka et al. (2019) ‘21st century skills and Finnish student teachers’ perceptions about the ideal RE teacher today and in the future’

answers the following sub-research question: 3. What do RE student teachers perceive as the core skills of an ideal RE teacher now and in the future?

The data consists of eight semi-structured interviews and 43 questionnaires.

Quantitative analysis covered analysing the means and standard deviations from the questionnaire data. Deductive content analysis of the interview data and quantification of the results were conducted. The first author, Viinikka, collected and analysed the data and wrote the analysis and results sections of the article. In addition, she designed the theory section together with the other researchers and contributed to writing the conclusions section.

The third publication by Viinikka and Ubani (2020) ‘A qualitative analysis of Finnish RE students’ perceptions of their professional development during their initial teacher education’ aims to answer to research question 4: What phases are identifiable in the initial teacher education of RE student teachers?

The data included three semi-structured interviews and the method was inductive content analysis. The first author, Viinikka, collected the interview data, analysed it and wrote the analysis and results. Viinikka also contributed extensively to the theory and other sections of the article. Viinikka also managed the publication process for all of the articles.

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3 Theoretical framework

3.1 Main research fields of the study: Religious and Teacher Education

3.1.1 Studying pre-service teachers in the context of the academic discipline of Religious Education

This study is an example of the latest developments of the 5th paradigm shift in the field of Finnish religious education (Räsänen 2017) as a mixed methods approach is used and the research phenomenon is related to education.

Räsänen (2017) concluded in his study that there are five paradigm shifts in the field of religious education in Finland: (1) the original ecclesiastical paradigm, which was replaced by (2) a paradigm oriented to teaching methods, which in the 1960s was replaced by (3) the teaching community-oriented paradigm.

From the 1970s onwards (4) the individualistic-empirical paradigm became dominant and today the (5) methodologically and contextually eclectic paradigm is prevalent. In practice, the current paradigm means that beside quantitative research methods, qualitative and mixed methods approaches have become used and popular in the field of Finnish religious education and, for instance, research themes linked to education have increased (Räsänen 2017). The research questions addressed by this study have not been investigated previously. In the 1960s, religious education established its’ place within the disciplines of Theology and Practical Theology, where it also diverged from catechetical and practical theology as its own discipline (Räsänen 2017). Ubani (2017) stated that beside catechesis, religious education included features from German reform pedagogy. From the 1960s onwards the general interest in didactics increased and led to the introduction of the term ‘pedagogy of religion’ (Buchardt and Osbeck 2017). In the Nordic countries research on religious education has followed a varied approach;

for instance, a unique feature of research in Finland is that researchers have worked on empirical data with a behavioural science approach (Hartman 2017; Ubani et al. 2020), as in the case of the present study.

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A uniting factor in the field of RE in the Nordic countries has been that certain scholars have introduced common concepts and methods to the field (Buchardt and Osbeck 2017). Professor of Religious Education Kalevi Tamminen has been noteworthy in this respect during his career from the 1960s to the 1990s (Ubani 2017), during which religious education was formed as an academic discipline in Finland with an emphasis on international networking and empirical research (Räsänen 2017). During Tamminen’s time psychology of religion was brought to the fore within the educational sciences in the context of RE and sociology of religion perspectives were increasingly included in religious education research (Ubani 2017; Ubani et al. 2020a). The impacts of Tamminen’s work are still evident today; this study is also based on empirical research, and the ‘21st Century Skills, Multiple Literacies and Developing of RE Teacher Education’ research project (2018) that this study is part of conducts close collaboration with several scholars throughout Europe.

In the 1980s a differentiation occurred between religious education as a discipline and religious education as a school subject (Ubani 2017; Ubani et al.

2020a). During the 2000s, in particular, the development of subject didactics in religious education highlighted educational sciences and humanistic psychology (Ubani 2017). After Tamminen, there have been many remarkable scholars, such as Hannele Niemi and later Arto Kallioniemi and Kirsi Tirri, who have reinforced the didactics of RE in religious education rather than theology and, because of their work, the didactics of RE as an (applied) educational science evolved (Ubani et al. 2020a).

From the 2000s, subject didactics in religious education can be seen as an independent research field which has differentiated itself from theology (Ubani 2017). At the same time, the eclectic methodological and contextual paradigm (Räsänen 2017) began to be dominant in the field of RE. At that time constructivism was also a part of the theoretical discourse in religious education (Ubani 2017). Overall subject didactics of religious education became an applied science of education (Ubani 2017) and spirituality emerged as a research topic among Finnish researchers in the field of religious education (Räsänen 2017; Ubani 2017). In relation to spirituality, the emphasis in research was on an inclusive and universal perception of spirituality instead of religiosity (Tirri and Ubani 2014). Part of the background to spirituality

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becoming an important research phenomenon was that people perceived their identity in relation to religion differently than before; for instance, people defined themselves as more spiritual than religious (Tirri and Ubani 2014).

The key research phenomena of spirituality in the Finnish context have been, for instance, spiritual intelligence and sensitivity, and research has emphasized the role of spirituality as a constructor of positive youth development (Tirri and Ubani 2014). Spirituality can be perceived from the point of view of holistic growth and development of a person (Ubani and Tirri 2014), which includes issues such as finding and realizing one’s own humanity (Tirri 2006). Spirituality can be defined as a human characteristic of all people, regardless of cultural factors. It can also be viewed as a type of talent or human sensitivity (Tirri 2006).

Over time, other fields have also influenced the discipline of religious education, such as Religious Studies and Anthropology (Ubani 2017), and those have mainly contributed to RE as a school subject; however, since 2010 they seem to have increased in content in the latest national curriculum (NCCBE 2014; Ubani 2017). Overall, the connections between Religious Studies and education and didactics have been weak in Finland, which has also led to its limited role in the academic discourse in the field of religious education (Ubani et al. 2020a).

The current changes in Finnish society, such as the increasing number of beliefs and religions, emphasis on ICT, the role of the media, and attempts to avoid unwanted phenomena such as radicalism and harmful behaviour, have had impacts on the discussions on RE as a school subject and on research in the field of religious education (Räsänen 2017; Ubani 2017; Ubani et al. 2020b).

Current research on religious education has features, for instance, of generic educational sciences and multicultural education, and previous research has acknowledged that whereas religious education subject didactics does not have a strong paradigm, it is dialectic, context-sensitive and incorporates theories from many fields (Ubani 2017; Ubani et al. 2020b). The present study can be seen as part of this development in the field of religious education.

The current situation in Finland is exceptional; with so many scholars currently engaging in the debate on religious education and multicultural

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construction within the field for years to come (Ubani et al. 2020a; Ubani et al. 2020b). Recently, case studies on religious education have focused on integrated religious education (see e.g. Åhs et al. 2016, 2019a, 2019b). However, little research has been carried out on pre-service and in-service RE teachers in Finland. In particular, the latest studies on RE student teachers and their professional reflection during initial teacher education have been published by Ubani (Ubani 2012a, 2012b, 2016, 2018). Due to recent developments in the field of religious education questions have arisen related to the role of worldviews in education and dialogue in education, which will need to be resolved at both the practical and philosophical levels in the future (Ubani et al. 2020a, 2020b).

This research is relevant to the many discussions in the field of religious education. In the field of didactics of religion, a sub-genre of religious education (Ubani et al. 2020b), the findings of this study, especially regarding 21st century skills, contribute methodologically, for example, to determining what kinds of teaching methods would support the development of 21st century skills, such as religious literacy or dialogue skills, of pupils in school or in higher education. To the field of teacher education this study offers more knowledge on what contemporary skills are needed as a part of the competence of RE teachers today and how 21st century skills are seen as a part of this competence. To the field of theology, this research provides insight on how the development of skills and requirements of working life could be taken into account in different theology studies. To the fields of religious education and professionalism, this study brings more knowledge about the professional development of RE teachers. This research contributes to the latest research discussions on religious education, such as the effects of social changes, diversity, multiculturalism and dialogue. Since pre-service and in-service RE teacher education, RE student teachers and RE teachers have been little studied in Finland in recent years, the results of this study bring new openings and perspectives to the entire field of religious education.

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3.1.2 The academic field of Teacher Education as the background to this study

Previous studies have noted that teaching research and teacher education research are closely related fields (Shulman 2002; Grossman and McDonald 2008). Teacher education research originally developed out of teaching research, but subsequently evolved in isolation from mainstream teaching research and higher and professional education research (Grossman and McDonald 2008). The development of the teacher education field is reflected also in this study, which contains features from different fields: research on teaching, teacher education, and higher and professional education. For instance, 21st century skills are addressed in relation to teaching (at different levels of education), RE teacher education is located in higher education in Finland, and RE teaching is recognized as a profession in its own right.

Clarke (2001) describes the first trend in the field of teacher education, beginning in the 1950s, in which research was associated with a cognitive psychological perspective of student learning, with a focus on IQ tests and remembering and transferring knowledge. At that time, research was affected by a ‘positivist’ perspective and research interest was focused on teacher effectiveness and teacher competency. Studies were mostly experimental or quasi experimental (Clarke 2001). Teacher competence has, therefore, been researched for a long time and its definition has since evolved to be broader and more complex. In this study, competence is understood as one part of the professional development of the teacher along with other elements of professional development, such as professional identity (see e.g. Korthagen 2017).

From the 1970s onwards, research focused on student learning in relation to teacher actions, professional practice, knowledge, skills and competencies, and motives and implicit reasoning became recognized as important explanatory factors regarding the behaviour of teachers and students. The cognitive processes of learning came under scrutiny (Shulman 2002). In the 1970s both teacher’s actions and thinking were studied; for instance, Shulman and Elstein (1975) studied teacher thinking, in particular, problem solving.

In general, studies in the field of teacher education began to include more empirical studies with teachers than earlier times and particularly qualitative

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Macdonald 2008). Teacher thinking and skills such as problem solving have therefore been investigated for a long time in the field, and this study and its 21st century skills perspective thus contributes to this long line of research.

In the 1980s the focus of research was concentrated on teachers’ content knowledge and especially their content knowledge for teaching, which was also defined as pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman 2002). In particular, various conceptual models were presented for how teacher education should be conducted (Zeichner 1983; Cochran et al. 1993; Darling-Hammond 2006).

Content knowledge, or subject content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge have been researched for quite a long time in the context of teacher education. Knowledge is also recognized in this study as a crucial part of RE teacher competence; however, the aim of this study is to bring new insight into the professional development of RE teachers from the specific perspective of 21st century skills.

In the 1990s, deep content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge were emphasized as the basis for transforming teacher understanding into pedagogical actions. The ability to reflect on and learn from one’s own teaching, and subject-specific pedagogy were emphasized. In addition, methodological discussions were increasingly highlighted in teacher education research (Shulman 2002). Different research methods (such as narrative research) were becoming increasingly used in research (Clarke 2001). In 1980s and 90s research an increasing emphasis was placed on the work of teacher educators within universities (Clarke 2001). Different kinds of data and perspectives were increasingly used in research. For example, survey research became widely used in teacher education research, such as surveys of teachers’ reflections on how well they were prepared by their teacher education programmes (Dar- ling-Hammond et al. 2002; Zientek 2007). Case studies have emerged as another research genre in teacher education (e.g. Darling-Hammond 2000; Shulman 2002; Whitney et al. 2002). In case study, exemplary teacher education programmes are selected for in depth analysis and the selection of appropriate programmes is important in this line of research (Wiens 2012). Often, exemplar programmes are selected based on reputation (Boyd et al. 2009). Nowadays, many different methodological solutions are employed and both qualitative

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and quantitative methods are used in teacher education research, as also in this research.

Currently, economists and education policy researchers have entered the field of teacher education research. These researchers have brought econometrics to investigate causality in creating effective teachers with a main interest in identifying the connections between teacher education and student achievement (Wiens 2012). This kind of research uses large data and measures different teacher characteristics such as race, ethnicity and gender, and achievement based on examination scores (Boyd et al. 2005, 2007, 2009;

Clotfelter et al. 2007; Constantine et al. 2009). These econometric measures of teacher education effectiveness are gathering increasing attention and popularity in the general press as well as in teacher education research (Wiens 2012). In the mid-20^th century, competence-based models regained prominence in teacher education research; for instance, lists of teacher competences and how they can be learned during training were identified.

The main idea was based on defining a good and effective teacher in relation to student learning outcomes (Korthagen 2004). However, it is important to remember that teacher professional development is a complex phenomenon that takes time (Korthagen 2004) and that teachers’ learning processes include many dimensions and levels that are often unconscious (Korthagen 2017).

There is a risk that the development of teacher education can be detrimental and lead to poor, diminished definitions of teacher professional development if the basis and criteria for development are based on solely economic and political values, such as pedestalling effectiveness.

Grossman and McDonald (2008) argue that for teacher education research to move forward it must reconnect the fields of teaching research and teacher education research to address the complexity of both teaching as a practice and the preparation of teachers. In order to respond to the many challenges of society and the labour market, teacher education research requires an organizational perspective, which has been lacking. In particular, there is a need to understand how the organization of higher education helps teacher education programmes respond to changing conditions and policy shifts (Grossman and McDonald 2008). It is also important when doing research

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policy and societal discussions, such as the demands of labour markets. This is addressed directly by the present study, as the 21st century skills approach is targeted at meeting the requirements of working life. In general, research trends represent current research interests rather than one direction replacing another, and contributions from each trend are needed to create discussion and provoke critique, which are important for development of teacher education (Clarke 2001).

3.2 Twenty-first century skills and education

3.2.1 Twenty-first century skills as a part of the Finnish education policy agenda

21st century skills in policy and research literature

In the background of the 21st century skills perspective can be seen a variety of theories and disciplines which the skills are based on. Such theories and disciplines include problem-based learning theory, social learning theory, positive psychology, cognitive flexibility theory and networked learning theory. Problem-based learning means that the learning happens when a learner defines and thinks about a problem and seeks solutions to solve it (Boud and Feletti 1991). Social learning theory emphasizes the social contexts in which learning occurs (Bandura 1977). Researchers in the field of positive psychology emphasize happiness and good experiences in life that have a positive impact towards learning, with importance given to well- being at the level of both the individual and society (Peterson and Seligman 2004; Seligman 2011). Cognitive flexibility theory points out that learning is a cognitive process in which context plays an important role. Learners need to be able to process, research and use knowledge in ways that enable them to act fast in rapidly changing contexts (Scott 1962; Spiro et al. 1988). In networked learning theory learning is seen as occurring in and via networks, for instance in relation to other people and the sources of learning (Illich 1971; Siemens 2005). In the context of 21st century skills, a multidisciplinary background is beneficial as the 21st century skills perspective has evolved

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over a lengthy period and it has been tested in the many respective research fields.

Twenty-first century skills, also defined as future skills, transformable skills, and soft skills, is one of the latest approaches in teacher competence research (Newton and Newton 2014; Niemi et al. 2014, 2018; Niemi and Multisilta 2016;

Darling-Hammond et al. 2017; Wang et al. 2018). This research framework includes a wide variety of skills formed into different skill groups based on certain common factors. It is also important to note that the skills are generally not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary and supportive (Partnership for 21st Century Learning 2019b). A concept of twenty-first century skills includes the knowledge, skills and attitudes, which have been identified as relevant for learners today. The aim of development different twenty-first century skills is enabling students work, educate further and be as a citizen successfully in the knowledge societies (Geisinger 2016). In research have identified many different groups of skills; for instance, Soland, Hamilton and Strecher (2013) have categorized three groups of competencies: cognitive competencies, interpersonal competencies, and intrapersonal competencies (Soland et al. 2013; Geisinger 2016). Metz has grouped the skills as cognitive skills, intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, and technical skills (Metz 2011;

Geisinger 2016). In addition, Ananiadou and Claro (2009) have emphasized within 21st century skills three dimensions: information, communication, and ethics and social impact (Ananiadou and Claro 2009; Geisinger 2016).

The Partnership for 21st Century Learning model (P21) is comprehensive in nature and has been especially developed for the purposes of public education, but nowadays it is used in many fields, sectors and for different purposes (Partnership for 21st Century Learning 2019a). However, there are many different models of 21st century skills, such as the ATC21s framework (ATC21s framework 2010), and that framework have been used in different studies in Finland (see e.g. Wang et al. 2018; Lipiäinen et al. 2020). The P21 framework highlights the different basic skills and types of literacies to be acquired in public education. The different 21st century skills in the P21 model are based and developed on three basic skill categories: calculating, reading, and writing (Partnership for 21st Century Learning 2019b). The background

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teaching content knowledge to pupils is not enough. It was recognized that pupils need skills in order to live, study and work in the knowledge societies (Partnership for 21st Century Learning 2019b) where, for instance, information and technology have a major role. In this study, the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) model was used in two (“The expectations of Finnish RE student teachers of their professional development in their academic studies in the light of 21st century skills” and “21st century skills and Finnish student teachers’ perceptions about the ideal RE teacher today and in the future”) of the three articles to evaluate the perceptions of the RE student teachers.

The above mentioned articles investigated total of 21 skills (Table 2) divided into the following four categories: (1) Learning and Innovation Skills, (2) Information, Media and Technology Skills, (3) Life and Career Skills and (4) Dialogue Skills. These four groups of skills included different kinds of cognitive, inter- and intrapersonal skills. Learning and Innovation Skills included creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and learning to learn. Information, Media and Technology Skills included information literacy, media literacy and technology literacy (Partnership for 21st Century Learning 2019b). The study by Voogt and Roblin (2012) acknowledged that learning about and learning with ICT, such as information literacy and technology literacy, should be included within and across the other 21st century skills and subject contents.

Table 2. The 21st century skills analysed in this study

1. Learning and Innovation Skills 2. Information, Media and Technology Skills

Critical thinking Information literacy

Creativity Media literacy

Collaboration Technology literacy

Communication Religious literacy

Learning to learn

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3. Life and Career Skills 4. Dialogue Skills

Flexibility Generic dialogue skills

Leadership Dialogue education

Initiative Dialogue self-skills

Productivity Social skills Accountability Citizenship

Combining life and career

Global responsibility and sustainable development

As a subject-specific skill, religious literacy (NCCBE 2014) was added as a skill in its own right in the category of literacy skills by the research team of the 21st Century Skills, Multiple Literacies and Developing of RE Teacher Education research project (2018). However, religious literacy can be understood to be related to the other literacy skills, such as information- and media literacy. A previous study by Dinham and Shaw (2017) characterized religious literacy to cover critical thinking and reflecting on various sources, such as different texts, that address religions and worldviews (Dinham and Shaw 2017). Biesta et al. (2019) define religious literacy as a basic knowledge of the specific beliefs, habits and traditions of the main religious traditions of a given country and, importantly, a conceptual understanding of what religious belief systems are and an awareness of how beliefs and traditions can influence the actions of individuals. Also crucial is an understanding of the diversity within religious traditions and that religious beliefs and teachings can be interpreted in various ways. People need an ability to recognize, analyse and critique religious stereotypes, and respectful interaction (dialogue) between religious groups makes possible effective communication about beliefs (Biesta et al. 2019).

Life and career skills are approached mostly as intrapersonal skills and it is the biggest group of skills in this study. The group includes skills: flexibility, initiative, productivity, accountability, leadership, social skills, citizenship, combining life and career, and global responsibility and sustainable development (Partnership for 21st Century Learning 2019b). The study also

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21st Century Skills, Multiple Literacies and Developing of RE Teacher Education (2018) in order to highlight it in this specific research context. However, dialogue skills can be perceived as connected to or embedded in many other skills in a given framework, such as communication and collaboration. An emphasis on dialogue skills is also mentioned in the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education (2014) in particular in the context of RE. Dialogue skills have also been identified as integral to the nature of religious education in previous research (Kuusisto and Tirri 2014; Ubani and Tirri 2014; Kuusisto and Gearon 2019; Ubani et al. 2020b). Dialogue in the RE context includes discussion and reflection on different perceptions of religions and worldviews. Through dialogue, pupils are able reflect on their own perceptions in relation to their own and other religions and worldviews and, through discussion with others, share and reconstruct their viewpoints (Burbules 1993). Generic dialogue skills are defined here to include a person’s ability to reflect on their own perceptions and values through communication with others despite possible differences in view regarding religions and beliefs. Dialogue education in the context of this study means equipping teachers to understand the principles of dialogue and to use dialogue skills as a part of teaching and learning. In short, dialogue self- skills refers to a person’s ability to reflect on his or her own values and beliefs and how they are in relation to the understandings of others. The different forms of dialogue skills are defined in the research by Viinikka and Ubani (2019).

A number of different criticisms of 21st century skills have been raised in the research literature. It has been acknowledged that most of the skills have a long history; various skills have been studied and emphasized in many contexts before, such as a part of a competence of a teacher (Banks 2001; Silva 2008; Suto and Eccless 2014). However, a new point of view is in a global perspective that success of people and organizations is claimed to be depended on developing different skills and that there are economic values in the background of this viewpoint (Rotherham and Willingham 2009). Instead of in a national perspective, a new approach in Finland is for 21st century skills to be seen as a part of education policy at the comprehensive school level (NCCBE 2014) and in higher education (Tynjälä et al. 2016; Virtanen and Tynjälä 2019).

In a study by Ahonen and Kinnunen (2015) is mentioned a complex debate about a role of school to teach and evaluate the skills of pupils because there

21st century skills and RE teacher education : a case study of Finnish religious education student teachers and their professional development

KAISA VIINIKKA

21st Century Skills and RE Teacher Education

Dissertations in Education, Humanities, and Theology

21ST CENTURY SKILLS AND RE TEACHER EDUCATION

21ST CENTURY SKILLS AND RE TEACHER EDUCATION

Acknowledgements

Table of contents

List of original publications

1 Introduction

2 Research question

3 Theoretical framework