This paper examines teachers' comparisons of the Abrahamic religions and the perceived impact these comparisons may have on students' learning. The purpose of this paper is to increase knowledge of how teachers compare the Abrahamic religions and to identify which religion is used as the primary point of comparison. Additionally, the study explores the relevance of these comparisons and their potential impact on students' learning. To address this purpose, a survey was distributed to high school and middle school teachers in Sweden, with 86 respondents completing the survey. The paper also draws on previous research in the field and utilizes variation theory as a theoretical perspective. The results showed that Judaism is the most common religion used for comparing with Islam and Christianity, and that the most frequent comparisons involve views of God (monotheism), but also religious leaders, dietary laws, sacred buildings, religious texts, and holidays/religious rituals. The findings, along with previous research and variation theory, indicated that comparisons themselves are not problematic for students' learning as long as they are well thought out and the elements being compared are genuinely comparable. It is also important that teachers highlight both differences and similarities and do not let one religion serve as the framework for the entire teaching.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hj-65357 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Andersson, Edvin |
| Publisher | Jönköping University, Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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