“To Teach Them That They Are Free”? The Educational ‘Projects’ of Christian Faith Schools in Norway
This PhD thesis explores the educational projects of Christian faith schools in Norway, defined in this context as their stated ambitions and efforts to achieve their educational goals. The aim of this study was to investigate how Christian faith schools in Norway define their educational project, how they foster critical thinking, and how they respond to claims of indoctrination and lack of emphasis on critical thinking. First, I analysed data from the websites of all 83 Christian primary and lower secondary schools in Norway. Second, I analysed formal documents, including curriculum guidelines used by teachers, from five of the largest groups of Christian schools in Norway. Third, I conducted expert interviews with school leaders from the same five school groups. Through this methodology, I acquired complementary data with both breadth and depth, encompassing public statements (websites) versus internal documents, as well as insights into the leaders’ intentions and justifications for the education provided by the schools. Central to the analysis is Biesta’s (2010a) theory of qualification, socialisation, and subjectification. The empirical results point to seven main findings: 1) Variations exist in how the schools present, articulate, and justify their educational projects. According to the document analysis, all five school groups prioritise socialisation as the most prominent part of their educational purposes. Differences were identified among the groups regarding which purpose they emphasise secondarily, whether qualification or subjectification. 2) The majority of the schools aim for their students to become or grow in their Christian faith, often emphasising the nurturing of personal religious beliefs. 3) Emphasis on critical thinking varies among the schools, with differences in how it is integrated into their teaching practices. While some schools focus on critical thinking related to specific content, values, or influences, others pursue what the literature refers to as “strong” critical thinking, which encourages students to critically examine even their own religious beliefs and worldviews. 4) The schools have differing attitudes towards the students’ freedom. While most of the school leaders emphasise the importance of students becoming secure in their own (in practice, the school’s) worldview before exposure to rival views, the leader of the Catholic schools emphasises students’ freedom and views the school’s task as helping them discover this freedom. 5) Responses to allegations of indoctrination vary. Some schools acknowledge the risk of possibilities for indoctrination in religious schools, while others deflect attention to public schools and textbooks. Some reject these claims outright, while others acknowledge the possibility of what they call “blind spots”. 6) The schools do not perceive contradictions between promoting the Christian faith and encouraging critical thinking. All participating school leaders see critical thinking as a solution to the problem of indoctrination and believe it can coexist with conveying Christian faith and values. 7) The schools generally experience favourable operating conditions under current legislation but perceive enforcement as strict and inflexible. While legislation provides good framework conditions for running schools different from public schools, criticism is directed towards the Directorate of Education and Training for a strict interpretation of regulations with limited room for discretion. Based, on my theoretical examination of the relationship between critical thinking and religious education, I find that indoctrination is linked primarily to the transmission of ideological content via distasteful methods. I also find that schools can engage in indoctrinating activities unintentionally. I therefore conclude that is crucial for schools, regardless of type or profile, to be vigilant about the potential indoctrination. Given that indoctrination is associated with ideological content, conveying such content, whether religious, political, or otherwise, carries a special responsibility toward children. In these cases, it is imperative that students are afforded significant freedom to engage with these values as they see fit. Such a pedagogical approach would not only focus on socialisation, but also prioritise subjectification. This study offers more than just empirical knowledge about Norwegian faith schools. It aims to contribute to the understanding, both in academic and practical contexts, of the potential for fostering critical thinking in religious schools. The theoretical discussions on freedom, autonomy, critical thinking, and the subjectification of students are equally important. These discussions are not limited to faith schools but are also relevant to other independent schools and public schools. I hope the findings will have relevance beyond the Norwegian context and resonate with those interested in various types of schools, both in Norway and internationally.
Publisert i 2024
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