"Vi ska inte vara rädd föratt möta människor utanför skolan" : En studie som belyser ett lärarperspektiv på studiebesök i religionskunskap

Sammanfattning: The project of this thesis is to illuminate the teacher perspective on study visits by examining how six religion teachers relate to the study visit method in high school religious education. The research object of the thesis is to investigate whether teachers believe there are viable didactic possibilities and challenges associated with the study visit concept in education, and to define them if present. The results show that the main didactic advantage, as perceived by the teachers participating in this study, lies in the meeting the study visit enables. A meeting may lead to increased insight and understanding of other people’s way of thinking, conceiving and believing. It may result in improved understanding of religiosity in general and religious identity in particular. The teachers also acknowledged that impressions and activities of a study visit may be remembered longer, as such learning methods incorporate our senses more integrally, allowing us to remember them better. The study visit is an experience the students may find useful long after graduation. One didactic challenge teachers identified is that of time and commitment investment for the individual teacher. All participants agreed that a clearly defined aim is imperative to a successful study visit, emphasizing the importance of conducting preparatory work before and after the event. The teachers also identified a didactic challenge regarding representativity. One side of the problem regarded the selection, what religions would be included in the study visits program? It was also a matter of deciding who would be representing an entire religion. The didactic challenge presented by representativity has been prioritized and is linked to theories on sociocultural perspectives on learning and intercultural pedagogy. Viewing teaching methods in a sociocultural perspective, one can conclude that students are absorbing knowledge by making study visits. The difficulty for the teacher lies in identifying what they are learning. Adopting intercultural pedagogy could circumvent this. Students are then equipped with an intercultural awareness. They will have the tools to interpret this meeting in a meaningful way, recognizing the qualities and benefits of a multicultural society.