At present, I am researching how Finnishness is defined in upper secondary school Evangelical Lutheran religion textbooks. This relates to my earlier research on how identities or “us” are constructed in religious education and education more broadly. Previously, I have examined these topics from the teacher’s perspective, by interviewing pupils, such as Muslim youth, and by observing lessons. Having immersed myself in textbooks, I have become enthusiastic and even somewhat surprised by how strongly the textbooks take a stance on Finnish culture and Finnish religiosity.
Researching this topic is important because the increasing diversity of society requires Finnishness to be defined more openly than before. People of many different backgrounds should be able to feel that they belong and are part of a shared story. The aim, however, is not merely to criticise textbooks, but to identify within them and within earlier research ways of simultaneously maintaining cultural heritage and relatable narratives, while also fostering a flexible relationship to them.
In the everyday life of a researcher, my working days involve a great deal of writing, information retrieval, and planning. Future projects or the initial stages of data collection must be planned carefully. A considerable amount of time is also often spent searching for relevant research literature. The actual time spent working with the data itself feels fleeting. Writing can sometimes feel laborious, but at its best I experience it as a creative endeavour approaching art. It involves an uncompromising search for the right expressions in order to succeed in saying something meaningful that is at the same time true.
I collaborate by co-authoring articles and planning new projects. It is gratifying that so many people are willing to collaborate. Collaboration requires a certain amount of networking, the building of which takes time. In addition, it requires negotiation and a degree of compatibility in working or interaction styles. I have also encountered many skilled and patient leaders of collaborative work and have tried to learn from them.
When I am not conducting research, I teach future primary school and subject teachers. Teaching occasionally provides ideas for new research topics. It is also interesting to help students pursue research into questions that interest them. A new generation of researchers must also be secured! I also work within the Society for the Study of Religion, Worldviews and Education on the dissemination of research findings. In my free time, I sing in a choir, serve as the chair of the choir — meaning that I plan and implement cultural projects — read fiction, and knit.
My greetings to those working in the field of learning and teaching research: the topics we subject didacticians study may sometimes differ from the mainstream of educational science, as they move at the intersections between educational science and the knowledge domains of particular school subjects, and on both sides of them. It has been delightful to notice the kindly curiosity with which these topics have been received in this academic community. Such openness undoubtedly broadens everyone’s horizons.
