Adapting Philosophy for Children for Finnish Upper Secondary Schools: A Comparative Analysis of Philosophy, Religious Education, and Culture, Worldviews and Ethics
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| Title: | Adapting Philosophy for Children for Finnish Upper Secondary Schools: A Comparative Analysis of Philosophy, Religious Education, and Culture, Worldviews and Ethics |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Eelis Mikkola (ORCID |
| Source: | British Journal of Religious Education. 2026 48(3):438-452. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 15 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Philosophy, Children, Secondary School Students, Comparative Analysis, Religious Education, Culture, World Views, Ethics, Educational Benefits, Program Effectiveness, National Curriculum, Core Curriculum, Curriculum Evaluation, Secondary Education, Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Teacher Background, Textbooks, High Stakes Tests, Class Size, Scheduling, Course Content |
| Geographic Terms: | Finland |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01416200.2026.2617913 |
| ISSN: | 0141-6200 1740-7931 |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we consider the question: to what extent is Philosophy for Children (P4C) a "pedagogically suitable" approach for philosophy, religious education (RE), and its secular alternative, culture, worldviews and ethics (CWE) in Finnish general upper secondary school. We define the suitability of a pedagogical approach as the satisfaction of the necessary conditions for the approach to be implemented effectively within a specific context. To establish these conditions, we utilise recent research on the causal factors affecting the effectiveness of P4C in general. Through an analysis of the National Core Curriculum of 2019 and the institutional context of Finnish upper secondary education, we identify several factors that challenge the classical implementation of P4C. We argue that the identified factors affect different subjects to varying degrees: P4C is most suitable for CWE, moderately suitable for philosophy, and least suitable for RE. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1508407 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we consider the question: to what extent is Philosophy for Children (P4C) a "pedagogically suitable" approach for philosophy, religious education (RE), and its secular alternative, culture, worldviews and ethics (CWE) in Finnish general upper secondary school. We define the suitability of a pedagogical approach as the satisfaction of the necessary conditions for the approach to be implemented effectively within a specific context. To establish these conditions, we utilise recent research on the causal factors affecting the effectiveness of P4C in general. Through an analysis of the National Core Curriculum of 2019 and the institutional context of Finnish upper secondary education, we identify several factors that challenge the classical implementation of P4C. We argue that the identified factors affect different subjects to varying degrees: P4C is most suitable for CWE, moderately suitable for philosophy, and least suitable for RE. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0141-6200 1740-7931 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01416200.2026.2617913 |
