WORKSHOP EFTRE 2016, VIENNA: WHOSE FAITH AND WHOSE IDENTITY? TESTING RELIGIOUS ISSUES IN SCHOOL. OLOF FRANCK AND ANNIKA LINDSKOG Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies (National Agency for Education)

Background: national tests in the social studies subjects for grades 6 and 9 as a result of a decision by the government Social studies subjects: Geography, History, Religious Education and Civics Spring 2013: full scale trial Spring 2014  fully valid tests, intended to support the determining of marks (secresy for three years) Grade 6 (until 2015): 4 x 45 min., pupils per subject – 2016  official support material Grade 9: 2 x 120 min., pupils per subject

Religious Education in Sweden Compulsory in comprehensive school (grade 1 – 9, age 7 – 15) and in upper secondary school (grade 1 – 3, age 16 – 18) Strictly non-confessional, ”learning about – not into – religion” Includes world religions and other outlooks on life/philosophies, questions of life/existential questions and ethics Intended to promote critical thinking, understanding of oneself and of others, deepening and widening of ethical reasoning

Challenges for a non-confessional Religious Education How to make room for a critical analysis of religions and lifeviews as well as an existential reflection on belief, meaning and ethics? Is it possible to unite an analytical distance and a personal approach of pursuing meaning and truth, within the concept of knowledge as applied in Religious Education? In which way does the teaching in the subject, including assessment and marking, influence the conditions for developing a personal and non-biased dialogue between teachers and students?

Swedish national tests in RE at a glance 2013: mixture of formats – Closed questions such as multiple choice – Open-ended questions, demanding essay-like answers – The items are intended to measure levels E, C and/or A – Instructions for assessment

Abilities in the syllabus Teaching in religion should essentially give pupils the opportunities to develop their ability to: 1.analyse Christianity, other religions and other outlooks on life, as well as different interpretations and use of these, 2.analyse how religions affect and are affected by conditions and events in society,

Abilities in the syllabus, continued 3. reflect over life issues and their own and other’s identity, 4.reason and discuss moral issues and values based on ethical concepts and models, and 5. search for information about religions and other outlooks on life and evaluate the relevance and credibility of sources.

Knowledge requirements at the end of year 9: Religions Pupils have basic/good/very good knowledge of Christianity and the other world religions and show this by describing/explaining and showing the relationship between/explaining and showing the relationship and general patterns in key ideas, documents and concrete religious expressions and actions within the religions. In addition, pupils apply simple/developed/well developed and balanced reasoning about the similarities and differences within and between some religions and other outlooks on life. Pupils based on their studies of how religions can be influenced by and influence social conditions and events can describe simple/relatively complex/complex relationships with simple and to some extent/developed and relatively well/well developed and well informed reasoning. Pupils can also apply simple/developed/well developed and balanced reasoning about how questions of life are depicted in different contexts, and how identities can be shaped by religions and other outlooks on life in a way which to some extent takes the reasoning forward/carries the reasoning forward/carries the reasoning forward, and deepens or broadens it. ….

Initial reflections Think of some parts of the content in the RE syllabus/syllabii in your country! – Which challenges do you recognize with regard to the assessment of them? – Are there some parts that seem to be more – or less – difficult to assess?

Workshop task Work in pairs: Construct/design a test task that corresponds to the core content of a RE syllabus, from Sweden or from another country! Write a draft for assessment instructions for the task! What might be some possible answers at the level E (pass) for the task?

Differences between the construction of tests for the pupils of one’s own and for the pupils of the nation Demand for stringency as for the transparancy and clarity of items Considerations about the abilities vs. the content of RE – the pupils must be familiar with the content if they are to show the abilities intended in the items Ensuring validity and reliability – a prerogative and a possibility Systematical testing of formats other than essays Explicit and unambigious instructions for assessment Team work