Summary
Sweden is one of the most secular countries in the world and at the same time a multi-religious society. Religious Education (RE) in school is intended to contribute to students’ understanding of different religions and worldviews, and to develop their ability to analyse ethical and moral issues. Since religion often relates to identity, culture and values, questions that arise in teaching easily become sensitive or controversial.
Aim and research questions
The purpose of this systematic review is to provide lower and upper secondary RE teachers with an overview of research on how controversial issues related to religion and worldviews can be managed in the classroom. The review addresses the following questions:
- What approaches are available for teachers when dealing with controversial issues in Religious Education?
- How do teachers’ choices influence students’ understanding of controversial issues?
Results of the Review
The review identifies five themes describing how teachers may work with controversial issues in RE: relating to context, shifting between perspectives, navigating openness and normativity, structuring dialogue, and dramatising controversies.
Relating to context
What is considered sensitive varies between classes, schools and social contexts. Teachers must deal with what is controversial for a specific group of students, in a specific setting, at a specific time. This requires teachers to be prepared to reconsider choices and adapt teaching to current circumstances. Teaching controversial issues involves knowing what may become controversial, but also when, how and why this happens.
Shifting between perspectives
Teachers are confronted with tensions between secular and religious norms on issues such as gender roles, sexuality and human rights. Subject knowledge therefore needs to be combined with relational competence to create a safe classroom where teachers can shift between perspectives. Regardless of method, it is important that students practice perspective-taking and critical thinking.
Navigating openness and normativity
Teachers must encourage students to express differing perspectives while also clearly marking when ideas conflict with democratic values. Balancing openness and normativity requires teachers to be confident in their role, have strategies to rely on, and remain in uncertain situations when discussions become challenging. Collegial and institutional support is necessary for teachers to act courageously.
Structuring dialogue
To avoid polarisation, teachers can use methods that structure discussions. A safe classroom climate is central for enabling dialogue that leads to meaningful engagement. Dialogue can provide opportunities for expression, listening, testing new ideas and learning to co-exist with value and cultural diversity.
Dramatising controversies
Aesthetic approaches such as forum theatre or theatre visits can make difficult issues more vivid. Emotional engagement may open possibilities for new understandings, but also carries risks. While some students develop empathy through narratives, others may experience the approach as manipulative.
Implications for students’ learning and development
The review shows that openly addressing controversial issues can strengthen students’ critical thinking, perspective-taking and democratic competence. Avoiding such issues risks driving students towards more polarised arenas, such as social media. Poorly managed discussions may reinforce conflict or silence some students. Thus, the teacher plays a key role in promoting openness, respect and clarity.
Conclusions
Controversial issues are a crucial part of RE teaching. The teacher’s task is to create space for meaningful dialogue while upholding democratic values and human rights. Context—such as class composition, student backgrounds, public debate and institutional conditions—determines what becomes controversial. Whole-school approaches, rather than solely individual efforts, are needed to provide a safe and democratic environment for addressing such issues.
Selection of research
The review synthesis is based on 14 qualitative studies from Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. All included studies investigate RE teaching where teachers engage with controversial issues. Since RE differs significantly between countries, only studies relevant to the Swedish context were included. Twelve studies were peer-reviewed journal articles and two were doctoral dissertations.
Project Group
The project team consists of external researchers (specialists in the field) and staff at the Swedish Institute for Educational Research.
External researchers
Karin K. Flensner, PhD, Associate Professor in Education, University West
Marie Steine von der Lippe, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Bergen, Norway
From the Swedish Institute for Educational Research
Pontus Wallin, PhD (Project Manager)
Jenny Morales Ruiz, PhD (Deputy Project Manager until May 2025)
Anna Wrammert, PhD (Deputy Project Manager from May 2025)
Lisa Jonsson (Information Specialist)
Catarina Melin (Project Assistant)
Questions and Answers
On the School Research Portal, the project manager answers questions about the research review. There you will also find discussion questions, teacher tips, and a fact box summarising the overview.
Order Copies
Order a free printed copy of the review in Swedish via the link below. If you need more than nine copies, please send your order to info@skolfi.se .
Controversial Issues in Religious Education – Teachers’ Didactic Approaches in Classroom Practice.