Research topics which group members are involved in:

• International and Comparative studies
• Teaching practices
• Enquiry based, interdisciplinary and in-depth learning.
• Re-Searchers (methodology)
• Worldviews in school and education
• Literacy and RE
• Democracy, Citizenship, Human Rights and religions and Worldviews in Education
• Religion in media and popular culture
• Didactics of excursions
• Islam and Education
• Indigenous Topics and RE
• Action Research
• Controversial Issues in School
• Conspiracy Theories and School
• Initial Schooling in RE

Innovasjon for dybdelæring med utforskende metoder i KRLE og samfunnsfag (InDeep)

RE-searchers as methods of teaching in Religions, Worldviews and Social studies in school

How are Worldviews formed? Inquiry in a Worldviews-Open Society

Book project/ Anthology

The National Curriculum from 2020 emphasize inquiry-based learning. This anthology investigates how worldviews can be explored within the school context, including whether the process through which worldviews are shaped might themselves become subject of inquiry. While the concept of religion has been widely debated, the notion of worldviews has received less scholarly attention, despite both concepts being integral to Norwegian language and curricula. This volume seeks to foreground the concept of worldview, bring it into sharper focus and opening space for innovative perspectives and approaches.

*The Norwegian term used is “Livssyn”/ Life views. 

Dembra

Dembra offers competence development for schools to prevent anti-Semitism, racism and undemocratic attitudes.

Religious Education at schools in Europe (Rel.-Edu.)

Project (Rel.-Edu.) is a project to collect information on RE in Europe, initiated at the University of Vienna.

Other projects

Aukland, Knut (2024) A methodological turn in RE, British Journal of Religious Education.

Andreassen, Øyvind Soltun & Jonathan Doney (2024) Tensions between inclusion and change in worldview education: can Joe F. Kincheloe’s bricolage help teachers navigate them?, British Journal of Religious Education

Andreassen, Øyvind Soltun og Camilla S. Jørgensen (2021) Et ressursperspektiv på uenighet: Analyse av kjerneelementet Utforsking av religioner og livssyn med ulike metoder | Prismet (uio.no). (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: «A resourceful perspective on disagreement: Analysis of core element Exploring religions and worldviews with different methods». This text is only available in Norwegian).

Andersland, Inge og Oddrun M. H. Bråten (2021) Religion og livssyn som begreper i LK20: Utforsking som strategi for å åpne begrepene | Prismet (uio.no). (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “Religion and Worldviews as concepts in LK20: Exploration as strategy for opening the concepts.”)

Aukland, Knut (2021) Kunnskapsproblemet og utforsking med ulike metoder: Å lære om vis-a-vis å lære hvordan | Prismet (uio.no). (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “The problem of knowledge and exploring with different methods”.)

Bergane, Jean. (2024) Norwegian teachers’ understandings of conspiracy theories. Acta Didactica Norden (ADNO) (Norske læreres forståelse av konspirasjonsteorier)

Bergane, Jean; Jørgensen, Camilla Stabel. (2024) Critical reading, role-playing, meta-reflection and assessment. Gyldendal Academic. This text is only available in Norwegian.

Britton, T. H. & Jørgensen, C. S. (2019). The Construction of 'religion' during field visits. In Intercultural Education 30(3). 

Bråten, O. M. H. (2015). Three dimensions and four levels: towards a methodology for comparative religious education. British Journal of Religious Education; Volum 37(2) s. 138-152. Taylor & Francis.

Bråten, O. M. H. (2018) Worldviews in Norwegian RE. In K. Sporre, G. Skeie & J. Risteniemi. Challenging Life: Existential Questions as a Resource for Education. Münster, Waxmann.

Bråten, O. M. H. & Everington, J. (2019). Issues in the integration of religious education and worldviews education in an intercultural context. In Intercultural Education. 30(3).

Bråten, Oddrun Marie Hovde & Skeie, Geir (2020). ‘Deep Learning’ in Studies of Religion and Worldviews in Norwegian Schools? The Implications of the National Curriculum Renewal in 2020. In Religions 11(11):579.

Bråten, O. M. H. (2021): Non-binary worldviews in education. In British journal of Religious Education. 44(3).

Bråten, Oddrun Marie Hovde. (2021) The Role of Space and Time: A Comparative Exploration of Religion and Education, Introduction to the Special Issue. Religion & Education. volum 48 (3).

Bråten, Oddrun Marie Hovde. (2021) Comparative perspectives on IRE in Europe. In L. Franken and B. Gent (eds): Islamic religious education in Europe: A comparative study. Routledge. ISBN 9780367353759, p. 245-248.

Bråten, Oddrun Marie Hovde. (2024) New Social Patterns: Old Educational Structures? Comparative Perspectives on How Diversity Challenges Religious Education in Europe. Walter de Gruyter (De Gruyter) European Academy of Religion (EuARe) Lectures

Bråten, Oddrun Marie Hovde; Skeie, Geir. (2025) Deep Learning and the Study of Religion and Worldviews in Schools | SpringerLink.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

Domaas, O. E. (2017) Religion og livssyn eller kulturarv og verdier. In A. B. Lund (ed). Mangfold gjennom anerkjennelse og inkludering i skolen. Trondheim: Akademika.

Domaas, O. E. (2019) En anonym minoritet i klasserommet? Kristne elever i skolens religionsfag. Prismet. vol. 70 (1).

Eggen, Renate W. Banschbach. (2022) Indigeneity versus diversity. Human Rights Education Review (HRER). volum 5 (1).

Eggen, Renate Waltraud Banschbach. (2023). A fair, correct and informative picture of Sami society and culture? - A critical look at the KRLE curriculum (Et rettferdig, korrekt og informativt bilde av samenes samfunn og kultur? - Et kritisk blikk på KRLE-læreplanen). Religion og livssyn : Tidsskrift for religionslærerforeningen i Norge (This text is only available in Norwegian.)

Eriksen, Eli-Anne Vongraven. (2023) Muslim women's relationship to Islamic sources and authority in Trondheim. Journal of Islamic Research (TIFO). This text is only available in Norwegian.

Husebø, Dag; Johannessen, Øystein Lund; Skeie, Geir (2022) Impact of action research in Norwegian religious education. British Journal of Religious Education. ISSN 0141-6200. DOI: 10.1080/01416200.2022.2049207

Jackson, R. (2014). Signposts: Policy and practice for teaching about religions and non-religious worldviews in intercultural education. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

Jørgensen, C. S. (2017) Bør ekskursjoner være del av religions- og livssynsundervisningen? In M. van der Lippe & S. Undheim (ed). Religion i skolen: didaktiske perspektiver på religions- og livssynsfaget. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “Should excursions be a part of teachings of religion and worldviews in schools?”)

Jørgensen, Camilla Stabel; Unstad, Lars. (2024) Lived Religion in the Graveyard Critical Disciplinary Literacy in Tasks for Pupils on Religious Education Excursions. Waxmann Verlag.

Jørgensen, Camilla Stabel; Unstad, Lars. (2024) Lived Religion in the Graveyard Critical Disciplinary Literacy in Tasks for Pupils on Religious Education Excursions. Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

Korsvoll, N. H. (2020). Kvifor KRLE? Forhandling og forståing av føremåla for det norske religions- og livssynsfaget i læreplan og lærebøker. Nordidactica. ISSN: 2000-9879. 10 (2). s 26 - 47. (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “Why KRLE? Negotiations and understanding of the purpose of the Norwegian school subject KRLE in the National curriculum and in textbooks.”)

Korsvoll, N. H. (2021). A Double Bypass? Tracing How the Aims of Religious Education Are Negotiated Across Different Dimensions of the Curriculum in Norway. In Religion & Education.

Mestad, I. (2014) Å snakke om religion: Elevenes fagspråk i RLE. In K. Fuglseth (ed.). RLE i klemme: Ein studie av det erfarte RLE-faget. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget. (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “Talking about religion: Students subject related language in RE”).

Mongstad, Bjarte, Gunvor Wendel, Camilla S. Jørgensen og Rob Freathy (2021) Omtale av undervisningsressurs: UtForskerne: En ny tilnærming til religions- og livssynsundervisning i barneskolen | Prismet (uio.no) (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “Comments to resource for teaching: RE-Searchers: A new approach to teaching religion and worldviews in elementary school”.)

Mårtensson, U. & Eriksen, E.-A. Vongraven (2014) Muslim Society Trondheim: A Local History. Tidsskrift for islamforskning 2014; Volum 8. (1) s. 162-189. NTNU 

Mårtensson, Ulrika; Eriksen, Eli-Anne Vongraven. (2018) Accurate Knowledge: Implications of ‘Lived Islamic Theology’ for the Academic Study of Islamic Disciplines. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. volum 29 (4).

Nestby, D. H. (2019) Hvordan kan KRLE-faget fremstille islams mangfold?. Prismet. vol. 70 (4). This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “How can Islamic plurality be represented in RE in school”).

Skeie, G. (2017) Transforming local places to learning spaces in religious education In: Location, Space and Place in Religious Education (ed] Cok Bakker, Jenny Berglund, Gerdien Bertram-Troost, Hans-Günter Heimbrock, Julia Ipgrave, Robert Jackson, Geir Skeie, Wolfram Weisse, Münster: Waxmann Verlag, 2017, p. 115-130.

Skeie, Geir (2021) Teaching and learning about Islam in educational terms. In L. Franken and B. Gent (eds): Islamic religious education in Europe: A comparative study. Routledge. ISBN 9780367353759. p.254-258.

Skeie, Geir (2020) Religious education research: Does it prepare us for the future. In: Facing the unknown Future: Religion and education on the move. Waxmann Verlag. ISBN 9783830940760. s.47-71.

Skeie, Geir (2020) Identifying the field of research. In Hans Gustafson (ed.): Interreligious studies: Dispatches from an emerging field. Baylor University Press. ISBN 9781481312547. s.24-28.

Skeie, Geir (2021) Fra vitenskapelig forskning til utforsking i skolefag : Hvilke utfordringer står religionsdidaktikken overfor? | Prismet (uio.no) (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “From scientific research to exploratory teaching in school: Which challenges are didactics of religion faced with?”)

Steen-Olsen, T. H. & Eikseth, A. G. (2010) The power of time: teachers' working day - negotiating autonomy and control. European Educational Research Journal (online). vol. 9 (2).

Unstad, Lars. (2022) Fagspesifikk literacy og posisjonering i grunnskolens religions- og livssynsfag – Et bidrag til en kritisk fagspesifikk literacy. Nordidactica. Academic article

Unstad, Lars. (2022) Hvordan skal vi forstå, og hva gjør vi med kjerneelementene i KRLE og Religion og etikk?. Prismet. Academic article

Unstad, L., & Fjørtoft, H. (2021). Texts, readers, and positions: Developing a conceptual tool for teaching disciplinary reading in religious education. Learning and Instruction, 73.

Unstad, L., Jørgensen, C. S., & Fjørtoft, H. (2020). Lesing og skriving i religions- livssynsfaget i den norske grunnskolen. En kartlegging av forskningsfeltet 2005-2018 [Vitenskapelig artikkel]. Nordidactica (1), 153-174. (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “Reading and writing in religion and worldviews subjects in the Norwegian school: Mapping of a field of research 2005-2018”.)

Unstad, L. (2014) I skyggen av storesøster? Om kirkelig mangfold i RLE-undervisningen. In K. Fuglseth (ed.). RLE i klemme: Ein studie av det erfarte RLE-faget. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget. (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: In the shadows of big sister? About the plurality of Churches in RE-teaching.)

Unstad, Lars; Fjørtoft, Henning. (2020) Disciplinary literacy in religious education: the role and relevance of reading. British Journal of Religious Education.

Unstad, Lars. (2025) Kristendom: tro, lære og praksis. Cappelen Damm Akademisk Cappelen Damm Akademisk

Unstad, Lars; Jørgensen, Camilla Stabel. (2025) Critical Disciplinary Literacy and Positioning in Religious Education | SpringerLink.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

Wendel, Gunvor og Bjarte Mongstad (2019) Dybde i læring – MOVe i skolen. I Religion og Livssyn 2/2019. 6972da_c7c3f2f5239d4752af81c261b3d536d8.pdf (religion.no) (This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: “InDepth learning – MOVe in school”).

Wendel, G & Mongstad, B. (2024) Å slippe nysgjerrigheten løs − utforskerne i klasserommet (utdanningsnytt.no). "(This text is only available in Norwegian. Translated title: «A resourceful perspective on disagreement: Analysis of core element Exploring religions and worldviews with different methods»). 

• Associate Professor Inge Andersland, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
• Associate Professor Knut Aukland, OsloMet
• Assistant Professor Kjersti Bekkelund, University of Stavanger
• Professor Jenny Berglund, Stockholm University, Sweden
• Professor Marianne Hafnor Bøe, University of Stavanger
• Dr Jonathan Doney, University of Exeter, UK
• Professor Levi Geir Eidhamar, University of Agder
• Associate Professor Judith Everington, Associate Professor, University of Warwick, UK
• Post-doc Leni Franken, University of Antwerp, Belgium
• Associate Dean Giles Freathy, School of Education, Plymouth Marjon University
• Professor Rob Freathy, University of Exeter, UK
• Dr Patricia Hannam, Hampshire County Council, UK
• Professor Dag Husebø, University of Stavanger
• Professor Robert (Bob) Jackson, University of Warwick, UK, Honorary doctorate NTNU
• Assistant Professor Caroline Klintborg, Stockholm University, Sweden
• Associate Professor Nils Hallvard Korsvoll, University of Agder
• Associate Professor Ole Andreas Kvamme, University of Oslo
• PhD Student Ingvild Mestad, Nord university
• Bjarte Mongstad, Charlottenlund lower secondary school
• Assistant Professor Lina Eide Onarheim, Western Norway University of Applied Scienced
• PhD Student Adrian Johansen Rinde, University of Stavanger
• Dr Martha Shaw, London South Bank University
• Professor Geir Skeie, University of Stavanger
• Professor Sissel Undheim, University of Bergen
• Professor Marie von der Lippe, University of Bergen
• Gunvor Wendel, Charlottenlund lower secondary school

• NoReFo Norsk Religionspedagogisk Forskerforum/ Norwegian RE Research Forum
• EARLI Religions and Worldviews in EducationReligions and Worldviews in Education
• SIRN Signposts International Research Network
• ISREV International Seminar for Religious Education and Values
• EASR European Association for the Study of Religion
• IAHR International Association for the History of Religion

2025

11 December 2025 – Presentation of the research group at the Academic Forum for ILUSA

10 December 2025 – Meeting on leadership transition and funding opportunities / Home Team

9 December 2025 – Editorial meeting on the publication: “Ways of Teaching with RE-Searchers’ Approaches Across Contexts”, Andersland, Bråten, Doney, Onarheim & Øystese (Eds.)

5 March 2025 – Submitted application to the Research Council of Norway: Religion and Worldview (RW) Education in Schools and Classrooms – Mapping and Developing Practice (Lars Unstad)

18 November 2025 – Article seminar with Adrian Johansen Rinde

19 August 2025 – Editorial meeting on the publication: “Ways of Teaching with RE-Searchers’ Approaches Across Contexts”, Andersland, Bråten, Doney, Onarheim & Øystese (Eds.)

9 April 2025 – Home Team meeting: Research group strategy, planning, building a consortium for funding applications

6 February 2025 – Home Team meeting on “Expectations for Research Groups at ILU”

2024

The RE-searchers with new examples: Tuesday 13 February 2024. Bjarte and Gunvor Wendel outlined an example of use in school and Camilla S. Jørgensen outlined an example of use in teacher education. (InDeep project meeting).

RLE forum: Tuesday 13 Erik Christensen introduced the topic "The Socratic conversation, the search for truth and KRLE"

Work on a book chapter about the RE-Searchers in ULF/ University School Project. Tuesday 12 March. Martin Øystese. (InDeep project meeting)

About enquiry-based teaching. Tuesday 23 April: Therese Britton: Global Gymnasium, Stockholm. Digital guest lecture: (InDeep project meeting).

RLE Forum: Tuesday 23 April. Eli-Anne Vongraven Eriksen, Renate Banschbach Eggen and Camilla Stabel Jørgensen presented their contributions in the book "Beginner training in KRLE"

Use of RE-searchers in a school project on Askøy. Tuesday 7 May. Inge Andersland and Linda Eide Onarheim, HVL presented their testing for discussion. (InDeep project meeting).

Guest researcher: Wednesday 16 October 2024: Monika Humeniuk, Univ. Wroklawski. Dialogue on religious education in Norway and Poland.

Øyvind S. Andreassen presented from his PhD project. Wednesday 18 September. (InDeep project meeting).

RLE forum: "Applied Religious Studies in Kindergarten?" Tuesday, November 5th at Queen Maud's Memorial University College (DMMH). We first received an orientation on RLE in kindergarten 
teacher education, before Ine R. Bratsvedal and Ann-Kathrin Bretfeld-Wolf introduced us to the topic of celebrating holidays in kindergarten and the Buddha's story in kindergarten, respectively.

On assessment and the RE-Ssearch. Giles Freathy, University of Plymouth Marjon, UK. Digital guest lecture. (InDeep project meeting.)

RLE forum: Thursday, December 5. Digital forum where Jean Bergane gave an introduction to the topic "Conspiracy theories as a philosophy of life? - How conspiracy theories are part of individual philosophy constructions".

Use of the RE-searchers at the University of Stavanger. Marianne Bø and Kjersti G. Bekkelund, UiS. Digital guest lecture. (InDeep project meeting.).

2023

InDeep Workshop: 13 December 2023

In-depth learning in religion and social studies. Lars Unstad, Nils-Hallvard Korsvoll, Jakob Maliks.

RLE Forum: Tuesday 5 December.

1st Assistant Professor Jes Heise Rasmussen presented from his research under the theme "The Church as a competitor in a market economy – a case about baby hymn singing and secularization".

InDeep Workshop: November 8, 2023

Focus on inquiry-based teaching in teacher education. Camilla S. Jørgensen.

RLE Forum: Tuesday 7 November.

PhD candidate Jean Bergane presented from his research on conspiracy theories under the theme "Conspiracy theories in school? Challenges and opportunities".

InDeep: Workshop: October 16

Report from research stay in Exeter. Oddrun Marie Hovde Bråten.

InDeep: Workshop: September 11, 2023

Involvement of student teachers in England and Norway, with Giles Freathy, Plymouth Marjon University, UK. 

InDeep: Workshop: 23 August 2023

Contextual factors relevant to in-depth learning.

Webinar: 11. august 2023

About marking of master thesis in RE i Teacher Education

Home Team meeting, 29 August 2023

Seminar 1: InDeep project, 15-16 May 2023

Deep Learning in SS and RW, in theory and practice

Lars Unstad, NTNU with Jacob Maliks, NTNU, Knut Aukland, OsloMet and Nils Hallvard Korsvoll, UiA: Deep Learning in SS and RW according to literature studies. Giles Freathy, Plymouth Majron University (digitally), Enquiry based teaching (the RE-searchers approach) in studies of Religion and Worldviews (RW) in English schools.

Guest lecture: 27 February 2023

Ole Andreas Kvamme, UiO. Ethics and Sustainability.

Mid-term seminar: 27 February 2023

PhD canidate Øyvind S. Andreassen, NTNU. Respondent: Ole A. Kvamme, UiO.

Previous activities