Framställningen av religiösa urkunder i läromedel: en studie av förändring över tid och skillnader mellan monoteistiska religioner.

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study is to analyse how the monotheistic religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are represented in selected textbooks for school years 7–9 in Sweden. The focus is on how the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran are presented, how much space they are given, and how this has changed in relation to the Swedish curricula Lpo 94, Lgr 11, and Lgr 22. The study uses curriculum theory (läroplansteori) by Thomas Englund and social semiotic theory (socialsemiotisk teori) by Marie Leijon and Fredrik Lindstrand, as well as multimodality (multimodalitet) as described by Kristina Danielsson, as analytical frameworks. It is based on a qualitative content analysis of selected textbooks. The material has been coded and analysed thematically based on the aim and research questions. Previous research shows that there are few studies that compare textbooks over time in relation to curriculum changes. The results show differences and changes in how the sacred texts of the monotheistic religions are presented in textbooks for lower secondary school, both between the religions and over time. Christianity is given the most space, especially in older textbooks, where the Bible is mainly presented through stories and historical descriptions. Judaism and Islam are more often presented through rules, traditions, and practical religious guidance, where the Torah and the Quran are mainly linked to religious laws and instructions. Over time, there is a shift from storytelling to more structured and fact-based descriptions, where sacred texts are more often treated as organised knowledge. The study also shows that textbooks only partly follow changes in the curricula. Even though Lgr 11 and Lgr 22 focus on interpretation, critical thinking, and diversity, the textbooks are still mostly general and descriptive, with little focus on differences and interpretations within the religious traditions. The analysis shows that textbooks both follow and differ from curriculum goals, and that language, structure, and images influence how religions and their sacred texts are understood.