The purpose of this study is to investigate experiences that teachers in religion has about the subject’s potential to function as an arena for development of relationships between teachers and students. Through interviews and qualitative content analysis has this essay tried to respond to this.
It turns out that student’s negative approach against the subject affects the opportunities for conversations. And based on Martin Buber and Jonas Apelin’s theories of relationships then the chances of what they call an interpersonal meeting reduces, where relationships develop when the interpersonal sphere primarily is established through conversations.
At the same time as the student´s positive attitude towards certain content such as existential questions, ethics and morals can encourage just such interpersonal encounters, as the students are perceived to experience this as relevant and interesting and also participate in other ways in the discussions. A particularly exiting result was that several of the teachers experienced that relationships improved through student’s religiosity, and the conversations that arouse thanks to students faith.
Knowledge and understanding of how relationships work and can develop in the context of certain school subjects like religion is an unexplored, therefore this study can contribute to further research.