Growth of Spirituality in Children - Case Study Example

 Introduction Spiritual education in schools has gained a lot of momentum over the years as people come to realize its significance and importance. The school acts as a fertile and potent arena not only to increase a child’s knowledge but also to encourage children to reflect on the values and morals that are imparted during the learning process. Empowering children with this knowledge allows them to experience and exhibit these values. Hay and Nye (1998, pp. 104-106) emphasize that many children are very self-conscious about spirituality and hesitate to talk about such events. The reason for this could be because children come from different ethical, social and cultural backgrounds and are conservative when it comes to discussing issues on religion. Since spirituality is a broadly varied phenomenon, the ideal direction would be to include religious as well as non-religious experiences into the classroom so that children from different backgrounds would also contribute towards it and thereby everyone would benefit by the whole spiritual experience. Child- assisted Data Collection and Analysis www.childfaith.net/child.pdf 24/02/09 The Link between Spiritual and Moral Development in relation to RE. Religious Education goes a long way in acting as a binding factor between the spiritual and moral aspects of children. RE helps to sow the seed of spirituality which blossoms over time into strong moral values. Spirituality and Moral development is that aspect of education that is wholly responsible for the cultivation and development of the understanding of good morals and behavior children. RE is the key factor that goes a long way in not only building the faith of the child but also increasing their self-esteem and confidence in addition to making them decent responsible individuals. Besides helping in growth, spirituality helps them recognize their own unique potential even while acknowledging their strengths and weaknesses. Spirituality can also be called an awareness of oneself in terms of thoughts; to learn to express feelings and emotions; to recognize the value of relationships and experiences. http://www.angellight.co.uk/freespirit/nationalcurriculum.htm 29/03/09 Bigger (1999) pg 6, defines in his own terms what spirituality involves: ’It focuses on contemplation about ourselves, our responsibilities and the meaning we give to our lives and experiences. We seek inner peace. The insights, flashes of deeper understanding and awareness, can be life transforming’. Moral Responsibility Understanding the notion of right and wrong and acquiring a unique set of beliefs and values, is what guides us in our behavior, intentions and attitudes not only to ourselves but in our relationship to others. According to Halstead & Taylor (2000) ‘Children need to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding of good behaviour to make responsible moral decisions and act on them.’ In going about my study, I realized that I too shared a moral responsibility in trying to impart spiritual and moral education to children. The reason for this was because I was aware that the children faced many social and economic disadvantages. Their skills And knowledge was very limited while their social and emotional behavior were not well developed. Moreover, the class I am teaching was a mixed-aged class and so it is all the more challenging in knowing how to deal with children from different backgrounds and different age groups. On the whole the standard of the school was quite low and therefore the progress made was slow and inadequate. According to Ofsted (2005) pg. 9 ‘A significant proportion of pupils with challenging behaviour have poor language and social skills and limited concentration spans.’ The study from my point of view is very important because I hope to make a positive impact on the behavior of children by helping them to reflect on their own attitudes, behaviors and experiences in their day – to - day lives. Literature Review From ancient times, both spiritual and moral development have been acknowledged and recognized, as very important and indispensable facets of the curriculum. Hence, there is a necessary requirement to encourage and develop children’s moral and spiritual abilities. These ideas were was included in the Education Reform Act 1988 and re-affirmed in the Education Act 2002. This specified that the curriculum should promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and of society, and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/personaldevelopment/moralandspiritual/index.aspx. Most theorists are of the opinion that the moral and spiritual aspect of development in children is very important in shaping the character and personality besides the development of other physical, social and academic skills. Theorist Clive Erricker (2001) highlights a fascinating but theoretically significant aspect of RE which is very much needed in today’s post modern society. According to Erricker, the core of the RE classroom should be filled with little narratives of children and the youth which could act as stimuli that initiates religious world views instead of just teaching religion. Discussing and sharing these social constructions with children in the classroom, helps them to develop their own practical outlook in life. Referring to the format of the QCA model, Erricker argues that it presents a hermeneutical obstacle for ‘secular’ pupils, “you cannot… ‘learn from religion’”, (or ‘learn about religion’), “ when the conceptual frames of reference exclude your own” (Erricker, 2000: 6). Thatcher (1991) however, is of the opinion that it is not enough to kindle a Christian outlook of spirituality that is traditional and also spiced up with a lot of “psycho – babble.” On the other hand, Thatcher argues that understanding spirituality is broadly aesthetic and authoritarian in its outlook that should engage the child to introspect one’s real “self. (Thatcher, 1991) According to Thatcher, “Spirituality is about life with this body and not about a soul or a spirit….” (Thatcher, 1991) Watson J. (2000) on the other hand, has taken a keen interest in the RE in schools and has carried out extensive and intensive research in spiritual development. According to Watson, there are so many theories and views on spirituality that it is difficult to follow any one model. She recommends the ‘inclusion of secular world- views’ (Watson J.2000) in the imparting of RE because she feels that it could prepare a child in a much better way to inculcate a good sense of morality. In the discussion paper of ‘The National Curriculum’ on ‘Spiritual and Moral Education” (NCC, 1993; SCAA, 1996) it tends to guide schools on the importance of the moral and spiritual development of the child which does not relate to Religious Education alone but that it should be applied across the whole curriculum covering all aspects of school life. For example, an action is considered wrong if the child is punished for it. The degree of badness of an action is directly related to the severity of the punishment it receives. A method for moral education was developed by Kohlberg based on his belief that moral discussion spurred growth and reasoning. In this approach the aim was to develop through the establishment of democratic norms a culture of moral norms. He also tried to create a context in education where teachers and students could act on their moral decisions. According to Brown A. & Brown E (1996) ‘spirituality is concerned with the very essence of what it means to be human and in this sense it includes self-understanding and self-worth, creativity, emotional responses, a personal quest for meaning and a purpose and the forming of relationships. (pg. 4) www.qca.org.uk/libraryAssets/media/6149_re_spiritual_and_moral_develop.pdf 25/03/09 According to the Tony Eaude (2006) book which serves as a good guideline to educators because it is based on the “all round development of the child,” and the “whole child” Tony Eaude, (2006) states that there are three other specific aims in the teaching and learning of spirituality and morals. They are as follows – 1. Personal Development – The teaching of spirituality and morals is as important as academic achievement if the goal is the development of “the whole child.” 2. Academic – More than just learning what they are taught, children absorb the what and how of things. 3. Moral Development – It gives a sense of fulfillment to the teacher and the taught because it motivates them to be better people. The above book serves as one of the best guidelines for educators who are really interested in the “whole child” and the “all round development of the child” (Tony Eaude, (2006)as it helps to instill qualities of spirituality and good morals which makes the child a better person and much more useful to the society. Such values for the personal development of the child can only be imparted through experiences in the classroom by the teacher creating a strong awareness within the child. Such values and morals cannot be taught by rote, but has to be induced by example and experience. Elaine McCreery, (2008) in her book titled ‘Teaching RE in the Primary and Early Years’ tells us that every country has its own views and preferences in teaching Religious Education (RE) She also tells us that in order to teach RE effectively, educators should be aware of the laws and statutes governing it. She states that the two Acts of Parliament are of significant importance in the teaching of RE. The Acts are as follows – The 1944 Education Act, which gave every child an entitlement to free education until the age of 15. The 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA) which established a National curriculum. Elaine McCreery, (2008) gives us her opinion on this stating that every country has its own views and preferences for the teaching of Religious Education (RE) and in order to teach RE effectively, educators should be aware of the laws and statutes governing it. She states that the Act of Parliament is of significant importance in the teaching of RE: The 1988 Education Reform Act required schools to provide for children’s SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development). McCreery, (2008) goes on to tell us that when the 1988 ERA was brought out, “all schools determined their own curriculum; what they taught in English, Math and Science was completely up to the individual school or even the teacher” McCreery, (2008) but with the only exception of Religious instruction, which had a Local Agreed syllabus’ that had to be followed by all the schools. The content for the RE curriculum was determined by the community and not by an individual. This indicated the kind of sensitivity towards teaching children about morals and religion. Mary Stone, the author of her book “Don’t just do something – Sit There.” works as a consultant for RE, and through her experience, highlights the technique of what she calls ‘stilling’ which means to enable children to become quiet, calm and reflective which she says would go a long way in cultivating moral habits in children, especially with the children going to primary school. Mary Stone is especially recognized for her inspirational work which she brings out through interesting visualization exercises that actually work when put into practice. Her book is an excellent resource for teachers who wish to include a spiritual dimension to their RE classes. Does Re make a significant contribution to Spiritual development? RE does make a significant impact on spiritual development in the sense that it serves as a potent ground through which good morals and values can be instilled. The National Curriculum, the Education Act, 1996, has two primary aims – the first of its aims is to see that the curriculum of the school provides ample opportunities for students to learn as well as to achieve. The second aim of the National Curriculum is “to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.” Both these aims are interdependent and reinforce each other. According to them the personal development of students morally, spiritually, socially and culturally, plays a major role in helping them to develop the ability to learn as well as to achieve. Religious education makes a distinctive contribution to the school curriculum by developing pupils' knowledge and understanding of religion, religious beliefs, practices, language and traditions and their influence on individuals, communities, societies and cultures. It enables pupils to consider and respond to a range of important questions related to their own spiritual development, the development of values and attitudes and fundamental questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life. http://www.angellight.co.uk/freespirit/nationalcurriculum.htm 29/03/09. According to the QCA, which is a public body, sponsored by the (DCSF) Department for children, schools and families are responsible for developing the national curriculum covering the area of assessments, tests and examinations. The framework (published by QCA in October 2004) sets out standards for learning and attainment and exemplifies the contribution of religious education to the school curriculum. The framework highlights the significant contribution religious education makes to children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and its important role in preparing them for life in a diverse society. http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_7313.aspx 29/03/09 The 'QCA can be proud of the part it is playing in building our national stock of human capital in schools and colleges, business and industry and the nation as a whole.' (QCA, Annual Review 2007) According to the QCA education should reflect the values of the society and hence the education given either at school, and home should be on the path of the ‘spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and mental development,’ which would in turn reflect the well being of the child. According to the QCA, “Education should also reaffirm our commitment to the virtues of truth, justice, honesty, trust and a sense of duty. (QCA - National Forum for Values in Education and the Community (May 1997) Human beings value themselves as unique beings that are capable of physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual growth. It is therefore important that we strive for knowledge, understanding and wisdom throughout our lives. The preamble to the statement of values by the QCA on Value in Education and the Community states that there are a set of values that are accepted across society and the authority of these values, lay with the conscience of the individual. These values are not exhaustive and do not deal with the religious beliefs or teachings. www.nc.uk.net/nc_resources/html/values.html Theories regarding the moral development of children Most theorists are of the opinion that the moral and spiritual aspect of development in children is very important in shaping the character and personality of children besides the development of other physical, social and academic skills. Kohlberg (1984) based his own cognitive moral development theories on the understanding of Piaget (1965 and the Kantian concepts of justice that were the elicited from the work of Rawls (1971) in his research Kohlberg around six stages of the development of moral reasoning which he segregated or grouped into three main levels. In understanding the moral issues involved while interacting with others, these stages of progression reflects the level of cognitive development of the individual. One the most well known theories in the field of moral development is the approach suggested by Kohlberg. He defined moral development as thinking and reasoning about justice and fairness. This development proceeds through six stages where one can see marked changes in the moral thought process. These six stages are the ‘heteronomous morality’ (Stage 1), ‘individualistic, instrumental morality’ (Stage 2), ‘interpersonally normative morality’ (Stage 3), ‘social system morality’ (Stage 4), ‘human rights and social welfare morality’ (Stage 5), and ‘morality of universalizable, reversible, and prescriptive general ethical principles’ (Stage 6) (Kohlberg, 1984). These six stages were grouped by him in three levels- : pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. These three stages were defined by the child’s perception of correct or moral behaviour. He laid emphasis not on the response to a question but on the logic and reasoning behind it .The first stage of moral development is in the pre-conventional level of morality where children simply obey authority, to avoid being punished. The moral development in a child takes place and progresses from one level to another when the child interacts with persons whose reasoning is at least one or two stages above their own. (Kohlberg, 1984) For this reason the teachers must first determine the child’s stage of reasoning. With the establishment of the child’s reasoning, the teacher can work on the other moral dilemmas. Kohlberg’s theory focuses on the use of reason for the achievement of fairness and justice. The pre-conventional reasoning level is common among children. In this level the reasoners judge an action by its direct consequence. This level is concerned purely with the self and hence considered egocentric. Individuals, mostly children, in this level of moral reasoning focus on the consequences of the actions and their direct bearing on their own self. An action is considered wrong if the child is punished for it. The degree of badness of an action is directly related to the severity of the punishment it receives. A method for moral education was developed by Kohlberg based on his belief that moral discussion spurred growth and reasoning. In this approach the aim was to develop through the establishment of democratic norms a culture of moral norms. He also tried to create a context in education where teachers and students could act on their moral decisions. (Kohlberg, 1984) There has been criticism to the theory of moral development of Kohlberg and the methods employed by him. The claims of some critics are that the use of hypothetical situations measures is abstract rather than concrete reasoning. When the questions are out of range for the particular stage the participants turn to answers that they have learnt from some external authority. They do not give answers that are from their own internal voice. In spite of all the possible flaws, the theory of Kohlberg remains a springboard for all research into moral reasoning. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2602/is_0003/ai_2602000337 In her groundbreaking and most forward thinking resource, Rita Cheminais enumerates the importance of “Every Child Matters” and the impact it can create not only on the life of the child but also the family. This agenda is extremely necessary for teachers and caregivers working with different kinds of children and within a wide range of educational settings. This book acts as an important and minute guide paving the path towards the moral and spiritual developmental aspect of children. As Roger Straughan has rightly argued in his challengingly book titled ‘Can we teach children to be good? "The most straightforward interpretation...of this weakness (of the will) is that we sometimes simply do not want to do what we believe we ought to do." (Straughan, 1982) Commenting that ‘Akrasia’ is not thrust upon or forced but is freely chosen, he says that moral educators could identify the moral weaknesses of children and direct them to act upon it, but states that “"no teaching can guarantee such a result.” (Straughan, 95) International Journal of Children's Spirituality (2008) highlights a very unique interdisciplinary aspect in the development of moral education across a person’s lifespan. After a lot of empirical research, evaluation and assessment, it has come out with many useful educational strategies that address value issues at both social as well as the individual level. Tony Eaude (2006), in passing his valuable comments on why spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are so important for the all round growth of the child, the author says that though the aims of education are not contested yet teaching does not only mean the imparting of knowledge and skills, but it is something more than that. Teaching academic material prepares the child to acquire skills and knowledge which would secure him a job in the future, but imparting the values of morals, spirituality and religion would help him become a better person in the society. Many people assume that spirituality is to do with Religious Education or PSHE and therefore it tends to be put into those boxes. However, the truth of the matter is that it should influence all areas of education and life. The Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) in their discussion paper point out that "spiritual" is not synonymous with "religious". All areas of the curriculum may contribute to pupils' spiritual development. Spiritual development relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone, and is not dependant on a religious affiliation. http://www.smsc.org.uk/users/teachers.htm 03/04/09 How might schools foster spiritual development? Schools play a major role in fostering and maintaining the spiritual and moral development of children by including such activities into the curriculum. One such activity is meditation. Active mediation can decrease children’s imitation of the violent behavior portrayed on television (Grusec, 1973), positive attitudes toward aggression (Corder-Bolz, 1980), and orientation towards violent programs (Nathanson & Yang, 2003). Meditation is also highly recommended for parents in order to increase tolerance and spirituality in parents so they would be in a better position to handle their children. In addition to this, the teachers could serve as role models to the children while organizing discussions on violence in the media and get children to come up with solutions to the right behavior. According to Bandura (2001), environmental factors influence behaviors through personal factors such as cognitive processes. Besides imparting knowledge the school has the responsibility in cultivating the moral aspect of a child’s life. Situations of helping, caring and sharing should be created in the classroom and the teacher should deal firmly with children who do not conform to classroom behavior. Another important aspect of cultivating a moral outlook would be create an atmosphere of cooperation within the classroom where children help each other in many different ways. References J Anisworth & A Brown, 1995. Moral Education. The National Society Arweck, Elisabeth and Nesbitt, Eleanor (2007) Spirituality in education: promoting children's spiritual development through values. Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol.22 (No.3). pp. 311-326. ISSN 1353-7903 Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory of mass communication. Media Psychology, 3, 265-299. Best, R (ED) 2000. Education for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development, London: Continuum Bigger S & Brown E (1999). Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education. Exploring Values in the Curriculum. London. David Fulton Publishers Ltd Brown A & Brown E, 1996 (Religious Education in the Primary School. London. The National Society (Church of England) for Promoting Religious Education. Corder-Bolz, C. R. (1980). Mediation: The role of significant others. Journal of Communication, 30(3), 106-118. DFES (Department for Education and Skills), 2003 Excellence and Enjoyment: a strategy for Primary Schools .Elaine McCreery, 2008. Teaching RE in the Primary and Early Years. Erricker, C (2001) Shall We Dance? Authority, Representation and Voice: the Place of Spirituality in Religious Education In Religious Education 96 (1) 1-10 Erricker, C and Erricker, J (2000) Reconstructing Religious, Spiritual and Moral Education Routledge Falmer: London Geoff Teece, (2001) A Primary Teacher's Guide to RE and Collective Worship, Oxford. Nash Pollock Publishing. Grusec, J. E. (1973). Effects of co-observer evaluations on imitation: A developmental study. Developmental Psychology, 8, 141. Halstead J M & Taylor M J (2000) The Development of Values, Attitudes and Personal Qualities, A Review of Recent Research, Slough, The National Foundation for Educational Research. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, (FEB 2008), Vol 13, Issue 1, pg 95/96 Kohlberg, L. (1984). The Philosophy of Moral Development: The Nature and Validity of Moral Stages. San Francisco: Harper & Row. Kohlberg, L. (1984) Essays on moral development. Vol. II. The psychology of moral development (San Francisco, Harper & Row) Mary Stone, 1995. Don’t just do something sit there. Developing children’s spiritual awareness. Norwich. Religious and Moral Education Press Nathanson, A. I., & Yang, M. (2003). The effects of mediation content and form on children’s responses to violent television. Human Communication Research, 29(1), 111-134. NCC (1993) Spiritual and|Moral Development (Discussion paper No:3). London: School Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Ofsted, March (2005). ‘Managing Challenging Behaviour.’ A summary of Ofsted Report – HMI 2363. www.ofsted.gov.uk – Accessed 07/12/08 Piaget, J. (1965). The Moral Judgment of the Child. New York: The Free Press. Pike M.A., (2005) The Challenge of Christian Schooling in a Secular Society. Journal of Research in Christian Education. Vol. 13. pages 149 – 166. Rawls, J. (1971) A Theory of Justice. Cambridge: University Press. Roger Straughan, Can We teach Children to be Good? (London: George Allan and Unwin, 1982), 91. A. Thatcher, 1991, "A Critique of Inwardness in RE." in British Journal of Religious Education. Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 22-27. Tony Eaude. (2006) Children’s Spiritual, Moral, Social and cCultural Development. (Achieving QTS Cross Curricular Strand) Exeter. Learning Matters Ltd. Watson J (2000) Whose model of spirituality should be used in the spiritual developmentof the school children? International Journal of Children's Spirituality 5 (1) 91-101 Internet Sources Child – assisted Data Collection and Analysis www.childfaith.net/child.pdf 24/02/09 http://www.angellight.co.uk/freespirit/nationalcurriculum.htm 29/03/09 Every Child Matters - A practical guide by Rita Cheminias www.pickabook.co.uk/bookdetails.aspx?ISBN=1843124637 Identity Development http://www.sengifted.org/articles_social/Lovecky_IdentityDevelopmentInGiftedChildrenMoralSensitivity.shtml Journal of Moral Education/ Taylor and Francis www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/03057240.asp Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2602/is_0003/ai_2602000337 Moral Development in the Information Age www.tigger.uic.edu/~lnucci/MoralEd/articles/willard.html National Curriculum Website www.nc.uk.net/nc_resources/html/values.html NC Website….2008 www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/UserFiles/ASK8/File/Secondary_MFL/Secondary_MFL_Home_Page/nc_website_guide_08_08.pdf QCA www.qca.org.uk/ The National Curriculum by DFEE www.curriculum.qca.org.uk/ Understanding the Effectiveness of Moral Mediation. www.ohiolink.edu/etd/send-pdf.cgi?osu1155653070 Read More