Clarification on the meaning of 'spirituality education' and its relationship with implementing early childhood educational reform in Hong Kong

Clarification on the meaning of 'spirituality education' and its relationship with implementing early childhood educational reform in Hong Kong

對「心靈教育」涵義的澄清與實行香港幼兒教育改革的關係

• Lau, Grace W. C. Hong Kong Institute of Education

New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Association, 58(2), 128-135, 2010

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Teachers' Association

2010

• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GF Humanities & Arts

Spirituality Education Religious Education Early Childhood Educational Reform 心靈教育 宗教教育 幼兒教育改革

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Pre-Primary Education

Background: "Spirituality Education" of children has gained more concern in recent years, but there is a lack of consensus for its meaning. Some literatures regard Spirituality Education as Religious Education, while quite many literatures have shown a close relationship between Spirituality Education and Humanistic Education, which could be unrelated with Religious Education. What is the meaning of "Spirituality Education" being mentioned by the ECE reformers after all? Is it the former or the later? The Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum (2006) proposed "Lifelong learning" and "Holistic Learning", affirming the need of child-centredness (Humanistic Education) in curriculum. If so, there is a likelihood that "Spirituality Education"has a closer connection with humanistic education than with religious education. It is therefore vital to clarify the meaning of "Spirituality Education"for fostering the current early childhood educational reform. This paper seeks to explore if Spirituality Education has been misunderstood by the early childhood education practitioners with a result that hindering the implementation of educational reform.
Focus of Discussion: Through literatures review and the author's interpretation, this paper attempts to demonstrate that Spirituality Education is actually closely related with Humanistic Education and Holistic Education. Spirituality Education shares similar elements with that of liberal studies, in which the concerned areas and aspects of knowledge are widespread. Hence, it is not limited in promoting Religious Education. And pedagogies adopted in Spirituality Education mainly emphasize diversified and critical thinking. The rationales behind Spirituality Education are closely related with that of Humanistic Education and Holistic Education. Spirituality Education has no direct relation with Religious Education which emphasizes direct transmission of religious dogma.
Suggestion: In view of the importance of the role of Spirituality Education played in early childhood educational reform, early childhood education stakeholders are encouraged to distinguish the differences between Religious Education and Spirituality Education. The early childhood educational institution should discriminate between them, and to practise their school-based curriculums and pedagogies in accordance with their schools' missions and religious backgrounds. It is hoped that the authorities could tolerate and accept schools with different missions, religious and cultural backgrounds, to provide them opportunities for receiving school vouchers.
背景： 近年來越來越多教育工作者關注幼兒的心靈教育問題，但對心靈教育一詞的定義卻欠缺共識。有文獻認為心靈教育等於宗教教育，也有不少文獻指出心靈教育和人本教育有密切關係，反而與宗教教育沒有太大的關係。究竟現今教育改革工作者提出的「心靈教育」，是前者還是後者？根據2006年的學前教育課程指引提出了「終身學習、全人發展」的定位，申明教育課程要以學生為本(人本教育)而言，「心靈教育」的涵意似乎與後者的關連性較大，如是說「心靈教育」的涵意對學前教育改革便有重大的影響。本研究嘗試探討幼兒教育者對「心靈教育」有否存有誤解而影響教育改革的成效。
討論焦點：本文透過文獻回顧及作者見解，嘗試指出「心靈教育」實際上與「人本教育」和「全人教育」有密切關係。「心靈教育」尤如通識教育的課程，涉及的知識範疇及層面甚廣泛，因此並不局限於推廣宗教教育。而「心靈教育」所運用的教學法以鼓勵兒童作多元化及批判性思考為主。「心靈教育」與「人本教育」和「全人教育」的理念可謂同出一轍，而與著重直接灌輸宗教義理的宗教教育沒有直接關係。
建議： 基於「心靈教育」一詞在幼兒教育改革的重要角色，作者鼓勵幼教持份者澄清傳統宗教教育與心靈教育的分別，而幼教機構應徹底分辨兩者，及依據學校本身的辦學精神及宗教背境施行其校本需要的課程及教學法。作者更希望有關當局能包容及允許有不同辦學精神、宗教及文化背境學校，讓它們擁有獲派學券的機會。
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• English

Journal Articles

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https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/f8a7a085

2010-12-02