Attending to the spiritual dimension to enhance curriculum change

Abstract

In an educational environment it was recently found that some faculty leaders of religious education managed curriculum change by paying attention to the spiritual dimension in order to help teachers to engage in implementing change. Attention to the spiritual dimension in this context provided opportunities for those likely to be alienated by change to feel connected to self and other(s) and embrace change. Faculty leaders of religious education hold a key position of school leadership throughout Catholic schooling systems in Australia. They provide leadership in all areas of the classroom religious education curriculum and they promote the spiritual well being of students and staff members within the context of the Catholic belief tradition. This paper aims to report on the perceptions of faculty leaders of religious education pertaining to how attending to the spiritual dimension encouraged teachers to overcome their own resistance to curriculum change. Ultimately as such an approach addresses the whole person, it should lead to greater levels of religious and spiritual wellbeing in the lives of teachers and, in turn, students.