Strangely familiar?—teachers making sense of young children's spiritual development

Abstract

I discuss philosophical and methodological difficulties in researching young children's spiritual development. I describe my research involving detailed discussions with, and observations of, 14 teachers of 4‐ and 5‐year‐olds. I highlight key issues, including what distinguishes spiritual from other sorts of development, the nature of children's spiritual experience and to what extent young children can and do engage in spiritual experience. Drawing on a critical evaluation of common features of the teachers' understanding, I sketch out features of a new and inclusive understanding of spiritual experience as that which relates to identity, place and purpose. I consider possible implications, in terms of policy, professional development and practice, based on the conclusion that environments and relationships are more important than specific experiences, techniques and skills.