Development Of Whole Person Research Articles

Exploring EFL Teachers’ Moral Identity: The Case of Iranian Teachers

Abstract Educating teachers for sustainability requires that teachers be considered as the mediators of change. To achieve this goal, a constructive teacher-learner relationship is essential where values and ethicality play a crucial role. Investigating language teachersí moral identity as an important aspect of teacher cognition can yield useful insights into the kind of relationship which is congenial to the desired whole-person development. The present qualitative study intended to explore the nature of moral dilemmas in language classes and teachersí criterial beliefs in responding to these dilemmatic situations. A systematic coding analysis of the recorded interviews with eight Iranian experienced EFL teachers revealed that they encountered moral dilemmas in both disciplinary and educational aspects of the teaching process. They referred to their knowledge, experience, intuitive sense as well as the teaching context and learnersí history as sources of their moral judgment. The findings on teachersí moral identity uphold implications for teacher education.

Meaning in life, connectedness, and life skills development in junior secondary school students: teachers’ perspectives in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT A student’s ‘meaning in life’ and his/her connectedness to school, friends and family are believed to be factors that influence the development of life skills. Teachers could be aware of these factors in their endeavours to foster ‘whole-person development’ in their students. In this small-scale study, twelve secondary school teachers participated in three focus groups and reported their perceptions of students’ meaning in life, connectedness and life skills. In general, they believed that having a definite goal means students have found preliminarily the meaning in life and the source of motivation. The teachers also observed that high achievers tend to set goals for future achievement, whereas the goals and aspirations of low achievers are much more short-term. Teachers suggested that development of students’ connectedness and life skills can be facilitated by the opportunity to converse with teachers, and the creation of a caring culture in schools that makes students feel valued. Conversely, parental expectations and strong academic orientation of the school may restrict students’ personal goal-setting. The findings have practical implications for teachers, counselling professionals and other support staff in schools because specific guidance activities can be devised to strengthen students’ connectedness, meaning in life, and life skills.

Reform Disconnections between the Free Quality Kindergarten Education Scheme and Kindergartens in Hong Kong

National Association of Education for Young Children (NAEYC) (2009) stated early childhood education (ECE) practitioners are key agents who develop quality assured curriculum and conduct teaching through developmentally-appropriate practice (DAP). They play the vital role in providing quality education for enhancing children's whole-person development in early years, in the sense that, their importance and significance towards children’s development is an undeniable fact. In order to retain and maintain a stable teaching team in kindergartens, whether or not ECE practitioners’ salary could be guaranteed with statutory increment are the key concerns of different stakeholders in ECE, where appropriate, the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) plays a pre-dominant role in policy-making on the subsidy of ECE in Hong Kong. This paper therefore examined the key initiative on the salary adjustment for kindergarten practitioners through the implementation of the Free Quality Kindergarten Education Scheme (Scheme) starting from 2017/18 school year (Education Bureau, 2017b). The latest three policy addresses on the direct subsidy to kindergartens joining the Scheme (Scheme-KGs), announced by the Government of HKSAR in 2016, 2017 and 2018, were extracted for examining the fault-lines in terms of direct subsidies for Scheme-KGs via content analysis. Developed by Walker (2006), the Five Reform Disconnections were adopted as theoretical framework for analyzing the disconnection between the Scheme and teachers' expectation on their salary adjustment. Practical recommendations were provided for alleviating the said disconnection.

Education for human development: a capability perspective in Saudi public education

ABSTRACT In Saudi Arabia, the national education policy emphasises developing well-rounded human beings. This broader role of education echoes the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which urge greater efforts to empower students to create a better world. This paper aims to investigate to what extent the rhetoric of Saudi education policy has been translated into practice, with a focus on the degree to which policymakers consider this wider approach and the impact that the current policy designs have on students. The study utilises the capability approach to identify students’ real opportunities to expand their learning and life capabilities. Findings from this study suggest that Saudi education tends to focus on economic benefits and give little consideration to the intrinsic value of education for whole-person development and lifelong learning. Therefore, a wider perspective is needed in education policymaking that acknowledges both the instrumental and intrinsic roles of education.

Nursing students' view of critical thinking as ‘Own thinking, searching for truth, and cultural influences’

IntroductionStudents should enhance their ability to think critically as part of a process of whole-person development. BackgroundWithin nursing education, students should employ critical thinking to ensure quality of patient care and patient safety. AimThe aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of nursing students on critical thinking. DesignA descriptive qualitative study. MethodsThis was a focus group study involving 65 nursing students from one school of nursing. A total of eleven focus group interviews were conducted. The semi-structured interview guideline was used. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed in Chinese and translated into English. Thematic analysis was adopted. ResultsThree themes centred on critical thinking were discerned: own thinking, searching for truth, and cultural influences. ConclusionsIt is suggested that future studies be conducted on how these factors might affect critical thinking. In addition, multiple nursing schools could become involved in these studies to obtain rich data and enrich the picture of students' views on critical thinking. If nurses have more time to think about what is going on, they could think critically about what they are actually doing. This would help to protect the safety of patients and to reduce the occurrence of medical accidents.

Teachers’ perceptions of the effect of selected leadership practices on pre-primary children’s learning in Hong Kong

ABSTRACTThis study attempts to identify the leadership practices in Hong Kong pre-primary schools, and to examine their impact on children's learning. A total of 287 key stakeholders, including principals, curriculum leaders and teachers, completed the questionnaires. The study adopted a structural equation model to examine the dimensions of leadership practices. The results of confirmatory factor analyses suggest that core leadership practices can be measured in accordance with the following four dimensions: setting directions for curriculum design and development; developing people in schools; building a collaborative and reflective culture; and improving teaching effectiveness. Multiple regression analysis reveals that the implementation of those leadership practices has a positive influence on children's whole-person development in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This evidence confirms the findings of previous studies that children's development and learning are enhanced through teacher leadership practices in schools.

Study protocol: a randomized controlled trial study on the effect of a game-based exercise training program on promoting physical fitness and mental health in children with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundSuboptimal physical activity levels and tolerance, poor motor skills and poor physical health are demonstrated in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We speculate that social interaction and communication deficits in children with ASD are two major factors that hinder these children from actively participating in group physical activities. While previous studies have demonstrated that exercise intervention improves motor skills and behavioral outcomes in children with ASD, these programs tend to focus only on a single sport, which may not cater to the interests of different children with ASD. In this protocol, a game-based exercise training program designed by a multi-disciplinary team (pediatrics, physical education and psychology) will be implemented by front-line healthcare providers trained following the train-the-trainer (TTT) model and subjected to validation.MethodUsing a randomized controlled trial design, the effectiveness of the game-based exercise program will be examined for 112 young children with ASD. These children were randomly assigned to two groups, which will be tested and trained in either one of the two arms of the waitlist conditions (control and intervention). The assessment of physical and psychological traits will be conducted at baseline (pre-test), at 16-weeks (post-treatment) and at 32-weeks (follow-up) of the program.DiscussionMost of the interventions designed for ASD children target either their psychological traits or physical conditions, without bridging the two states. With the recognition of bidirectional relations between mental and physical health, the present game-based exercise program which includes multiple level of difficulties was developed to equip ASD children with the necessary skills for engaging in sustainable team sports or even professional sport training. The program, if effective, will provide an entertaining and engaging training for whole-person development among children with ASD.Trial registrationThis study is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-17011898). Registered 6th July 2017.

A STUDY ON CREATIVITY AMONG TRIBAL STUDENTS IN RELATION TO ACADEMIC ANXIETY

The present study is an attempt to know the relationship of creativity with academic anxiety and find out whether tribal students with high and low academic anxiety differ in their creativity. For the analysis of data t-ratio were computed to compare the means of elaboration, originality and total creativity scores of tribal students having high and low academic anxiety. Tribal students with low academic anxiety exhibit more elaboration and originality than the students with high academic anxiety. Tribal students with high academic anxiety have less originality ability than the tribal students with low academic anxiety. Students with low academic anxiety have more total creativity than the tribal students with high academic anxiety. The process of enhancing a person's abilities and potentials in order to get them ready for society is called education. According to this viewpoint, education is a process of wholeperson development that aims to instill the information, skills, and attitudes that enable people to effectively interact with their environment. But, in today's fiercely competitive world, performance quality has emerged as the most important determinant of individual and societal advancement. Parents want and pressure their children to perform at the best level possible since the world measures students according to academic standards. Few questions have been brought up by the significant focus placed on academic accomplishment by educational scholars. What elements help pupils succeed? How much do these things affect academic success? Academic success is influenced by a number of variables, including socioeconomic status, motivation, IQ, study habits, and attitudes of students towards education.

When Teacher Autonomy Meets Management Autonomy to Enhance Learner Autonomy

AbstractDeveloping learner autonomy (LA) requires a shift of control from teachers to students. This development also relates to teacher autonomy (TA), which requires school managers to relinquish some degree of their own autonomy (MA) to teachers. Thus, a problem arises: how can the three levels of control-shifts co-exist and survive in harmony, and ideally, thrive each in its own way? Based on a recent case study, this paper aims to explore the complexity of the dynamic interaction between these three types of autonomy within an educational hierarchy. The study was conducted in a Chinese secondary school which was promoting whole-person development through a comprehensive innovation project. The participants comprised nine English teachers, the executive director, and the principal. Data collection methods included interviews, observations, and post-lesson discussions. Three issues are addressed in this paper: the principal ’s perceptions of LA, a classroom instruction model to cultivate LA, and a teacher training scheme to facilitate TA. The findings display a complex picture of these issues, and imply the importance of a genuine, shared understanding of the nature of autonomy and the need to carefully ensure the optimal balance among the three types of autonomy in the design and implementation of curriculum innovations.

Whole-person health and development: two South Indian initiatives

ABSTRACTIn responding to the 2016 reformulation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, the development community’s efforts are focused on a sweep of initiatives aiming to promote whole-society, sustainable development. The ambition of the SDGs is inspiring, but also daunting, and does not always sit easily within national models of economic development. This viewpoint profiles two organisations in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, that have decades of experience in whole-person development among scheduled tribes and disability communities. Both organisations serve as timely examples of ongoing holistic, whole-person health and development in the context of new ideals and economic realities.

Investigating the Experiences of Special School Visual Arts Teachers: An Illustration of Phenomenological Methods and Analysis

This paper reports on a recent hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed at understanding the experiences of special school teachers in Hong Kong, and specifically visual arts teachers tasked with teaching students with intellectual disabilities. Illustrating the use of a phenomenological research method, the paper outlines the methodology and procedure followed in respect of determining the source of data, conducting phenomenological interviews, and formulating themes. The themes that emerged from the interviews were examined in conjunction with the stories told by the teachers. The special school visual arts teachers who participated in this study have strong emotional and personal connections with their students. In relation to performing their teaching role, the teachers had experienced problems of various kinds, with many of these problems unique to the special school settings. In an effort to tackle these problems and improve their teaching, these teachers engaged in reflection and explored a variety of ways to enhance their students’ learning. Despite the practical learning problems their students experience, the teachers maintained that studying visual arts is beneficial to their students’ whole-person development. The paper concludes with a critical reflection on the nature of teaching visual arts to students with intellectual disabilities.

When Whole-Person Development Encounters Social Stratification: Teachers’ Ambivalent Attitudes Towards Private Supplementary Tutoring in Hong Kong

In many settings a perplexing scenario is unfolding in which school systems claim to move towards whole-person development while students and parents run in the opposite direction of narrowly defined academic achievement enhanced by private supplementary tutoring. Such tutoring is widely called shadow education because much of its content mimics that of regular schooling. It has long been clearly visible in Asia, and is now increasingly visible elsewhere. This study focuses on school teachers’ perceptions of shadow education in the context of a flourishing sector that parallels and to some extent contradicts progressive education reforms. Drawing on 47 in-depth interviews with teachers from 12 secondary schools in Hong Kong, the research found ambivalent views towards private tutoring. This ambivalence reflected intrinsic contradictions between the educational ideals of whole-person development and the function of schooling in social stratification. Such tensions are likely to become increasingly evident elsewhere as commercialised forms of private supplementary tutoring expand.

Developing Great Lakes Literacy and Stewardship through a Nonformal Science Education Camp

Informal science education has received great attention nationally in recent years, however little has been included in the research or policy literature regarding camps as contexts for informal learning. This article first describes how a Great Lakes water resource education camp is based upon professional definitions of informal, nonformal and formal education. Next, we describe specific details of our long-running Michigan 4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp designed to foster teen leadership and watershed stewardship. The Camp utilizes research-based best practices in nonformal science education, Place Based Education, Great Lakes Literacy education, and environmental education, as we demonstrate through detailed literature review. We also provide details of quantitative impact evaluation conducted between 1999 and 2012 and involving over 700 youth participants. Youth received pre-Camp and immediate post-Camp surveys. The Camp had a positive impact on teens' Great Lakes literacy, place attachment, and stewardship intentions. We conclude with recommendations for designing nonformal water literacy education, based on guidelines from the National Research Council and from our experiences, to enhance whole-person development and deep learning through nonformal camp-based programs.

Space development

Purpose – The purpose of this case study is to describe the space transformation of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library (HKUST Library) into a learning commons and how learning activities have been substantially multiplied by engaging academic and supporting units. This experience is used to posit a number of anticipated directions for library space planning. Design/methodology/approach – This paper focuses on the design elements of the learning commons and how these elements have created an effective platform for a variety of learning activities. It outlines an assessment study on how students liked the transformed space and viewed its added values. Findings – In the digital era, academic libraries can be transformed for new, effective and collaborative use. By integrating technology and flexible design, the new space excites existing scholars and attracts a broad range of new users. Students, faculty and administrators react positively to the new space, as it offers effective learning ambience. By engaging and co-creating with university partners, the new space functions as an active facilitator of learning – a hub that supports interaction and an effective platform to support pedagogy towards team projects, multimedia work and whole-person development. Future library spaces need to exhibit characteristics tailored to various user groups and their specific usage needs. Originality/value – The experience of the HKUST library will have broader implications for other academic libraries embracing their mission-critical nature and assets. It shows that libraries can embrace challenges in the digital and virtual world by creative and innovative use of their physical space.

China's Janus-faced Approach to Su Zhi Education: A Capability Perspective

Su zhi education has been adopted in schools in China to correct the overemphasis on test scores and to promote whole-person development. Although su zhi reform is not based on a capability approach, using such an approach helps to reveal the internal contradiction of the policy framework. A comprehensive analysis of the policy demonstrates that China's su zhi policy is Janus-faced, as it merely pays “lip-service” to capability development while establishing several road-blocks to prevent Chinese schools from embracing a holistic approach to education. In doing this the paper contributes to the literature on the capability approach by summarizing a tentative list of irreducible core capabilities in the Chinese context. Given the lack of research on China as a case, the discussion on the capabilities derived from su zhi education policy provides a reference point for future research.

Implementation of the Hong Kong language policy in pre-school settings

In the past, the Curriculum Development Council in Hong Kong [Curriculum Development Council (CDC). (1996). Guide to the pre-primary curriculum. Hong Kong: Government Printer; CDC. (2000). Consultation document: Learning to learn: The way forward in curriculum development. Hong Kong: Government Printer; CDC. (2001). The way forward in curriculum development – Learning to learn: Life-long learning and whole-person development. Hong Kong: Government Printer; CDC. (2006). Guide to the pre-primary curriculum. Hong Kong: Government Printer], has issued a number of consultation documents regarding the overall aims of the twenty-first century and its implementation, particularly in pre-primary education. These documents provide the backdrop for our research on the implementation of language policies in Hong Kong kindergartens. Data were collected via questionnaires, focus group interviews, and classroom observations in pre-school settings. This paper discusses the provision of bilingualism in Hong Kong pre-schools, especially the teaching and learning of English.

Moral competence as a positive youth development construct: a conceptual review.

Moral competence refers to the affective orientation to perform altruistic behaviors and the ability to judge moral issues logically. A five-stage theory of moral development is proposed. Both western and Chinese perspectives are incorporated in the elaboration of the characteristics of each stage. A brief review of the antecedents of moral competence is presented. The relationship between moral competence and adolescent developmental outcomes is also discussed. Some practical ways to promote moral competence are suggested. School-based programs may be effective in the promotion of moral competence provided it is based on all-round or whole-person development and the length of the program should be sufficiently long.

Food provisioning experiences of ultra poor female heads of household living in Bangladesh

Ultra poor women in Bangladesh are especially vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity, and they have generally been excluded from recent improvements in hunger and poverty rates in the country. An examination of the food provisioning narratives of 43 ultra poor female heads of household in Bangladesh was conducted in order to deepen understanding of this obstacle to the country's achievement of the First Millennium Development Goal. All participants were the household's sole income provider, had dependent children, and earned less than $1 USD per day. Women were purposively selected based on occupational group, context, and personal characteristics. Ethnographic interviews were conducted in January and February, 2008. Analysis of women's accounts of their daily food routine revealed chronic and pervasive food insecurity punctuated by acute episodes of absolute food deprivation that resulted from seasonal fluctuations in earnings, rising food prices, illness disrupting work, and healthcare costs. Women's accounts of their daily food provisioning experiences suggested compromises in, and trade-offs between, multiple basic needs as a result of inadequate income. Women were further constrained by social norms and gender roles that influenced their ability to work outside the home. Our method of inquiry led us to construct an organizing framework that extends knowledge of ultra poor women in Bangladesh's complex and multi-sphered experience of poverty and food insecurity. Based on these findings, we propose a strategy called whole person development (WPD), which seeks small adjustments to services, programs, and policies based on leverage points identified through in-depth narratives.

Gestalt - A Prime Medium for Holistic Research and Whole Person Education

"Abstract: This extended review paper focuses upon Gestalt’s contribution to, and place in, holistic inquiry and whole-person development. Approaches to qualitative research which have been influenced by the Gestalt tradition are reviewed, and it is argued that an authentic I-Thou position is necessary for the acquisition of valid research data and to enact meaningful education. In support of this hypothesis, contractual, idealised, and authentic levels of relating are considered within the dynamics of an inquiring relationship. Indeed, Gestalt psychotherapy is suggested to be a prime medium for phenomenological research and holistic education in its own right. Examples of Gestalt informed inquiry are interspersed throughout the paper, so that practitioners and researchers alike might better appreciate the nature of Gestalt’s contribution to social inquiry."

Curriculum management in secondary schools during political transition: a Hong Kong perspective

This article first explores the distinctive experiences of Hong Kong's colonial status and change of sovereignty (decolonisation) process from both institutionalist and culturalist paradigms. It then analyses the current state of curriculum management at the micro-level in two academically oriented secondary schools. The findings suggest that the two case study schools, with regard to medium of instruction issues, tend to become agents of resistance to decolonisation. In addition, examples drawn from the two schools illustrate a number of tensions, two of which are an academic orientation versus whole-person development, including Christian education, and local parental interests in their children's academic achievement versus official government policies for promoting civic education and active learning. The micro scenario depicted by the two case study schools reflects to some extent the evolution of an education system which has survived through a multitude of tensions and compromises.