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Seeking the Spiritual: The Complexities of Spiritual Development in the Classroom

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International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Religion and Education ((IHRE,volume 3))

Abstract

This chapter explores the role of spiritual development in primary schools in the UK context, focussing on the hidden nature of children’s spirituality and how teachers can provide children with opportunities within the curriculum to share and explore their spirituality. An emphasis is placed on describing the range of spiritual experiences which children have. These are often hidden from adults as society’s taboos, and adult disinterest can discourage children from revealing their spirituality. This chapter encourages teachers to become more aware of children’s spiritual experiences and to incorporate them into the curriculum. In doing so, children’s wellbeing, and in turn their learning, can be enhanced.

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Correspondence to Kate Adams .

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© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

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Adams, K. (2009). Seeking the Spiritual: The Complexities of Spiritual Development in the Classroom. In: de Souza, M., Francis, L.J., O’Higgins-Norman, J., Scott, D. (eds) International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9018-9_43

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