There has been little Australian research on the religious and spiritual values of counsellors � one study only, published by Cross and Khan in 1983. However, this issue is an important one, as counsellors' values may influence their clients and the need of clients may require the attention of the counsellor to religious and spiritual issues. This study consisted of two surveys in which the religious and spiritual beliefs and values of Australian counsellors were examined. The first study addressed some root questions concerning the relevance of religion and spirituality to psychologists and therapists in the counselling situation. The queries concerned (a) the recognition and acceptance by counselling practitioners of the religious/spiritual dimension of a person, (b) whether religious issues, values and beliefs were seen as an integral part of psychotherapy and (c) the degree to which these practitioners saw themselves as religious or spiritual. To answer some of these root questions, the initial objective of the field study was to survey psychologists and therapists in Canberra using the Batson and Ventis (1982) Religious Life Inventory, because this was a framework for identifying the ways in which a person was religious. Added to this were some demographic questions and questions regarding the relevance of religion to work. A poor response rate led to the surveys being sent also to Sydney and Melbourne. Results from this first survey were limited. The term "religion" was found to be far more complex than at first realised, and hence objectives were modified for a second survey. The second survey focussed on perceptions of spirituality of Canberra counsellors. The survey questions were based on the studies by Shafranske and Gorsuch (1984) and Shafranske and Malony (1990). Added to these questions were demographic questions and open questions dealing with personal insights, experiences with symbols, rituals and myths. Ideas for questions were also taken from studies on religion in Australia, including Bouma and Dixon (1986) and the Australian Values Study Survey (1983). The data was analysed first by tabling frequencies, then by cross-tabulating selected variables and computing the chi-square statistic for each cross-tabulation to determine whether the relationship was significant at the 0.05 level. Results suggested that the majority of Canberra practitioners not only perceived spirituality as important to their personal life and clinical work, but also regarded themselves as spiritual people and believed in a transcendent Being and Life Force. Most saw their spirituality as entirely personal and had little connection with organised or traditional religions. Within the counselling relationship approximately half of the counsellors were willing to discuss religious issues, and nearly 90% to discuss their clients' spirituality. Female counsellors were much more likely than male to discuss a client's religious beliefs with them; other differences between the sexes were less marked. The high response rate in this study together with the significant findings indicate the value of further research in this area on a broader scale.

It has been repeatedly observed that home and local context matter in the education of children. A smooth transition between home and classroom prepares children for enjoyable and meaningful life-long learning. Knowledge building in children is influenced by previous experience, values, beliefs and sociocultural factors associated with community. Against this theoretical background, the thesis examined the integration of local spiritual and cultural values to improve science education in Ethiopia. This autoethnographic research used in-depth interviews, supplementary observations and focus group discussion and my biography to identify the perception and practice of common and unique spiritual and cultural values. The study examined whether these values were included and/or excluded in the school curriculum and explored the possibilities for incorporating values in science education and the anticipated tensions resulting from their inclusion. Students, science teachers, parents, employers, curriculum experts, policymakers, elders, and religious leaders participated in the research, conducted in a randomly selected secondary school in Addis Ababa. The sampling followed a kind of snowball method, with a total of twenty key informants participating in interviews, fifteen classroom observations, and one focus group discussion. The data collection aimed at generating stories, which underlie the autoethnography methodology. Findings indicated that belief in and fear of God animated and sustained the Ethiopian way of life. Although spiritual teachings derived from sacred writings were the initial foundation for Ethiopian cultural norms, the two merged together later, creating a mosaic pervading every aspect of life in Ethiopia. Education was sustained on this merger of spiritual and cultural norms and values. It was also shown that the now century-old system of formal education did not incorporate those local spiritual and cultural values. Current science education also has little relationship to Ethiopian spiritual and cultural norms and is, therefore, in need of restoration. Findings showed that efforts to recapture local spiritual and cultural values in the curriculum may encounter obstacles and tensions. Clearly, the future of a more prosperous Ethiopia depends on the extent to which curriculum stakeholders can overcome these obstacles and put in place a relevant, contextual, and holistic education.

Spirituality – is a personality formation foundation. That why spiritual values formation is a very important pedagogic problem. Spiritual values basis are formed in the childhood. That is why, it is very important purposefully influence person’s spiritual formation in his early school age. The opportunities to influence pupils’ spiritual values system organizing educational process, choosing repertoire, applying different song performances at the music lessons are examined in the current Master thesis. Object: third form song repertoire as a pupil’s spiritual values system’s element. Purpose: to examine the opportunities of the song repertoire’s to influence third form pupil’s spiritual values system. The researches that had been made confirmed the hypothesis, that the songs, sang during the lesson, can influence pupil’s spiritual values system, if they suit educated individuals interests and are creatively valuable. Spiritual values system is examined in the current paper; musical composition-song like a value and like an element, which could influence pupils’ esthetic, ethnic, national, emotional, moral feelings that stipulate pupils’ spiritual formation; 8-10 years old pupils’ psychophysical features, their typical and actual activity is examined as well. Current research reveals pupils’ musical activity peculiarities: their interest towards the songs themes, singing process, song genres, song performance forms, opportunities to express themselves. Summarizing pupils’... [to full text]

It has been repeatedly observed that home and local context matter in the education of children. A smooth transition between home and classroom prepares children for enjoyable and meaningful life-long learning. Knowledge building in children is influenced by previous experience, values, beliefs and sociocultural factors associated with community. Against this theoretical background, the thesis examined the integration of local spiritual and cultural values to improve science education in Ethiopia. This autoethnographic research used in-depth interviews, supplementary observations and focus group discussion and my biography to identify the perception and practice of common and unique spiritual and cultural values. The study examined whether these values were included and/or excluded in the school curriculum and explored the possibilities for incorporating values in science education and the anticipated tensions resulting from their inclusion. Students, science teachers, parents, employers, curriculum experts, policymakers, elders, and religious leaders participated in the research, conducted in a randomly selected secondary school in Addis Ababa. The sampling followed a kind of snowball method, with a total of twenty key informants participating in interviews, fifteen classroom observations, and one focus group discussion. The data collection aimed at generating stories, which underlie the autoethnography methodology. Findings indicated that belief in and fear of God animated and sustained the Ethiopian way of life. Although spiritual teachings derived from sacred writings were the initial foundation for Ethiopian cultural norms, the two merged together later, creating a mosaic pervading every aspect of life in Ethiopia. Education was sustained on this merger of spiritual and cultural norms and values. It was also shown that the now century-old system of formal education did not incorporate those local spiritual and cultural values. Current science education also has little relationship to Ethiopian spiritual and cultural norms and is, therefore, in need of restoration. Findings showed that efforts to recapture local spiritual and cultural values in the curriculum may encounter obstacles and tensions. Clearly, the future of a more prosperous Ethiopia depends on the extent to which curriculum stakeholders can overcome these obstacles and put in place a relevant, contextual, and holistic education.

The overall goal of this thesis is to examine the newly emerging ideas and practices of spirituality and development. Spirituality and development will be discussed within the broader discourses of alternative development critiques. The issues that arise in the attempts to translate ideas of spirituality and development into practice are examined. The theoretical underpinnings of spirituality and development are analyzed, based on a literature review of spiritual, anti-colonial, post-colonial, feminist, environmental, radical economic, eco-feminist, ecumenical, geographical and anthropological critiques of development. The thesis then explores the discourses of spirituality and development within three Northern donor agencies; the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC), the World Bank and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

This thesis deals with the healthy lifestyle of parents of children with disabilities. The aim of the work, which is divided into four parts, is to analyze specifically set thematic parts related to the lives of families of children with disabilities and to create a relatively comprehensive synthesis mapping and reflecting on the given issue programmatically from various perspectives. The thesis also points out neglected connections in the life of parents of children with disabilities and stereotypes and prejudices of society.

Darbe siekiama atskleisti krikščioniškųjų vertybių reikšmę religiniam pradinių klasių mokinių ugdymui ir nustatyti krikščioniškųjų religinių žinių įtaką pradinių klasių mokiniams. Taip pat aptariama religinio ugdymo samprata ontologinių religinio ugdymo pagrindų kontekste, atskleidžiama religinių vertybių svarba krikščioniškajame ugdyme, gilinamasi į įvairius vertybinio ugdymo mokykloje ir šeimoje aspektus. Tiriama religinio ugdymo proceso ir ugdymo sąlygų, perteikiamų žinių ir pasaulėžiūros evoliucionavimo sąveika. Tyrimų rezultatai parodė, kad religinis ugdymas tampriai siejasi su vertybėmis, kurios ugdomos šeimos, mokyklos ir Bažnyčios aplinkoje. Kita vertus, religinės vertybės tampa žmogaus gyvenimo dvasiniu pamatu ir įgalina jį tapti laisvu ir kilniu asmeniu, galinčiu atsakingai kurti savo gyvenimą ir dalyvauti sociume. / This paper aims at presenting the importance of the meaning of Christian values within religious education of primary school children and to determine how the Christian religious knowledge influences them. The concept of religious education within the context of ontological basis of religious education is discussed, the importance of religious values in religious education is established and various aspects of development of those values in schools and within families are analyzed. The relation between the process of religious education, the conditions of education, the subject matter and the development of the viewpoint is analyzed. The research data has shown that religious education is closely related with the values that are developed in families, schools and the Church. On the other hand, religious values become the basis of the spiritual life of a human being and enable him/her to become a free and noble person able to responsibly live his/her life and to fully function in society.

This study provides guidelines for teacher training to promote the constitutional values in schools. The purpose is not to question the constitutional values or develop a new set of values. For a meaningful analysis within the limitations of a Master's dissertation, the study focuses on the General Education and Training Band (Grades Reception to Nine). Compared to foreign countries, open debate regarding values in education is relatively new in South Africa. Values are usually abstract but sometimes also physical entities to which human beings attach worth. They are common in individuals or groups through physical exposure and genetic make-up. Teaching inevitably instils values in learners. Schools often adopt a values system, which should not be imposed upon any individual learner. Values, and in particular moral values, should be taught in schools because they influence attitudes, priorities, principles, norms, standards, morals and ethics, which in turn influence decision-making, learner performance and behaviour, which affect the future of learners. In the Manifesto on values, education and democracy, the National Department of Education promotes ten constitutional values - democracy, social justice and equity, equality, non-racism and non-sexism, ubuntu (human dignity), an open society, accountability (responsibility), the rule of law, respect and reconciliation - for teaching in South African schools. The ten constitutional values are not imposed but are intended to help learners develop into good citizens in line with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996). The ten constitutional values should not be the only values taught in schools, as there are many other values that form an inherent part of education. At South African universities, values are included in teacher-training programmes in different forms and to varying degrees. The Higher Education HIV/Aids Programme, Revised National Curriculum Statement training, Advanced Certificate in Education and the normal curricula for pre-service teacher training are implemented at the different universities investigated. The ten constitutional and other values are integrated into all the learning areas of the Revised National Curriculum Statement. They should also therefore be integrated into teacher-training programmes. Programmes narrowly focused on the ten constitutional values should not be discouraged, as they strengthen the teaching of values in general. Values should be contextualised and purposefully infused in all teacher-training curricula. The dissertation concludes with the guidelines for the training of teachers to promote the ten constitutional values. The guidelines consider the sixteen strategies for the teaching of the ten constitutional values as outlined in the Manifesto on values, education and democracy. communication, role-modelling, literacy, human rights, arts and culture, history, religion, multilingualism, school sport, equality, anti-racism, anti-sexism, HIV/Aids, school safety, the environment and respect for diversity. The purpose of these guidelines is to guide teachers regarding which values to teach; they are thus not intended to be prescriptions on how to teach them. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This study provides guidelines for teacher training to promote the constitutional values in schools. The purpose is not to question the constitutional values or develop a new set of values. For a meaningful analysis within the limitations of a Master's dissertation, the study focuses on the General Education and Training Band (Grades Reception to Nine). Compared to foreign countries, open debate regarding values in education is relatively new in South Africa. Values are usually abstract but sometimes also physical entities to which human beings attach worth. They are common in individuals or groups through physical exposure and genetic make-up. Teaching inevitably instils values in learners. Schools often adopt a values system, which should not be imposed upon any individual learner. Values, and in particular moral values, should be taught in schools because they influence attitudes, priorities, principles, norms, standards, morals and ethics, which in turn influence decision-making, learner performance and behaviour, which affect the future of learners. In the Manifesto on values, education and democracy, the National Department of Education promotes ten constitutional values - democracy, social justice and equity, equality, non-racism and non-sexism, ubuntu (human dignity), an open society, accountability (responsibility), the rule of law, respect and reconciliation - for teaching in South African schools. The ten constitutional values are not imposed but are intended to help learners develop into good citizens in line with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996). The ten constitutional values should not be the only values taught in schools, as there are many other values that form an inherent part of education. At South African universities, values are included in teacher-training programmes in different forms and to varying degrees. The Higher Education HIV/Aids Programme, Revised National Curriculum Statement training, Advanced Certificate in Education and the normal curricula for pre-service teacher training are implemented at the different universities investigated. The ten constitutional and other values are integrated into all the learning areas of the Revised National Curriculum Statement. They should also therefore be integrated into teacher-training programmes. Programmes narrowly focused on the ten constitutional values should not be discouraged, as they strengthen the teaching of values in general. Values should be contextualised and purposefully infused in all teacher-training curricula. The dissertation concludes with the guidelines for the training of teachers to promote the ten constitutional values. The guidelines consider the sixteen strategies for the teaching of the ten constitutional values as outlined in the Manifesto on values, education and democracy. communication, role-modelling, literacy, human rights, arts and culture, history, religion, multilingualism, school sport, equality, anti-racism, anti-sexism, HIV/Aids, school safety, the environment and respect for diversity. The purpose of these guidelines is to guide teachers regarding which values to teach; they are thus not intended to be prescriptions on how to teach them. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

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