Psychologists have proposed that schools should teach for wisdom, but this proposal has rarely been investigated. The present study examines secondary school English language arts as a site of wisdom learning. This qualitative study investigates the instructional goals and beliefs of 16 secondary English teachers (8 beginner, 8 experienced). Interviews were analysed using techniques based in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results are discussed in light of psychological research, studies of English teaching, and the Ontario curriculum. Some elements of wisdom teaching appear to be supported in English education. Teachers connected literature teaching and classroom practices to students' life learning, emphasizing life themes, connections to self and experience, self-reflective learning, and individual needs. Experienced teachers frequently made direct connections between life/wisdom learning and student engagement, while beginners voiced concerns about negotiating supportive student- teacher relationships. Implications for proposals to teach for wisdom in schools are discussed, including a possible role for critical literacy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/42621 |
| Date | 20 November 2013 |
| Creators | Guthrie, Christine Elizabeth |
| Contributors | Ferrari, Michel |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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