| CODE | EPE2006 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Nurturing the Spiritual, Moral and Religious Dimensions | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Spirituality is an intrinsic part of human life. Due to its pervasive nature, it is experienced and expressed in and through diverse ways. This study-unit will encourage students to reflect on the definition of spirituality and on its relationship with religion and morality. The study-unit will tackle the role of religion in general and the resurgence of spirituality in contemporary society. It will also present the current theories on children's spirituality and children's religious and moral development. The second part of the study-unit will present spiritual, moral and religious education as essential components of holistic education. Student will be equipped with the skills and attitudes that should help them facilitate and nurture children's spiritual, moral and religious dimensions. Study-Unit Aims: Prospective Early Childhood educators will be encouraged to continue to reflect on the centrality of nurturing spiritual, religious and moral dimensions as part of young children's holistic wellbeing and growth. It also aims at equipping educators with those skills necessary to enhance children's spiritual, religious and moral dimensions. In particular they will reflect on how the narratives, art and rituals (particularly from the Christian tradition) may be tapped as an adequate resource for children's holistic development. Students will also be made aware of secular resources that may be tapped into for children brought up in non-religious families. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - discuss the relationship between morality, religion and spirituality; - list and explain the developmental stages of faith and moral development; - identify the main elements of (a) spiritual education (b) religious literacy (c) virtues education; - find, analyse and use adequate techniques and resources that foster children's spiritual, religious and moral formation. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - plan and develop suitable interventions to enhance the spiritual, religious and moral development of the child; - adopt and apply mindfulness techniques; - use different story telling methods including Godly play method; - deal with religious/belief differences in the classroom. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Kuusisto A. (Ed.) (2022). The Routledge International Handbook of the Place of Religion in Early Childhood Education and Care. Routledge. (on order) Supplementary Readings: - Gellel, A. (2010). “An inter-religious basis for denominational religious education: A paradox." An International handbook of inter-religious education edited by K. Engebretson, M. De Souza, G. Durka & L. Gearon (441-456). Netherlands: Springer 2010. - Hay, D., & Nye, R. (2006). The spirit of the child. Jessica Kingsley Pub. - Johnson, A.N, & Neagley M.W. (Eds). (2011). Educating from the Heart. Theoretical and Practical approaches to transforming education. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. - Lees, H. E. (2012). Silence in schools. UK: Trentham Books. - Roehlkepartain, E., Ebstyne King P., Wagener, L. and Benson P. (Eds.). (2005). The handbook of spiritual development in childhood and adolescence, USA: Sage.- Watson, Jacqueline, De Souza, Marian, Trousdale, Ann (Eds.) (2014). Global Perspectives on Spirituality and Education, London: Routledge. - Yust K.M., Aostre J., Eisenberg Sasso, S. and Roehlkepartain, E.C. (Eds.) (2006). Religious Perspectives on Spirituality in Childhood and Adolescence, USA: Rowman & Littlefield. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Kathianne Catherine Anne Farrugia Adrian Mario Gellel Natalie Lombardi Calleja |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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