"To See Themselves as a Part of the Lives of One Another": Early Childhood Educators' Understandings of Children's Spirituality

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Spirituality in Educational Settings: The Importance of Relational and Nurturing Connections

Abstract

Based on a wider survey-study, looking at early childhood educators’ perceptions of nurturing children’s spirituality in secular educational settings, the present study analyzes the data from one of the open-ended questions responded by 33 in-service early childhood educators, regarding their understanding of children’s spirituality. Findings show that most early childhood educators surveyed believe children’s spirituality is about building connections, practicing virtues, and making meaning. Other common yet less frequently found themes were God and religion, self-awareness, mindfulness and presence, and humanness and inner feelings. Surveyed educators placed more emphasis on inter-personal character traits related to the heart, as defined in the Circumplex Model of the VIA Classification, than any other classification of strengths in order to define children’s spirituality.

Authors

• Jennifer Mata-McMahon, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

• Michael J Haslip, Drexel University

• Deborah L. Schein, Champlain College