Ancient Wisdom & Its Cultural Relevance: Reimagining Deep Learning Through A Spiritual Paradigm

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Spirituality as human connection

Abstract

Deep learning, with its emphasis on student-centric inquiry, has guided recent transformations in STEM education. Its relevance to generational and global challenges reveals the need for a first-person perspective in curriculum, teacher development, and pedagogy. The rise in student alienation, mental health struggles, and disconnection from ecological and ethical realities signals the limits of current frameworks. Thus, at a moment of epistemic and environmental crisis, it is imperative that we do not forget histories and imagine new futures through a contemplative framework: one that redefines inquiry, the nature of self, and our relationship with the world. This paper proposes that deep learning must be reframed through spiritual traditions such as Yoga, which—while ancient—offer pedagogical frameworks grounded in unity and interiority.

Author

• Raaghav Pandya, City University of New York