由跨文化觀點探討靈性教育

Introducing Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Spiritual Education

靈性教育之受重視及具有重要性，因為它有助於學生性靈的提升，增強他們探究更有意義的人生理想，彌補精神上的空虛感。「靈性」指的是人類的精神特徵，有助我們運用理性和覺知力來處理個人及周邊的事務。因此，臺灣十二年國民基本教育課程中，生命教育課程綱要已將靈性開展納入必修課程。但是，教師們對靈性教育課程之認知仍存盲點，在教學上有其進步與檢討的空間。

本文擬根據靈性教育三個相關要素─歷史發展、健康幸福感、1教育課程，進行臺灣、澳洲與愛爾蘭三個地方之研究，期能助益本地對於靈性教育之推動，幫助學生在健康靈性與幸福的環境下成為未來更好的公民。

The development of spirituality in educational contexts is important as it may assist students to engage in reflective thoughts and enhance a more meaningful outlook on life. "Spirituality" refers to the spirit characteristics of human beings, which enables one to use reasons and sensibilities to perceive, recognize the external world, and to be cognizant of one’s psychological states, personal experiences, and understanding of rationality. Spiritual development, in particular, is promoted as one of the major components of life education in the Taiwanese 12-year school curriculum. However, the question of whether spirituality can be taught and how it can be taught is still a challenge for many teachers in Taiwan. Spirituality is closely aligned with religion and the importance of personality integration. Studies have shown, for example, that aside from religion, there may be other avenues for the development of spirituality.

This paper addresses the theoretical and practical development of spirituality in the context of education from three contrasting perspectives: historical development, health well-being, and educational curriculum. The historical perspective looks at how spirituality becomes part of the education program. The second perspective examines the prospect that spirituality could form part of a person’s “healthy lifestyle”. The third perspective places emphasis on the extent to which spirituality is effectively taught in school. These three parts, overall, form an integral view of spiritual education in the life education context.

International views from two case studies (Australia and Ireland) about the implementation of spirituality in education may provide critical insights into the spirituality models that could assist the local life education program in the Taiwanese curriculum. This cross-cultural examination is warranted, given that the global society is moving into a multidimensional educational framework and multi-faith. Therefore it necessitates education to also move in the same direction in order to cater for the individual development and spiritual growth of students. The goal of this endeavour is to enable students to become better citizens based on more spiritually healthy well-being.