The goal of this dissertation is to study the pedagogical implication of healing effects implicit in ‘mindfulness’ and find a way to practically use it in the site of education. The significance of this study can be found in showing the possibilit...
The goal of this dissertation is to study the pedagogical implication of healing effects implicit in ‘mindfulness’ and find a way to practically use it in the site of education. The significance of this study can be found in showing the possibility of utilizing mindfulness in understanding subjects by revealing the actual link between meditation practice and education. In order to achieve the goal, this research includes the following discussions in each chapter.
Chapter II contains the theoretical background for general understanding of mindfulness education. In this chapter, the terms related to the practice of vipassanã which is one of the buddhist performances are introduced and the contents of the practice of vipassanã are examined. Then after contemplating the position and role of mindfulness in the early buddhism, the meaning of mindfulness is discussed.
Vipassanã, which is the oldest way of buddhist meditation practice, is aimed to earn awoken ‘wisdom’ by seeing any occurred phenomenon as it is. Therefore the goal of vipassanã meditation is to make oneself ‘participate and observe’ the world one is aware of by training to extend the moment of realization. In other words, it is discussed that in the practice of vipassanã, ‘awareness’ which is gazing into one’s inner side with ‘attention concentration’ and examining those revealed with ‘mindfulness’ is needed. Especially it is understood in this chapter that the meaning of mindfulness which is the core of buddhist practice can become the passage of ‘learning’ and ‘education’ since it is ‘attention’ and ‘awareness’ which are two of the issues in pedagogy.
Chapter III discusses the pedagogical implication of the healing effects of mindfulness. First of all, in the first section, the characteristics of mindfulness is examined by focusing on ‘attention’ which is the process of observation and ‘awareness’ which is the awoken mind. Since mindfulness is a ‘choiceless awareness’ which means noticing with open mind, it is aimed for earning ‘clear knowing(sampajaňñ̃a, 正知).’ Moreover mindfulness has healing effects. ‘Choiceless awareness’ brings about ‘mental liberation’ and ‘stability’ while mindfulness aiming for ‘clear knowing’ ‘extends the field of awareness.’ These healing effects of mindfulness are the foundations from which the pedagogical implications can be derived.
In the second section, after investigating the relationship between buddhist practice and healing, the relationship between healing and education is discussed. It is discussed that ‘practice’ as ‘healing’ is in complementary relation with ‘cure,’ and argued that healing educational culture is needed in modern society where people are oriented toward behavior based on external value.
In the last section, five implications the healing effects of mindfulness has on education are introduced. For example, mindfulness helps the growth of spirituality, draws the conversion of awareness, helps the development of creativity and personality, and teaches how to react prudently. Since these healing effects of mindfulness is an ‘action of transformative human formation’ which can bring about the ‘growth of consciousness’ and ‘spiritual maturation’, it can be an alternative of healing education.
In chapter IV the approach to mindfulness which can be applied to teaching and learning in school is discussed. Mindfulness teaching and learning falls into two categories: an application by meditation and one by the development of mindfulness disposition. The latter can be divided into teaching and learning by open instruction and teaching and learning by cooperative learning. By introducing actual application example for each case the possibility of more practical approach is offered.
In the first section, to make the best learning circumstance in schools, mindfulness teaching and learning by meditation is offered. It is stressed that the meditation applied teaching and learning supplements analytic and result-oriented modern education and helps the spiritual growth by giving the eye of intuition, not sense or reason, which is achieved from the development of ‘attention’ and ‘awareness’ by improving perception or cognition.
In the second section, the application of mindfulness teaching and learning by the development of mindfulness disposition is dealt. The cultivation of mindfulness disposition means the development of attitude or thinking disposition such as intention or sensitivity. So by practicing mindfulness, students become to realize more about being mindful and behave on that realization.
As it is shown through this research, since the goal of mindfulness education is awakening students to the world, mindfulness teaching and learning is an education which develops the potential to recognize diverse circumstances by paying more ‘attention’ and adapt to each of them so that learning suitable for each circumstances can take place. Also, mindfulness teaching and learning is a mean for teachers to let their students practice ‘awareness’ by meditation, open instruction, and cooperative learning making them to intentionally pay more ‘attention’ to materials they are using. By doing this, students become to understand and apply what they have learned in a new context since they can have more fun, find the difference and interest, and see through various point of view.
In short, since mindfulness education, which aims for ‘spiritual growth’ and ‘personality formation’ by ‘conversion of awareness,’ is value-immanent, it is a way to restore or recreate ourselves. Moreover, as mindfulness teaching and learning is a experience study, it is not an education of possession in which a student owns knowledge externally but an education of wisdom where internal and fundamental approach is taken. Therefore, since mindfulness education can open a new field of education where education is not only conveyance and interaction but also a ‘transformative education,’ it can and should be valuably integrated with the school-curriculum.