An integral approach to affective education: re-establishing character strenghts within the all quadrant, all levels, all lines framework of Ken Wilber
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Authors
Marrero, Frank
Issue Date
2006
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Teaching
Alternative Title
Abstract
This thesis is doubly-inspired. In positive terms, I am inspired by the Sat-Guru, Avatara Adi Da, both by his developmental discernments and pedagogical genius, and by the children who were strengthened in his schools. In negative terms, this thesis is also a response to the weakness (or absence) of affective education (including emotional education, values education, character education, and moral education) in the modem public school system.
This thesis seeks to add to the ongoing conversation about affective and character education with an updated system of thought, and, with that updated language in hand, suggest salient features that we should consider when constructing affective curriculum. It is the proposition of this paper that if we release affective education from the confines of provincial, modem, and post-modem frameworks, we will reinvigorate humanity to its core.
Because spiritual and affective education is a complex matter involving many emotional, religious, political, and pedagogical issues, this thesis will introduce the Integral Model of Ken Wilber, (e.g. Integral Psychology, 2000 and Integral Spirituality, in press) as a neutral metatheory through which to view various psychologies and educational pedagogies with their developmental and philosophical bases. This neutrality allows one to place each psychology and philosophy, science and system of thought within an integrated field. Because of the complexity of these issues, the spiritual works of Avatara Adi Da will be referred to only occasionally, with Wilber's Integral Approach being the main framework wherein issues of affective education will be discussed. Because of the sophisticated and technical nature of terms used, a glossary is provided (Appendix A).
In consideration of the foundations of the psychologies which influence and form developmental psychology and pedagogy, this paper will survey traditional educational psychologies and locate them within Wilber's model. This paper will also feature Sean Esbjörn-Hargens chart (2006) delineating Wilber's models as they apply to educational concerns. Illumined by Esbjorn-Hargens descriptive taxonomies and by the multiple intelligences of our psychological and philosophical predecessors, three affective educational models will be located and their features measured within Wilber's model. This measuring will emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of three sample approaches. Those curricula are 1) Self Science (McCown, Freedman, Jensen, and Rideout, 1999); 2) "Six Pillars of Character", (Josephson and Josephson, 1996); 3) Character Building, Activities for Kids, (Mannix, 1999).
This examination has served me in my creating a more-integrally aware curriculum, expressed primarily as a reading and writing program called Big Philosophy for Little Kids. I hope that the criteria put forth in this thesis can serve others when they conceive or implement an affective curriculum.