Josebe Dominguez
EDU 220. Principles of Educational Psychology
Research Article Analysis
1. Please cite your article in A.P.A format:
Baker, John. (2012). Spiritual Education in the special school
setting for pupils with learning difficulties/disabilities.
International Journal of Childrens Spirituality, 17. Retrieve from
[Link]
wer/pdfviewer?sid=3051dd83-cc1b-4433-9448-7701cc8fa3fa
%40sessionmgr4002&vid=2&hid=4109
2. Would you define this study as primarily qualitative or
quantitative? Why?
I would define this article as quantitative because it is conclusive
in its purpose as it tries to quantify the problem and understand
how prevalent it is by looking for projectable results to a larger
population.
3. What method or research was conducted?
This article is based on empirical research into headteachers and
principals' perception of the meaning of spiritual education and
the provision they make and the strategies they use in order to
meet the statutory requirement to promote the spiritual
development of students through the curriculum in the special
school setting for pupils with learning difficulties/disabilities.
4. What was the data collection method used in this study?
5.
For this empirical research, the author decided to focus on 15
special schools for students with LDD, and decided to approach
the headteachers by telephone, and email. Then provided the
teachers with a detailed outline of the research purpose. There
were only three questions that the author made to the
headteachers:
What do headteachers of special schools for pupils with
LDD perceive to be the meaning of spiritual education?
What provision do headteachers of special schools for
pupils with LDD make in order to promote pupils' spiritual
development?
What strategies do headteachers of special schools for
pupils with LDD use to ensure that pupils' severe and
complex SEN are met in relation to their provision for
spiritual education?
After this, the meetings with the headteachers were type-
recorded, and the interviews were transcribed by the author.
5. What conclusions did the authors draw from this study?
The author concluded that spiritual education in school settings
for students with learning difficulties is partly about the
promotion of students well being or inner well being through the
education of their spirit or emotion.
6. Describe your own personal reaction to this study. Do you think
that it was valid? Using your critical eye share whether or not you
think this study is important for the real school setting.
I do think this is an important study. Spirituality must be an
important part of education. By spirituality, what I mean is the
age-old values that have always sustained and nourished our
society and life on this planet Earth. These values serve as the
very foundation of a harmonious existence between humans and
all of nature, including the plant and animal kingdom.
To me, the goal of education is not to create a generation only
capable of understanding the language of machines. Education
should help us attain spiritual culture.