Routledge Series on Life and Values Education – serie

The book examines ancient religious traditions and modernity in a globalized Asia that is as much in need of a moral compass as it is economic development. Religious education has been an aspect of many societies over time and irrespective of culture. Yet as globalization advances local values are challenged every day by internationalized discourses and global perspectives. It is this context that provides the rationale for this edited book. It seeks to understand what forms religious education takes in Asian contexts and what role it continues to play. On the one hand, the societies which are the subject of this book reflect ancient religious traditions but on the other they are responsible for a significant portion of the world’s economic development. The book will appeal to researchers interested in the current state of religious education in Asia, policymakers with responsibility for religious education and teachers who practice religious education on a daily basis.

Arguing for life, moral and values education as a bedrock for the original goals of school education, this monograph explores how life and values education is conceptualised and imparted in Greater China.Under a globalized, transnational, and technological world, where there has been an increase in people’s mobility, in information and cultural exchanges, there is also a growing emphasis on personal and professional ethics. Against this context, life, moral and values education has gained attention for its impact on shaping students' characters as future citizens. However, the cultivation of these values is made deeply diversified and complex by varying interpretations of "life education" and "values education" across societies, given that different societies are influenced by different socio-cultural traditions, educational ideologies and religious beliefs. The means and approaches towards life education also vary vastly from formal school subjects, school-based programmes as well as teachers and peers’ role modelling, community services, extra-curricular activities, school discipline, charity work, pastoral care, and school ethos.Recognising this inherent diversity and complexity in the approach to and the dissemination of life education, the contributors to this volume survey the practice of life education in Greater China so far, suggesting that life education is most effective when it is "diversified, dynamic and developmental across contexts". This book will provide the opportunity for engaging in important and serious debates about the future and the values that will underpin it and will prove of special interest to scholars and practitioners working on education policies curriculum development and teacher education in Greater China.

The book examines ancient religious traditions and modernity in a globalized Asia that is as much in need of a moral compass as it is economic development. Religious education has been an aspect of many societies over time and irrespective of culture. Yet as globalization advances local values are challenged every day by internationalized discourses and global perspectives. It is this context that provides the rationale for this edited book. It seeks to understand what forms religious education takes in Asian contexts and what role it continues to play. On the one hand, the societies which are the subject of this book reflect ancient religious traditions but on the other they are responsible for a significant portion of the world’s economic development. The book will appeal to researchers interested in the current state of religious education in Asia, policymakers with responsibility for religious education and teachers who practice religious education on a daily basis.

Arguing for life, moral and values education as a bedrock for the original goals of school education, this monograph explores how life and values education is conceptualised and imparted in Greater China.Under a globalized, transnational, and technological world, where there has been an increase in people’s mobility, in information and cultural exchanges, there is also a growing emphasis on personal and professional ethics. Against this context, life, moral and values education has gained attention for its impact on shaping students' characters as future citizens. However, the cultivation of these values is made deeply diversified and complex by varying interpretations of "life education" and "values education" across societies, given that different societies are influenced by different socio-cultural traditions, educational ideologies and religious beliefs. The means and approaches towards life education also vary vastly from formal school subjects, school-based programmes as well as teachers and peers’ role modelling, community services, extra-curricular activities, school discipline, charity work, pastoral care, and school ethos.Recognising this inherent diversity and complexity in the approach to and the dissemination of life education, the contributors to this volume survey the practice of life education in Greater China so far, suggesting that life education is most effective when it is "diversified, dynamic and developmental across contexts". This book will provide the opportunity for engaging in important and serious debates about the future and the values that will underpin it and will prove of special interest to scholars and practitioners working on education policies curriculum development and teacher education in Greater China.

To help researchers, educators and policy makers understand and support the development of 21st-century skills in schools, this edited volume explores the various iterations of "soft" skills with a particular focus on their implications for values and evaluates ways in which "soft skills" and "hard" values can be integrated.Discourse throughout the 21st century has focused on the changing nature of work, the need for new skill sets and the disruptive effects of new technologies. This has been a neo-liberal discourse that subordinated personal and individual needs to the needs of a productive workforce delivering more and more efficiencies linked to higher and higher profits. The solution is often seen to be in the development of a school curriculum that focuses on work-ready skills for an increasingly complex work environment and its demands. Agencies such as OECD and UNESCO highlight the need to link the skills agenda with complementary values. Yet this process is at a very early stage. The proponents of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for example highlight the impact of new technologies, not just on work but also on the social world. Yet they neglect to explore the values that would be needed in these new disruptive environments.This book takes up that issue and lays out the multiple value systems that are available for this new 21st century world. It is an important resource for policy makers, academics and teachers with responsibility for a new generation.

To help researchers, educators and policy makers understand and support the development of 21st-century skills in schools, this edited volume explores the various iterations of "soft" skills with a particular focus on their implications for values and evaluates ways in which "soft skills" and "hard" values can be integrated.Discourse throughout the 21st century has focused on the changing nature of work, the need for new skill sets and the disruptive effects of new technologies. This has been a neo-liberal discourse that subordinated personal and individual needs to the needs of a productive workforce delivering more and more efficiencies linked to higher and higher profits. The solution is often seen to be in the development of a school curriculum that focuses on work-ready skills for an increasingly complex work environment and its demands. Agencies such as OECD and UNESCO highlight the need to link the skills agenda with complementary values. Yet this process is at a very early stage. The proponents of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for example highlight the impact of new technologies, not just on work but also on the social world. Yet they neglect to explore the values that would be needed in these new disruptive environments.This book takes up that issue and lays out the multiple value systems that are available for this new 21st century world. It is an important resource for policy makers, academics and teachers with responsibility for a new generation.

Offering a pivotal reference point and a wide range of global perspectives of teaching experiences on value-creating education (VCE), this book is a timely spotlight on contemporary issues of globalisation that many educational institutions around the world may encounter. It contributes to the originality of constructing new knowledge in the field of VCE, a forward-looking framework, and an ethical and educational imperative that can be understood in different ways, from diverse theoretical orientations. The chapters written by experienced international educators explore the following questions:How do educators understand the role of VCE?What pedagogical approaches to VCE do educators employ in their classes?How do educators support the values and knowledge of VCE in all curricular areas?What do educators see as the key essential values and knowledge that students should develop through VCE?It offers valuable insights and applied pedagogical practices for postgraduate students, researchers, educational policy makers, curriculum developers, and decision-makers in higher education institutions and non-governmental organizations (e.g., UNESCO, OXFAM).

Offering a pivotal reference point and a wide range of global perspectives of teaching experiences on value-creating education (VCE), this book is a timely spotlight on contemporary issues of globalisation that many educational institutions around the world may encounter. It contributes to the originality of constructing new knowledge in the field of VCE, a forward-looking framework, and an ethical and educational imperative that can be understood in different ways, from diverse theoretical orientations. The chapters written by experienced international educators explore the following questions:How do educators understand the role of VCE?What pedagogical approaches to VCE do educators employ in their classes?How do educators support the values and knowledge of VCE in all curricular areas?What do educators see as the key essential values and knowledge that students should develop through VCE?It offers valuable insights and applied pedagogical practices for postgraduate students, researchers, educational policy makers, curriculum developers, and decision-makers in higher education institutions and non-governmental organizations (e.g., UNESCO, OXFAM).

Written by scholars from both the Western and Chinese contexts, this monograph discusses the relation between cyberbullying, socio-emotional-moral competencies, and feasible interventions by integrating values education, and provides future directions in the field of cyberpsychology. Cyberbullying has become a growing concern in the digital age as it brings devastating impacts on its victims. Educating the younger generation, particularly through values education, also known as character, moral, or social-emotional learning, helps equip children and adolescents with the necessary ethical and moral attitudes and foster the necessary socio-emotional competencies for them to navigate the digital world as responsible cyber-citizens.A central focus of the book is intervention and education. Cultivating competencies and responsible use of technology in the younger generation through values education and evidence-based intervention helps combat cyberbullying. Families, schools, and communities can work together with suitable school programmes, teacher education, and parents/school collaboration to help students cope with cyberbullying and create safer online spaces for them. Technology itself is not inherently good or bad but shaped by human choices and values. Supported by empirical evidence and theoretical insights, this book suggests ways to promote moral and emotional skills, foster digital citizenship, and encourage ethical technology design.This book provides a comprehensive understanding of cyberbullying. This timely resource will contribute to creating a safer and more positive online environment for all. It will inform researchers, educators, parents, and the community in combating cyberbullying by enabling children and adolescents to be responsible, ethical, and happy netizens.

Written by scholars from both the Western and Chinese contexts, this monograph discusses the relation between cyberbullying, socio-emotional-moral competencies, and feasible interventions by integrating values education, and provides future directions in the field of cyberpsychology. Cyberbullying has become a growing concern in the digital age as it brings devastating impacts on its victims. Educating the younger generation, particularly through values education, also known as character, moral, or social-emotional learning, helps equip children and adolescents with the necessary ethical and moral attitudes and foster the necessary socio-emotional competencies for them to navigate the digital world as responsible cyber-citizens.A central focus of the book is intervention and education. Cultivating competencies and responsible use of technology in the younger generation through values education and evidence-based intervention helps combat cyberbullying. Families, schools, and communities can work together with suitable school programmes, teacher education, and parents/school collaboration to help students cope with cyberbullying and create safer online spaces for them. Technology itself is not inherently good or bad but shaped by human choices and values. Supported by empirical evidence and theoretical insights, this book suggests ways to promote moral and emotional skills, foster digital citizenship, and encourage ethical technology design.This book provides a comprehensive understanding of cyberbullying. This timely resource will contribute to creating a safer and more positive online environment for all. It will inform researchers, educators, parents, and the community in combating cyberbullying by enabling children and adolescents to be responsible, ethical, and happy netizens.

Providing a comprehensive overview of the benefits of mindfulness for children and adolescents, this edited collection offers an in-depth exploration of research, theory, and practice from international perspectives.The book written by academics and clinicians from the East and the West, first introduces mindfulness and its roots in spirituality and psychology, and then discusses its potential for enhancing the well-being of children and adolescents. It covers a wide range of topics related to the impact of mindfulness on children and adolescents, including its effects on cognitive development, academic performance, school adjustment, emotion regulation, mental health, and social functioning. The chapters also examine how mindfulness-related concepts, such as self-compassion, can benefit children with and without special needs, as well as the importance of mindful family communication and parenting for the well-being of children and adolescents.The volume offers valuable insights to researchers, educators, and practitioners who wish to help young people cultivate mindfulness and enhance well-being. The insights will also be useful for young people and parents who want to learn about the healing power and health benefits of mindfulness.