Overview
- Proposes a fresh and completely novel perspective on 'educational' theory, practice and research
- Grounds its claims in an interdisciplinary approach that integrates philosophy, neuroscience, psychology and a self-experimental approach
- Offers a powerful tool for diagnosing the problems of our current educational theory and practice, and develops creative solutions to these problems
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Table of contents (10 chapters)
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Fundamentals of Mind, Fundamentals of āEducationā
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The Expulsion of Mind from āEducationā: A Diagnosis of the Current āEducationalā Construct
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The Inner Curriculum: Positioning the Mind at the Center of Curriculum and Pedagogy
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About this book
Reviews
āThis book is not just āanotherā addition to the contemplative turn in education, which has been around since the turn of the millennium, but is an outstanding and unique contribution to this movement. ... the author does a really good job of analyzing the nuances of the mind ā¦ . This book is not just about something, but rather, it is something.ā (Cuong Nguyen, Educational Philosophy and Theory, March, 2018)
āHis examples are relevant and worthy of further thought because each can contribute to discipline disparities and underperformance. Implied in these examples is the message that addressing problems of educational inequities and countering practices that do not serve diverse students must involve the inner curriculum, which is at play in constructing the perceptions and actions of those involved. Ergas' text provides the reader with a great deal to think about and act upon.ā (Shelley Thomas, Teachers College Record, April 04, 2018)
āWhat is most interesting in the book is that Ergasās writing models what he expresses. Rather than asserting his arguments in solely third-person statements, he speaks to the reader in a fresh, first-person language that includes experiential exercises. ā¦ His book has made an important contribution to the field of contemplative education, and will no doubt lay the foundation for a more comprehensive development of what contemplative inquiry can contribute to a fuller and more enriching human life.ā (Judith Simmer-Brown, Buddhist Christian Studies, Vol. 38, 2018)
āThis book is an important contribution to education and how mindful attention and inner curriculum are left behind or invisible. ā¦ This text would be desirable for reading groups that engage the community, parents, and teachers in dialogue (and mindfulness activities) and in communal work to help students develop into active members of a democratic society.ā (Maureen P. Hall, Journal of Transformative Education, Vol. 16 (1), 2018)
āA work of true originality ... . offers a stunning journey through the fields of contemplative practice, neuroscience, philosophy and educational theory to bring us closer to our own embodied singularity as a condition for education. ... passionate and bold, serious and playful, and unlike any other book I have read in the field. Ergas speaks to you directly and commands an engagement from the reader that is rare - and eminently worthwhile! Profoundly rewarding and consistently challenging, this volume fearlessly articulates a new horizon for educational thought and asks us to confront our own deeply human place within it. Spending time reading this book is to open oneself to a unique experience that is not only intellectual but also practical, sensible and full of wonderful insight. A really impressive accomplishment.ā (Sharon Todd, Head of Education Department, Maynooth University, Ireland)
āThe ācontemplative educationā revolution is one of the most exciting new directionsthe practice of education is beginning to endorse. Using philosophical, phenomenological and neuroscience perspectives Ergas provides one of the deepest and most challenging approaches that conceptualizes what undergird this direction. Ergas suggests no less than a reconstructed 'education' where the mind is viewed āas an end not only as a means ā and where the deliberate engagement with āin hereā is viewed as equally important to the education āout thereā. A must read for anyone who is fascinated by education, its challenges and its promises.ā (Ofra Mayseless, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel)
āFor so long, we have heard that education is a process of drawing out vs. pouring in. But what if, instead, education was viewed fundamentally as a process of familiarization with the mind-body systems that underlie all learning and knowing about the world āout thereā? What if education prepared individuals to be intimately aware of theinteriority of their minds and therefore, the nature of life as experienced and produced by the mind? This is the provocative idea at the heart of Dr. Oren Ergasā new book, and it challenges all interested in contemplation, education, ethics and the future of our planet to think anew about what curriculum and pedagogy *ought to be* in the pluralistic, fast-moving, globalized, and troubled world of the 21st century. I highly recommend it.ā (Robert W. Roeser, Bennett Pierce Professor of Care and Compassion, Penn State University, USA)
āAfter reading this book you will see your mind and what we refer to as āeducationā from a new perspective.ā (John (Jack) P Miller, Professor of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, University of Toronto, Canada)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Reconstructing 'Education' through Mindful Attention
Book Subtitle: Positioning the Mind at the Center of Curriculum and Pedagogy
Authors: Oren Ergas
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58782-4
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-58781-7Published: 27 January 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95461-2Published: 12 July 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-58782-4Published: 21 January 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXI, 343
Number of Illustrations: 14 b/w illustrations
Topics: Educational Philosophy, Curriculum Studies, Philosophy of Education, Sociology of Education, Educational Psychology