The purpose of the study is to understand which of the seven principles by Arthur W. Chickering & Zelda Gamson (1987) are amenable to graduate students in a virtual or other online learning environment, and to evaluate the external validity of the seven principles in the context of online teaching. It concludes with a Hierarchical Principles…

This study explores how first-year seminar (FYS) instructors at four-year institutions in New England create meaningful adult learning environments for traditional-aged college students and apply adult learning principles. The research examines classroom practices and teaching philosophies using qualitative methods grounded in andragogy and…

The purpose of this article is to investigate the happiness principles and the educational aims of Confucius and Thomas Aquinas. To discuss this study logically, three research questions are addressed. First, what are the principles of happiness of Confucius and Thomas Aquinas? Second, what are the aims of education of Confucius and Thomas…

This paper provides a reinterpretation of Paulo Freire's philosophy of hope and suggests that this interpretation may function as a fruitful ground for democratic education that aims to contest the prevailing neoliberal 'common sense'. The paper defines hope as a democratic virtue required for resisting the discursive practises and affective…

This article explores the nature, strengths and limitations of Roman, Christian, Kantian and utilitarian ethics and their legacy in some modern theories of educative leadership that are educative in intent and outcome. It is shown that Roman, Christian, Kantian, and utilitarian ethics have profoundly shaped transformational, instructional,…

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the happiness and education principles of St. Augustine and Mozi through the primary and the secondary language resources. To review the paper logically, three research questions are addressed. First, what are the happiness principles of Augustine and Mozi? Second, what are the educational principles of…

For over a century and a quarter, the science of learning has expanded at an increasing rate and has achieved the status of a mature science. It has developed powerful methodologies and applications. The rise of this science has been so swift that other learning texts often overlook the fact that, like other mature sciences, the science of…

In order to evaluate the impact of the pilot Narnian Virtues Character Education English Curriculum Project, a pilot sample of 86 year 7 and year 8 students (11 to 13 years of age) completed a battery of tests both before and after participating for six weeks in the programme. The battery of tests comprised 12 Narnian Character Virtue Scales…

The purpose of this study is to explore not only the principles and aims of education, but also the concepts and principles of happiness in ancient Asian wisdom, especially Indian and Chinese classics as well as religious sutras. In order to investigate this article systematically, three research questions are addressed: First, what are…

In partnership with a small Western Australian independent community school, this research investigated how the "Reggio Emilia" philosophy was extended into the Middle School context. The "Reggio" approach, recognised as a model of excellence for early childhood education, has remained largely unexplored in secondary education.…

The purpose of this article is to discuss concepts of positive psychology related to quality physical education. Positive psychology and the scientific study of happiness refer to three paths or pursuits: the pleasant life (positive emotion), the engaged life (engagement), and the meaningful life (meaning). When individuals are aware of, pursue,…

Social constructivists posit that learning involves social interactions among individuals in a given place and time. Since teachers play a significant role in how social interactions are developed and determined in the school classroom, it is important to learn how teachers make decisions about their teaching behaviors and interactions with their…

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relations between education and happiness from the perspectives of the West and the East, especially Buddhism and Christianity as well as classical Greek and Chinese great thinkers. In order to examine this study systematically, three research questions are addressed as follows: First, what are…

The importance of helping children understand the human body, with its inborn sense of moral goodness, is portrayed as a basis for moral education. The works of philosophers and psychologists are noted for the insights they offer for such understanding, and implications for teaching are suggested. (PP)

In this article the authors describe the programmed and scripted nature of many mandated instructional and "management" programs designed to raise test scores of urban children in low-income communities. They detail the programs' dehumanizing effect on the ways teachers and students interact, and the resentment the programs instill in…