Towards a holistic teacher education: Spirituality and special education teacher training

Abstract

Spirituality is recognized as one of the ways people construct knowledge and meaning in life; it deals with the sphere of values and beliefs, and informs the choices and actions of many individuals. However, spirituality is frequently underused in practice in teacher education. When it comes to the area of special education teacher training, the lack of literature is even more acute. This paper explores issues related to teachers’ inner life development and its relationship to special education teacher training. Specifically, this chapter examines an approach to education that seeks to balance an acquired intellectual knowledge with consideration of the importance of spirituality. In this context, the author addresses the following aspects: (a) spirituality as an essential component of teacher education, (b) the importance of spirituality in special education teacher training, and (c) implications of spirituality in special education teacher training.