Building Bridges and Right Relations: A Study In Fostering Spiritual, Moral and Social Growth Through Groupwork Skills with Young Children

Abstract

This chapter brings together two very different arenas of debate and research: 1. How we understand children’s spiritual, moral and social growth. 2. The use of groupwork and pupil groups in the classroom. Building on extensive international research in the area of groupwork in class- rooms this chapter presents some findings of the UK based SPRinG Project (Social Pedagogic Research into Groupwork). Acknowledging the contributions of other work in the fields of groupwork and social, spiritual and moral development the chapter seeks to outline how the SPRinG approach to groupwork offers a practical way for practitioners to engage in the holistic growth and development of pupils through building trusting relationships and enhancing pupil groupwork skills. In addition to the positive benefits of this to pupils the chapter will also examine how the role and experience of teachers can be transformed through these different classroom processes and relationships.