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Submission Type

Special Issue (Contemplative K-12 Classroom for Wisdom and Peace)

Abstract

In some K-12 educational settings, it is often assumed that teachers are the ones who deliver and guide, while students are the ones who are delivered and guided. As a result, both in common perception and practical operations, teachers typically hold more power than students, acting as both the possessors and executers of authority. While this inherent power imbalance in traditional schools is understandable, it can create fundamental situations that remain unresolved, representing an ontological problem in education . These fundamental issues have persisted in causing trauma in educational settings (Frieze, 2015), and the need for healing for both students and teachers has become evident.

Building on the work of those in critical pedagogy and contemplative education, we suggest the work of Confucian philosopher Mengzi (Mencius; 孟子) in cultivating moral virtues through the wise use of pedagogical power. Mengzi provides a means of empowering students, enabling them to cultivate moral virtues through contemplative pedagogies, and thus contributes to healing from both students and teachers,

In many of his chapters, Mengzi explores the constraints and responsibilities of those in positions of power, as well as the self-cultivation of those in subordinate positions. This paper aims to present a bold reimagining of the conventional educator-student relationship by challenging existing power dynamics and envisioning a new form of educational interaction that enhances the humanity of both students and teachers, drawing from a pre-Qin Confucian perspective and offering a practical pedagogical model for the development of four particular virtues.

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