Interest in the Buddhist concept of mindfulness has burgeoned over the last few decades as a result of its application as a therapeutic strategy in mind-body medicine, psychotherapy, psychiatry, education, leadership and management, and a wide range of other theoretical and practical domains.
Although many commentators welcome this extension of the range and application of mindfulness-drawing parallels between ancient contemplative traditions and modern secular interpretations-there has been very little analysis of either the philosophical underpinnings of this phenomenon or of its implications for education. This article examines the new interpretations of mindfulness in the following areas-meaning and definition, ethical foundations and spiritual ethos-in an attempt to gain a clearer understanding of what is involved inthe process of reconstructing the concept of mindfulness. In conclusion, some implications for learning and education are examined in the light of these recent re-interpretations of mindfulness principles and practices. A central thesis throughout is that-although there are many educational benefits of mindfulness in the areas of moral, affective and spiritual education-such potential gains require the maintenance of organic connections between contemporary practices and their foundations in secular Buddhism.
The exponential growth of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in recent years has resulted in a marketisation and commodification of practice—popularly labeled “McMindfulness”—which divorces mindfulness from its spiritual and ethical origins in Buddhist traditions. Such commodification is criticized by utilising ideas and insights drawn from work in educational philosophy and policy analysis. The “McDonaldization” process is applied to the emerging populist versions of mindfulness and analysed in some detail, alongside the capitalization and marketisation of MBIs on the McMindfulness model. The central argument is that the crucial educational function of MBIs needs to be informed by the moral virtues which are at the heart of Buddhist mindfulness. Without such an ethical and educational foundation—actively connected with engaged Buddhist foundations aimed at individual and social transformation—mindfulness becomes just another fashionable self-help gimmick that is unlikely to be of any lasting individual or social benefit.
The concepts of core, generic or key skills are now ubiquitous in educational discourse and an integral part of recommendations for education and training programmes from school to university. It is our contention that-in the sense of free-standing, contextindependent abilities-such skills are without philosophical or empirical support and are entirely illusory. Although the ideas of integrated core units or common learning experiences underpinning the post-school curriculum have some educational justification, the pursuit of general transferable core/key skills is a wasteful chimera-hunt and should now be abandoned.
Since the establishment of the National Council for Vocational Qual$cations (NCVQ) in 1986, the injuence of the competence-based approach, which underpins National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), has spread beyond its original remit and now extends into schools and higher education. Competence strategies are criticised for their conceptual imprecision and their behaviourist ,foundation. More significantly, it is argued that the competence approach displays confusion and incoherence in its interpretation and use of the ideas of 'knowledge' and 'understanding', and so should be challenged and resisted by educators committed to these values.
Although it has been given qualified approval by a number of philosophers of education, the so‐called ‘therapeutic turn’ in education has been the subject of criticism by several commentators on post‐compulsory and adult learning over the last few years. A key feature of this alleged development in recent educational policy is said to be the replacement of the traditional goals of knowledge and understanding with personal and social objectives concerned with enhancing and developing confidence and self‐esteem in learners. After offering some critical observations on these developments, I suggest that there are some educationally justifiable goals underpinning what has been described as a therapeutic turn. Whilst accepting that ‘self‐esteem’ and cognate concepts cannot provide a general end or universal aim of education, the therapeutic function is more valuable and significant than is generally acknowledged. This claim is justified by an examination of the concept of ‘mindfulness’ that, it is argued, can be an immensely powerful and valuable notion, which is integrally connected with the centrally transformative and developmental nature of learning and educational activity at all levels.
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