Learning beyond the surface: engaging the cognitive, affective and spiritual dimensions within the curriculum

In Australia the separation of mind, body and spirit by secular society has had a significant influence on educational trends. An outcomes-based approach to education, with an emphasis on cognitive learning, has meant that the affective and spiritual dimensions of students' lives have often been understated. Classroom programs in religious education have been affected by this educational climate where the pendulum has swung in favour of the achievement of cognitive learning outcomes. The cognitive dimension of learning is an integral part of the learning dynamic. However the roles of thinking, feeling and reflecting/intuiting are complementary within this process. Religious education is one curriculum area that can effectively address the interplay between the cognitive, affective and spiritual dimensions of learning. This paper outlines a model explored with pre-service teachers at a publicly funded Catholic university. This model addresses the complementarity of the cognitive, affective and spiritual dimensions of learning. Examples of pre-service teachers' work are drawn upon to demonstrate the interplay of these dimensions and to show how in practice this might be achieved within school curricula.