Reflecting about Faith in Education

In this thesis Reflecting About Faith in Education, the author evaluates his previous reflections at various points in his career in education, to deepen his understandings and to draw out issues and signposts for current practice . He includes extracts from and references to his public writing and published works which are reviewed critically in the light of further reading, experience, and reflection. He signals how these ideas might continue to inform the current and future educational scenes in UK. He discusses and illustrates how theory and practical wisdom can emerge out of reflection about practice. He examines the legitimacy of informing practice with faith in the public square of contemporary British society, analyses the nature of reflection, and narrates and analyses aspects of his work in personal and social education, citizenship, and mentoring. He develops how the Christian Faith may make contributions for public good.Action research has been an important part of his career, which he illustrates in mini cases about social education, professional development, art as mission, and poetry as therapy. He makes a new case for action research as spiritual practice. His eclectic qualitative methodology draws on autoethnography, narrative, and poetic inquiry and arts-based research. Readers are invited to evaluate his arguments and to test his hypotheses for maintaining and improving practice in education.The author claims to contribute fresh ideas to qualitative research methodology and reflective practice, the place of Faith in the public square, perspectives on mentoring, on Personal Social and Moral Education and Citizenship, action research as spiritual practice, mission studies, arts based research and poetry as research and therapy.