Journal Article

Wisdom in higher education: discussions with education academics utilising the Bhagavad Gita

Rampal, Shelly, Soter, Anna, Smith, Sue Erica

2022

Overview

PurposeIn this paper we seek to provide insight as to how wisdom is, or might be, perceived and enacted in Higher Education contexts. Selected constructs of wisdom derived from the Bhagavad Gita provided a platform from which seven invited College of Education faculty participants considered their own framings of wisdom in the contexts of their own professional and personal lives.Design/methodology/approachThis case study has drawn upon constructs of wisdom proffered by key Indian scholars who share this epistemological stance. A three-stage process was deployed, comprised of an introductory close-ended survey, an open-ended questionnaire to determine personalised insights and semi-structured interviews to clarify and member-check the data.FindingsThe participant academics' reflections offered a convergence on rich potential to pursue wisdom in Education and promote ethics, integrity, skilful action and inclusion. Furthermore, a general concern among the group of seven faculty who participated, was a perceived lack of humility in academia.Research limitations/implicationsA sample of seven participants precludes generalizable findings. Some ambiguities of constructs like “Love of God”, “Duty” and “Inner peace” provided space for participants to interrogate their own understandings.Originality/value“Wisdom” in Higher Education has not been an explicit topic of research until relatively recently. Based on the present study, which entailed in-depth written responses to questions that asked faculty respondents about their perceptions of the place and role of “wisdom” in Higher Education settings, we can however, suggest possible directions for wisdom-focused research in pluricultural Higher Education contexts.

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited,Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subject: Alignment (Education) / Beliefs / Case Studies / College Faculty / College Science / Colleges & universities / Colonialism / Creative Thinking / Cultural Pluralism / Curricula / Education Courses / Educational Philosophy / Educational Quality / Epistemology / Ethics / Foreign Countries / Higher Education / Inclusion / Indians / Integrity / Intellectual Development / Intergroup Education / Learning / Literacy / Meditation / National Curriculum / Numeracy / Opportunities / Professional Education / Professionalism / Religious Cultural Groups / Religious Factors / Schools of Education / Self Concept / Spiritual Development / Student Attitudes / Teacher Attitudes / Teacher education / Teacher Education Curriculum / Teacher Educators / Teacher Student Relationship / Teaching / Teaching (Occupation)