Refreshment for the Soul: A Phenomenological Study of the Student Experience of Beauty in School

<p>Prompted by the ratio-scientific emphasis in the curriculum, I conducted this study to explore the lifeworlds of students to understand their lived experience of beauty in school. This investigation entailed a phenomenological study, the method of which included in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with four high school students. This study aimed to examine the essence of beauty in the lived experience of students in school, to explore the perceptions of students regarding school as a place to appreciate beauty, and to understand the needs of students as a place that develops their aesthetic sensibilities. The findings include the description and interpretation of the experiences of students and the identification of six characteristics defining their experiences. Implications of the experiences and perceptions of the students on the curricular and extracurricular program of schools are discussed. Given that our ability to appreciate beauty is one of the defining characteristics of our humanity, exploring its place in the curriculum is of vital importance. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Curriculum and Social Inquiry

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Reiff, Paul

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sara Efrat Efron
• Todd Price
• Eleanor Binstock

• aesthetics
• phenomenology
• education
• curriculum
• hermeneutic
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Curriculum and Social Inquiry
• Educational Methods
• Epistemology
• Secondary Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/226

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-1235