Description:
The problem posed in this project was the development of an instrument to give a balanced assessment of young people’s spiritual health. Spiritual health is a dynamic state of being, which can be reflected in how well people relate in up to four domains of human existence, namely with themselves; with others; with the environment; and/or with a Transcendent Other. A convenience sample of 850 secondary students in State, Catholic, Christian Community and other independent schools in Ballarat and western suburbs of Melbourne were surveyed during 1999 to determine how important they considered each of the four sets of relationships to be for an ideal state of spiritual health (called Life-Orientation). They also expressed how each area reflected their personal experience most of the time (called Spiritual Health). Extensive factor analysis enabled the original 60-item instrument to be reduced to a reliable, compact 25-item Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM for short). Analysis of variance and t-tests revealed significant variations between students’ views when compared by school type, gender, and year level. SHALOM has advantages over previous instruments in that it is balanced across the four domains of spiritual well-being, is more sensitive, and it compares people’s stated ideal position, with their lived experience, not others’, in determining the quality of relationships which constitute their spiritual well-being.
Description:
The problem posed in this project was the development of an instrument to give a balanced assessment of young people’s spiritual health. Spiritual health is a dynamic state of being, which can be reflected in how well people relate in up to four domains of human existence, namely with themselves; with others; with the environment; and/or with a Transcendent Other. A convenience sample of 850 secondary students in State, Catholic, Christian Community and other independent schools in Ballarat and western suburbs of Melbourne were surveyed during 1999 to determine how important they considered each of the four sets of relationships to be for an ideal state of spiritual health (called Life-Orientation). They also expressed how each area reflected their personal experience most of the time (called Spiritual Health). Extensive factor analysis enabled the original 60-item instrument to be reduced to a reliable, compact 25-item Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM for short). Analysis of variance and t-tests revealed significant variations between students’ views when compared by school type, gender, and year level. SHALOM has advantages over previous instruments in that it is balanced across the four domains of spiritual well-being, is more sensitive, and it compares people’s stated ideal position, with their lived experience, not others’, in determining the quality of relationships which constitute their spiritual well-being.
Description:
This chapter discusses what spirituality is and its place in education. Topics discussed are interest in spirituality, the nature of spirituality, dimensions of health, spiritual health and well being, and a model of spiritual health. Spirituality is innate, emotive, subjective, dynamic and not religion. Spiritual health and well being are reflected in the quality of relationships in four domains of human existence - people with themselves, with others, with the environment, and with a transcendent other. The model embraces the divergence of world views, beliefs and lived experiences of humanity, as expressed in the knowledge and inspirational aspects of spiritual well being in each of the domains.
Description:
This chapter discusses what spirituality is and its place in education. Topics discussed are interest in spirituality, the nature of spirituality, dimensions of health, spiritual health and well being, and a model of spiritual health. Spirituality is innate, emotive, subjective, dynamic and not religion. Spiritual health and well being are reflected in the quality of relationships in four domains of human existence - people with themselves, with others, with the environment, and with a transcendent other. The model embraces the divergence of world views, beliefs and lived experiences of humanity, as expressed in the knowledge and inspirational aspects of spiritual well being in each of the domains.
Description:
This paper reports on research which aimed to investigate relationships between meaning and purpose in life and workplace expectations. It provides an overview of the methodology and outcomes of a survey conducted at a regional university. Survey methods included the distribution of two valid and reliable instruments to all employees of that university with data analysed using SPSS procedures. Analysis of the Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM), developed by the principal researcher, and a purpose-designed questionnaire pertaining to meaning and purpose in the workplace, provided interesting findings. Overall, participants classified as administrators, professionals, service workers or labourers reported that they feel good about themselves and their relationships with others and the environment. The relationship with a god-type figure was of lesser importance for the spiritual well-being of the majority of participants. The participants do not expect the workplace to provide a major role in their spiritual well-being. They also reported significantly high levels of feelings of turbulence at work, and trends toward high anxiety and discomfort with autocratic managerial practices characterised by a focus on profits over people. The female staff described the workplace as more friendly, warm and caring than the males. The females also reported greater work satisfaction and were less depressed in doing their job than the males. Interpretation of these results indicates that a somewhat anxious and turbulent work place environment prevails. The personal impact of this unrest appears to be mediated by the support of families and friends of employees. The notion that workplace feelings which are negative (eg., anxiety) emanate from administrative practices, while those which are positive are a function of collegial behaviours, merits further exploration.
Description:
This paper reports on research which aimed to investigate relationships between meaning and purpose in life and workplace expectations. It provides an overview of the methodology and outcomes of a survey conducted at a regional university. Survey methods included the distribution of two valid and reliable instruments to all employees of that university with data analysed using SPSS procedures. Analysis of the Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM), developed by the principal researcher, and a purpose-designed questionnaire pertaining to meaning and purpose in the workplace, provided interesting findings. Overall, participants classified as administrators, professionals, service workers or labourers reported that they feel good about themselves and their relationships with others and the environment. The relationship with a god-type figure was of lesser importance for the spiritual well-being of the majority of participants. The participants do not expect the workplace to provide a major role in their spiritual well-being. They also reported significantly high levels of feelings of turbulence at work, and trends toward high anxiety and discomfort with autocratic managerial practices characterised by a focus on profits over people. The female staff described the workplace as more friendly, warm and caring than the males. The females also reported greater work satisfaction and were less depressed in doing their job than the males. Interpretation of these results indicates that a somewhat anxious and turbulent work place environment prevails. The personal impact of this unrest appears to be mediated by the support of families and friends of employees. The notion that workplace feelings which are negative (eg., anxiety) emanate from administrative practices, while those which are positive are a function of collegial behaviours, merits further exploration.
Description:
This article reports on a survey completed by Chaplains, Religious Education and Student Welfare Coordinators in State, Catholic and Independent schools in Victoria. Results from this survey support the model of spiritual well-being, which was seen to be reflected in the quality of relationships that people develop with themselves, others, the environment, and with a Transcendent Other. The staff surveyed generally reported positively on current practice and expressed high priorities for action in nurturing their students' spiritual well-being. School type contributed to significant differences in each of these four sets of relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Description:
This article reports on a survey completed by Chaplains, Religious Education and Student Welfare Coordinators in State, Catholic and Independent schools in Victoria. Results from this survey support the model of spiritual well-being, which was seen to be reflected in the quality of relationships that people develop with themselves, others, the environment, and with a Transcendent Other. The staff surveyed generally reported positively on current practice and expressed high priorities for action in nurturing their students' spiritual well-being. School type contributed to significant differences in each of these four sets of relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Description:
The foreword to the Victorian Curriculum and Standards Framework II notes the skills and knowledge that students now need to prepare them to work. The preface states that the curriculum standards framework (CSF) makes it clear what students should know and be able to do. Focusing on the essentials provides a rationalistic approach to humans doing, rather than humans being. At this point, one could well ask about attitudes, values and beliefs which lie at the heart of nurturing people. [Author abstract, ed]
Description:
The foreword to the Victorian Curriculum and Standards Framework II notes the skills and knowledge that students now need to prepare them to work. The preface states that the curriculum standards framework (CSF) makes it clear what students should know and be able to do. Focusing on the essentials provides a rationalistic approach to humans doing, rather than humans being. At this point, one could well ask about attitudes, values and beliefs which lie at the heart of nurturing people. [Author abstract, ed]
Description:
This study inquired into how well students' spirituality was reflected in their spiritual health and wellbeing. Ninety- seven school staff were interviewed, drawn from 22 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. The schools from which the staff were drawn included state (4), Catholic (4), and other non- government schools (14), with the latter including Aboriginal, Islamic, Jewish and Steiner schools. The staff included people in such roles as the principal, curriculum coordinator, chaplain of religious education coordinator, and student welfare coordinator. The methodology and findings are discussed. [Author abstract, ed]
Description:
This study inquired into how well students' spirituality was reflected in their spiritual health and wellbeing. Ninety- seven school staff were interviewed, drawn from 22 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. The schools from which the staff were drawn included state (4), Catholic (4), and other non- government schools (14), with the latter including Aboriginal, Islamic, Jewish and Steiner schools. The staff included people in such roles as the principal, curriculum coordinator, chaplain of religious education coordinator, and student welfare coordinator. The methodology and findings are discussed. [Author abstract, ed]
Description:
A random sample of 1,033 adults in an Australian community survey completed a form containing the abbreviated Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire together with questions about the practice of prayer and Eastern meditation. While prayer was associated with low psychoticism scores, Eastern meditation was associated with high psychoticism scores.
Description:
A random sample of 1,033 adults in an Australian community survey completed a form containing the abbreviated Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire together with questions about the practice of prayer and Eastern meditation. While prayer was associated with low psychoticism scores, Eastern meditation was associated with high psychoticism scores.
Description:
A sample of 311 primary school teachers completed the Spiritual Health in Four Domains Index alongside the abbreviated revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and measures of religiosity. The data demonstrate that higher levels of spiritual health are found among older teachers who record low scores on the psychoticism scale and who practice religious faith through church attendance and personal prayer.
Description:
A sample of 311 primary school teachers completed the Spiritual Health in Four Domains Index alongside the abbreviated revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and measures of religiosity. The data demonstrate that higher levels of spiritual health are found among older teachers who record low scores on the psychoticism scale and who practice religious faith through church attendance and personal prayer.
Description:
This study investigated the curative effects of notoginseny cream versus Hirudoid cream in the treatment of postinfusion phlebitis. Sixty-five patients who received peripheral infusion therapy during a 20-month period and had developed phlebitis were divided randomly into two groups. Group A was treated with notoginseny cream, a topical Chinese medicine developed and produced by the pharmacological department of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. Group B was treated with heparinoid cream (Hirudoid, a commercial product from Germany). Significantly fewer applications of notoginseny cream were required to bring about the disappearance of signs and symptoms of phlebitis in the group A patients as compared with the group B patients for the same effect. The actual time of disappearance of the signs and symptoms of phlebitis also were significantly shorter in patients treated with notoginseny cream than with heparinoid cream.
Description:
Following previous work on the spiritual health of secondary students, the author wondered if it was possible to develop a spiritual health measure for younger children. Taking Fisher's model of spiritual health as the basis, items were developed to reflect relationships with self, with others, with the environment and with a god. The children's ideals for spiritual health (what makes them Feel Good) were compared with their lived experience (Living Life) to ascertain their levels of spiritual health. Factor analyses on responses from 1080 students in 14 schools (State, Catholic, Independent and Christian Community Schools) in Victoria and Western Australia are reported in this paper.
Description:
Following previous work on the spiritual health of secondary students, the author wondered if it was possible to develop a spiritual health measure for younger children. Taking Fisher's model of spiritual health as the basis, items were developed to reflect relationships with self, with others, with the environment and with a god. The children's ideals for spiritual health (what makes them Feel Good) were compared with their lived experience (Living Life) to ascertain their levels of spiritual health. Factor analyses on responses from 1080 students in 14 schools (State, Catholic, Independent and Christian Community Schools) in Victoria and Western Australia are reported in this paper.
Description:
AIM: to assess the impact of a training programme on nurse confidence in: setting up the Graseby syringe driver (GSD); explaining the GSD to patient and family; setting the rate on the GSD; putting appropriate type and dose of drugs in the GSD. STUDY DESIGN: training programme with pre-training, post-training and follow-up questionnaires. SAMPLE AND SETTING: palliative care nurse consultants presented half-day training sessions to 270 non-specialist nurses throughout the rural Grampians Health Region of Victoria, Australia. Nurses were from rural acute and sub-acute care settings, aged care facilities, and district nursing and nurse education services. MEASUREMENTS: demographic details of participants, previous experience and training with GSDs, comparative analyses of the four confidence parameters and participants' assessment of interest, new knowledge and usefulness of the training programme. Results: increases in confidence levels were found in participating nurses in relation to each of the four confidence parameters. A follow-up survey tested residual benefit three months after the training programme. Statistically significant variations were found in nurses' confidence levels in relation to frequency of use. CONCLUSIONS: regular use of, and/or refresher sessions about the GSD are recommended to maintain optimum confidence, effective and safe nursing use of the GSD in palliative care.
The spiritual well-being questionnaire : Testing for model applicability, measurement and structural equivalencies, and latent mean differences across gender
Description:
Spiritual well-being is reflected in the quality of relationships that each person has in up to four different domains, namely with self, with others, with the environment and/or with God. This study investigated how secondary students perceived relationships with family, friends, school and church community (including God) impacted on their spiritual well-being. This paper reports the views of 1002 secondary school students aged from 12 to 18 years old in Catholic, Christian community and other independent schools in Victoria, Australia. ANOVA and multiple regression analyses of students’ responses on the Quality Of Life Influences Survey developed in this study, and the Spiritual Health And Life Orientation Measure, a spiritual well-being questionnaire for secondary students, revealed significant differences in perceptions students held about influences on their spiritual well-being. A case study illustrates how these instruments can be used to inform pastoral care of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Description:
Spiritual well-being is reflected in the quality of relationships that each person has in up to four different domains, namely with self, with others, with the environment and/or with God. This study investigated how secondary students perceived relationships with family, friends, school and church community (including God) impacted on their spiritual well-being. This paper reports the views of 1002 secondary school students aged from 12 to 18 years old in Catholic, Christian community and other independent schools in Victoria, Australia. ANOVA and multiple regression analyses of students’ responses on the Quality Of Life Influences Survey developed in this study, and the Spiritual Health And Life Orientation Measure, a spiritual well-being questionnaire for secondary students, revealed significant differences in perceptions students held about influences on their spiritual well-being. A case study illustrates how these instruments can be used to inform pastoral care of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Description:
This paper reports the views of 820 teachers from state, Catholic, Christian and other independent schools in Victoria. The purpose of the study was to investigate what factors relate to teachers' views on spiritual well-being (SWB) personally, as well as the perceived help gained by students from school in this aspect of life. Spiritual well-being is reflected in the quality of relationships that people have in up to four domains, namely with self, with others, with the environment and/or with God. School type and year level contribute most to the variance in these four domains of spiritual well-being among teachers and in the help they provide to students in this area of life. Very few differences were found by gender, age or subject specialty among teachers. The teachers report that their lived experiences (how they feel) in each of the four domains of SWB do not generally measure up to their ideals. Both the teachers' ideals and how they feel were generally higher than the views they held of the help schools provide to students in each domain of SWB. A comparison with an earlier study shows a decline in the help being provided to secondary school students for SWB. It is time to stop, step aside from the busyness in schools, take stock of what is happening and find ways to nurture the relationships which enhance the SWB of students (and staff).
Description:
This paper reports the views of 820 teachers from state, Catholic, Christian and other independent schools in Victoria. The purpose of the study was to investigate what factors relate to teachers' views on spiritual well-being (SWB) personally, as well as the perceived help gained by students from school in this aspect of life. Spiritual well-being is reflected in the quality of relationships that people have in up to four domains, namely with self, with others, with the environment and/or with God. School type and year level contribute most to the variance in these four domains of spiritual well-being among teachers and in the help they provide to students in this area of life. Very few differences were found by gender, age or subject specialty among teachers. The teachers report that their lived experiences (how they feel) in each of the four domains of SWB do not generally measure up to their ideals. Both the teachers' ideals and how they feel were generally higher than the views they held of the help schools provide to students in each domain of SWB. A comparison with an earlier study shows a decline in the help being provided to secondary school students for SWB. It is time to stop, step aside from the busyness in schools, take stock of what is happening and find ways to nurture the relationships which enhance the SWB of students (and staff).
Description:
Spiritual well-being (SWB) is reflected in the quality of relationships that people have with themselves, others, environment and/or God. This paper ties together several studies of SWB among teachers and students in primary and secondary, state, Catholic, other Christian, and independent schools in Victoria, Australia. Teachers' lived experiences have greatest impact on their perceptions of help provided by schools for students' SWB. Factors other than teachers contribute most to students' SWB. As well as presenting an overview of key supports for students' SWB this paper reports ways in which spiritual dissonance can be identified. These findings could be used to lay a foundation for further support in nurturing the total well-being of staff and students in schools.
Description:
Spiritual well-being (SWB) is reflected in the quality of relationships that people have with themselves, others, environment and/or God. This paper ties together several studies of SWB among teachers and students in primary and secondary, state, Catholic, other Christian, and independent schools in Victoria, Australia. Teachers' lived experiences have greatest impact on their perceptions of help provided by schools for students' SWB. Factors other than teachers contribute most to students' SWB. As well as presenting an overview of key supports for students' SWB this paper reports ways in which spiritual dissonance can be identified. These findings could be used to lay a foundation for further support in nurturing the total well-being of staff and students in schools.