Welcome to the Contemplative Pedagogy special issue

Hello and welcome to this special edition of JUICE! This issue showcases the themes, writings and challenges explored at the Contemplative Pedagogy Networkโ€™s 2023 symposium held in September at Dartington Hall in Devon, UK. This event was the fourth in a series of contemplative symposiums resulting from a handful of educators back in 2014, meeting …

Scientists as subjects: integrating first-person and theoretical learning into undergraduate science education

Science pedagogy in higher education often emphasises theoretical learning over first-person learning. However, personal experience plays a crucial role in inspiring creativity and insight in science. Therefore, I propose that first-person pedagogies, including experiential and contemplative methods, can make valuable contributions to higher education in science, both by complementing studentsโ€™ theoretical understanding and by furthering …

Mirrors: The effect of artificial intelligence on medical student reflective practice

In this paper, we explore how genuine reflective practice can take place in the age of generative artificial intelligence. We begin by describing the need for reflective practice in medical education, and how AI threatens this. We then share preliminary approaches to addressing this followed by hopes for a future where reflection in medical education …

Contemplative practice: enabling a decolonising experience

Whatever the contemplative practice (CP) being provided, even in a Higher Education (HE) context, participants describe a state of mind palpably different to their normal thinking, typically stressed, mode of consciousness. Indeed, in my various wellbeing workshops that is the whole point: to provide some rest for a thinking mind during a typical working day. …

Becoming a tree

As a published author of fictional works, I have often been asked the question โ€˜where do you get your ideas?โ€™ The answer contains key elements related to listening to the world, to ways of seeing, and of โ€˜beingโ€™ in nature. This does not mean I write nature-based stories โ€“ it means that if my character …

Taking seriously the heartโ€™s wisdom: how Heart Sense can support and enhance contemplative pedagogy

This piece draws on discourses including transpersonal psychology, religious mysticism, comparative religion, and cultural history, as well as direct, lived experience of cardiac illness. As I will attempt to show, the heartโ€™s way is open, imaginal, spacious, and reflective, as well as curious, kind and discerning, sharing many similarities with the qualities and characteristics of …

The gathering at the wild pond

In recent years, contemplative pedagogy has emerged as a promising approach to foster confidence, creativity, and community in higher education. This article explores insights from a gathering at the Contemplative Pedagogy Network Symposium held in Totnes, Devon, UK in September 2023. The authors discuss the importance of slowing down, embracing silence, and creating spaces for …

Contemplative Pedagogy in Higher Education: Growing Confidence, Creativity and Community

In September 2023, The Contemplative Pedagogy Network (CPN) is hosting a symposium in Devon, UK. This international event reflects the growing interest in the field of Contemplative Pedagogy, and is the latest in a series of conversations hosted by the CPN. The network aims to inspire, inform and connect people interested in developing more contemplative …

A Feast of Opportunity: Introducing Chinese lecturers to British art and design teaching practice

Photo by Scribbling Geek on Unsplash

Abstract At a time when many UK universities have embarked on a process of rapid internationalisation, this article argues that students working together in teams to solve problems could prove an effective way of overcoming some of the linguistic and cultural impediments to transnational education. The article reflects on a unit delivered to a largely …