Exploring the didactic possibilities of the teachings of the three taoist classics

Educational Taoism (daojia) is one of the oldest pedagogies in history. Based on the teachings of the Chinese masters Lao Zi, Lie Zi and Zhuang Zi, it is not well known in Western education. Nor is it familiar to specialists in Pedagogy or General Didactics. The aim of this study is to explore its potential for the education of students, from the perspective of teachers. For this purpose, 33 Western and Chinese teachers were interviewed using a phenomenographic approach. The results of their testimonies suggest that educational Taoism improves students’ education in a profound way, complementary to conventional education. The educational scope of tao daojia goes beyond disciplinary understanding and competency education. It actualizes fundamental constructs, such as the human ego, human consciousness and essential self-knowledge. The study opens up new lines of research and training and reveals numerous benefits for the education of students and thus for the future of society as a whole.