Teacher training course for a pedagogy of meaning in life: Effects on professional development

Despite empirical research consistently highlighting the strong correlation between meaning in life and diverse aspects of well-being, human development, and health, there remains a significant gap in current educational research regarding meaning in life that necessitates attention. This paper presents and discusses findings related to professional development from an online, case-based teacher training course for a pedagogy of meaning in life. Seventy Brazilian teachers participated in the course, and the activities involved analyzing two teaching cases and writing one case. The course evaluation drew upon four data sources: (1) a survey administered at the conclusion of the first module, (2) a follow-up survey at the end of the final module, (3) participants' responses to questions within the two analyzed teaching cases, and (4) teaching cases created by the participants. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings show that the course enhanced participants’ reflective practices by facilitating the acquisition of new knowledge, promoting reflection from experience with the support of a group of learners, bridging the gap between theory and practice, encouraging teachers to reassess their professional roles, and fostering the discovery of meaning and emotional growth. Essential teacher knowledge for implementing a pedagogy of meaning was unveiled through the teaching cases: comprehensive perspective on the human being, sharpening of conscience, cultivation of choices, facilitating dialogue, and contextualization of the curriculum. Finally, these findings demonstrate the professional development of participating teachers, contributing to the advancement of meaning-centered teacher education.