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The Influence of Headteachers' Backgrounds, Experiences and Beliefs on their Perceptions of the Nature of Children's Spirituality

The purpose of this article is to examine headteachers' perceptions of a range of issues relating to pupils' spiritual development as revealed in a survey undertaken in schools in 1998 and 2000. In particular, it seeks to examine their views regarding three major issues: (1) the meaning of the term spiritual development; (2) the areas of school life which contribute to pupils' spirituality; and (3) who should have responsibility for promoting spiritual development. A preliminary study of headteachers' perceptions of these issues was conducted in three education authorities in 1998 and documented in the International Journal of Children's Spirituality (Davies, 1998). The present study has increased the database to include headteachers from three additional authorities and has further analysed the results to take into account factors in headteachers' backgrounds which might influence their perceptions in this area.