Early childhood educator as a spiritual nurturer : exploring lived experiences in fostering children's spiritual intelligence in early childhood classroom

Abstract

The role of educators as spiritual nurturers has emerged as a pivotal concern in early childhood education discourse. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of early childhood educators in enacting the role of spiritual nurturer, the specific aspects of spiritual intelligence manifested in pedagogical interactions, and the opportunities available for understanding how educators perceive their contribution to children's spiritual development within a qualitative multiple case study across two Indonesian institutions, a non-religious pre school and an Islamic kindergarten. This study involved semi-structured interviews with six educators, supported by classroom observations and student artifact analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key patterns across different domains from the data collected. Findings reveal that spiritual formation is shaped not only by designated lessons but also by an holistic environment that embeds spiritual nurture across the totality of the child's experience. Educators shared that genuine interactions in the classroom often carry far more weight in shaping a child's spiritual intelligence than any formal curriculum guidance. However, the study also highlights a noticeable tension, both schools frequently reduce spiritual intelligence to mere religious rituals within their formal assessment systems. Furthermore, early childhood educators tend to build their professional identity as spiritual mentors through the moments of connection they build all along with children. The study concludes that nurturing spiritual intelligence is less about hitting curricular benchmarks and more about creating a deeply present educator and a thoughtful environment that come together to unlock a child's natural capacity for awe, joy, and wonder.