نشریه تربیت اسلامی
پیاپی 26 (بهار و تابستان 1397)

In the present article, the possibility of moral education of children in their early childhood (under seven), when they are masters according to the Prophet’s hadith, is investigated based on the Quranic verses and traditions. To do so, firstly we used the analytical method to present a definition of moral education inspired by Allama Tabatabaie’s view in al-Mizan exegesis; then, we have emphasized the Quranic verses and traditions through an analytical-inferential method to explain that possibility. The findings show that there are, in the Quranic verses and traditions, reasons such as the obligation of moral education, the necessity to remove moral defects, possibility of education, existence of obstacles for education and necessity of removing them in that period, that support the possibility of moral education in children under seven.

The present article aims at compiling the Islamic Theory of Creativity and is seeking to investigate the Islamic sources to present an analysis of parameters of creativity in intellectual training of children and juveniles. To do so, we used descriptive method and conceptual analysis to investigate the parameters related to creativity in Islamic sources in terms of semantic network and analysis of context. The findings show that, from Islamic viewpoint, the parameters of creativity are dividable into three groups: cognitive, motivational and personality. The cognitive parameters are simile, imagination, composition and decomposition. The motivational parameter is internal tendency for fulfilling needs and reducing tension. The personality parameters are empiricism, curiosity, intellectual independence, self-confidence, modeling and accepting consultation.

The present article aims at investigating and specifying the proper age range of the children to understand the secondary philosophical intelligibles. The study is a combined one conducted using both qualitative and quantitative methods. We used qualitative method in explaining the mode of perceiving philosophical concepts and the process of perceiving rational and philosophical concepts in the 6 years old children, and used quantitative method for specifying the extent to which 6 years old children perceive philosophical concepts. The statistical population consisted of 24 girls and 18 boys.
First, we found out when (i.e. in what age range) the three orders of theoretical intellect (potential intellect, habitual intellect and actual intellect) are realized; and then, accordingly, we investigated how children perceive various concepts in their childhood and when the perception of secondary philosophical intelligibles is realized. Finally, the extent to which children realize philosophical concepts in that age range is investigated.
The findings show that children, in the stage of potential intellect, cannot perceive general conceptions. In the stage of habitual intellect, they perceive primary intelligibles such as tree, horse, mountain, and house; and in the stage of actual intellect, they perceive secondary philosophical concepts such as existence, nothingness, essence, reason and time. To analyze the data, we used Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and Chi-square test; considering the evidences, we found that 6 years old children obtain the actual intellect and are able to perceive philosophical concepts.

In the present article, we have tried to compare the concept of death in narrative texts in philosophy for children and the concept of death in Allama Tabatabaie’s view. To do so, we have used three research methods of ‘analysis of qualitative content’, ‘conceptual-linguistic analysis’, and ‘comparative analysis’. After investigating the concept of death in three philosophical stories for children as examples and studying Allam’s view in this regard, we compared their differences and similarities in the following aspects:Fear of death, transfer, dying, paradise and hell, unknown nature of death, the last stage of life, embodiment of one’s deeds, the continuity of life in the form of another being, readiness of death, annihilation of one’s body, eagerness for death, immortality of the soul and definiteness of death.
The result is that the concept of death in philosophical stories for children leads, due to unclear explanations on the truth of death, to confusion and destruction of mental peace in children. This is while description and explanation of death in Islam leads, due to its depth and the scrutiny in it, to definite and clear understanding of death.

The present article aims at identifying the opportunities and threats of religious and moral education in the philosophical curriculum for children based on the goals of Islamic education and training. To do so, we used descriptive-analytical method with the approach of text analysis. The research domain includes the scientific sources related to the subject and the high documents in the realm of education and training, especially the National Document of Education as well as the opinions of the experts and authorities in the field of research; we used purposeful sampling method for the research. To evaluate the findings, we prepared a questionnaire based on the text analysis and handed it out among the authorities and experts specialized in the sphere of research.
The findings show that the opportunities in philosophical curriculum for children in the realm of religious and moral education including reinforcement of willingness to seek truth and liberality, preparing the ground for knowing, developing individual abilities, reinforcing individual dynamism and nurturing moral perception. The threats in that curriculum in the abovementioned spheres include diffusion of skepticism, leaning towards dominance of thinking and weakness in commitment to morality in all affairs. Considering these opportunities and threats assists the policy-makers and programmers of the educational system of our country to take an intelligent approach to properly exert the philosophical curriculum for children.

The present article aims at investigating the educational implications of the theoretical and practical intellect and the discussions related to educating the children in Avicenna’s view to understand the status of intellectual education of the children for him. Considering the shortage of research on the extent of harmony of the foundations of programs such as ‘philosophy for children’ and the foundations of Islamic philosophy, it seemed necessary to conduct this study for obtaining the Islamic view extracted from Avicenna’s opinions regarding the selection of a type of education proper for children. The method used in this study was descriptive-analytical and the questions were as follows: “what were the implications of theoretical and practical intellect and Avicenna’s discussions on educating children?” and “what is the status of intellectual education of children in Avicenna’s thought?”
The findings show that Avicenna, while stressing on human’s intellectual education for achieving ultimate felicity, shows – based on a study of his implications and views on intellectual education – no evidence that such an education is limited to the childhood; rather, those implications show the necessity of applying moral education during childhood in general. This is because moral education and correction in childhood prepares the ground for nurturing the divine intellect and proper intellectual education in adulthood.

No doubt, teaching great and transcendental Quranic propositions to children, through a dynamic and effective method, requires a special delicacy. The present article aims at investigating the ways of teaching religious thought in knowing God in childish literature and seeks to answer the following questions: “What is the importance of teaching theology to children?” and “what devices do composers of childish poems use to familiarize children with God in an effective and interesting way?” The research method was content analysis, and we extracted the devices in teaching theology to children after studying the collections of poems related to theology composed for children. Introducing God’s attributes, familiarizing the children with natural phenomena, recalling and highlighting God’s blessings, and teaching prayers are among ways of familiarizing children with God in childish poems.

Philosophy for children was globally introduced by Lipman in 1970, and was shortly afterward welcomed by official and non-official centers of education in various countries. Since then, Lipman’s philosophy for children (PFC) has been localized in accordance with cultural and environmental conditions of various countries. In Iran, however, the process of localization of PFC was somehow slow and in some cases lacks consistency with religious and Quranic foundations. Thus, the present article tries to consider the Islamic culture extracted from the Quran and offer a reproductive approach to introducing a local PFC for Iran.
To do so, we used descriptive phenomenology and analyzed the data using Colaizzi method. The research data were classified into eight general sections that present the parameters of “reminding thinking” for children: (1) goals; (2) typology of thinking and the related attributes; (3) class name; (4) enacting laws; (5) class structure; (6) presenting intellectual content; (7) subject of thinking; and (8) the role and executive devices of the educator of PFC.