Educational Research Journal

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between teacher development and affective education and the notion of human values that bring about satisfaction in student learning. Affective education is conceived as the educational process involving the emotional aspects of student learning and the human values associated with them. It originated from the philosophy of education in humanistic education, and was further developed in humanistic psychology. It is now applicable to guidance and counselling as well as instruction and learning in educational psychology. This paper compares some views in humanistic education proposed by Rogers and Maslow in the West with Confucius values in the East. They are in congruence with the aims of education calling for "the joy of learning", "learning to learn" and "a self-fulfilling person" in the recent drastic education reform in Hong Kong. Initially, teachers have to be aware of these changes in order to help children learn and grow as a holistic person. Future research should be directed at understanding teacher's attitudes towards pupils, and teacher development in affective education in the changing era.