Young children's concepts of god and spirituality: How parents and teachers perceive their roles played in the formation process in two Hong Kong Chinese kindergartens

The concept of God and spirituality has often been considered crucial in the development and form of an individual’s personal faith and faith development in most of the developed western countries while little research has been done in the case of Hong Kong. The aim of this study is to trace dimensions in God concepts of preschoolers in two Hong Kong Chinese Kindergartens by documenting what young children know and believe about God and Spirituality orally and by pictures/artwork that the children drawn. Parents and teacher’s concept of God and spirituality would be examined by interviews as to see their relations with young children’s God concepts and spirituality concepts. Through a qualitative investigation on the origins of these concepts from the perspectives of two young children in a K3 class, their parents, head teacher and teachers in the form of case study, it is anticipated that a deeper understanding on the form of young children’s personal faith and spiritual development could be gained on the part of the ECE practitioners and the parents. Implications from findings could be drawn for fostering a suitable curriculum for the young children.