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Pre-Writing Scaffold
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School of Education, Liberty University
Confucius
Annotated Journal Articles on Confucius
Ruhal, M., Qu Linxin, Luo Shaofeng, Ange Liberte, E. E., Dilshod, M., Mafruhah, S., & Awan,
A. (2024). Confucius Ideology and Its Effect on the Structural Profile of Modern
Education System of China. Canadian Journal of Educational & Social Studies, 4(5),
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1–33. https://doi.org/10.53103/cjess.v4i5.265
Ruhal et al (2024) explore how Confucius’ ideologies and teachings are still an integral
part of modern Chinese education and how these teachings can benefit society. Confucius
believed that moral character followed intellectual learning, emphasizing a holistic
approach to education. Students must be educated with a focus on moral, intellectual, and
social development to become well-rounded, responsible citizens. Confucius was also an
advocate for differentiation, believing that every student learns differently and that the
purpose of education was self-cultivation (Ruhal et al., 2024). He believed in a student-
centered education with more personalized learning that encourages active engagement,
collaboration, and critical thinking. Confucius’ ideals are not only seen in Chinese
education but in institutions around the world. Tan (2020) wrote about mindfulness and
Confucius’ notion of jing to emphasize awareness, respect, empathy, and humanity.
Mindfulness is something that has been adopted in most educational institutions to reduce
stress and increase achievement. Modern education has also added a curriculum like
Sanford Harmony to develop a student's social and emotional learning and build
relationships between teacher and student. In higher education, the idea of finding a
mentor aligns with Confucius’ ideas about the transfer of knowledge and relationships
between teacher and student. While beneficial to students, some challenges may conflict
with Confucius’ ideals in modern education. The rapid advancement of technology raises
ethical concerns, and the focus on academic achievement makes it difficult to foster
holistic education (Ruhal et al., 2024). The author argues that Confucian ideas need to be
updated to fit modern society, and teachers need to be trained on how to integrate these
ideals in their classrooms.
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Shaoan, M. M. R., Jamil, B., Musengamana, I., Mahamud, A., Chineta, O. M., Arif, M.,
Namanyane, T., & Akter, J. (2023). An Investigation into Education as Envisioned by
Confucius and Its Implications for Contemporary Moral Education. International Journal
of Multidisciplinary (Online), 4(12), 4182–4191.
https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.04.12.03
Shoan et al (2023) describe Confucius’ educational philosophy as including love, respect,
and moral character. Ideally, there would be no discrimination, and instruction would be
tailored to the student's individual needs (Shoan et al., 2023). His ideas of equal access to
education for all are seen in modern schools today where students of diverse cultures and
socioeconomic backgrounds can attend school and pursue higher learning. Most schools
have inclusivity policies, offer scholarships, and have affirmative action programs to
address discrimination and increase diversity. As Ruhal et al (2024) mentioned, positive
teacher-student relationships and morality were also ideas of Confucius that modern
education systems still use today. Shoan et al (2023) also describe how lifelong learning
is a Confucian idea that higher education and the workforce stress. Education isn't
something that ends with school but rather, it continues in a person’s everyday life to
acquire skills. Many people still add certifications that build their skills and there are
many who attend universities to learn more after basic K-12 schooling. Then, there's the
Confucian idea of active engagement, which is stressed heavily in schools today. Many
pedagogical approaches are geared to get students motivated through hands-on learning,
interesting visuals, and academic discussions. Additionally, it's important to apply these
ideas learned in school to real-life situations, which is what Confucius believed in. Most
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lesson plans have some aspect of connecting prior knowledge to it while also explaining
relevance. STEM curriculum fosters a holistic approach to education where students use
hands-on activities to address real-world issues.
Tan, C. (2020). Mindfulness and morality: Educational insights from Confucius. Journal of
Moral Education, 50(3), 356–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2020.1779045
Mindfulness has become a popular term used in education, though there is no exact
consensus on what the word actually means in an educational context. Because there is a
lack of research on how mindfulness and morality relate, Tan (2020) uses Confucius’
notion of “jing” to address the research gap between mindfulness and morality. Jing
means “respectful attention”, emphasizing awareness, respect, empathy, and humanity.
When looking at mindfulness from a cognitive view, one can see improvements in
learning processes, emotion regulation, and perspective-taking (Tan, 2020). Mindfulness
is also seen to have positive effects on mathematics scores and emotional regulation.
Where Confucius emphasized being an attentive, respectful, and empathetic person,
education today has integrated this idea in a way that we can view it from a cognitive
perspective. Is there a lack of research on mindfulness’ relationship to morality because
we focus so much on achievement? Tan (2020) uses COVID-19 as an example of how
mindfulness is lacking without morality involved, giving examples of humans being
selfish by hoarding items and fighting others. While practicing mindfulness can aid in
stress relief, it proves to be insufficient to sustain if people can not be considerate of
others, causing chaos. The author argues that more educational institutions need to
practice moral mindfulness that adds empathy and respect towards others into the
curriculum. Educators must practice what they preach, demonstrating mindfulness with a
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humanity-centered approach. According to Shaoan et al (2023), Confucius once said that
a man who can not put himself in order can not put others in order.
Synthesis of Articles on Confucius
The three articles above explore how Confucius’ educational philosophy still impacts
many modern institutions today. The idea of a holistic education that promotes respect,
compassion, and self-cultivation is what many schools strive for today. One can see the impact
Confucius had on inclusive learning, equal access to education, active engagement, teacher-
student relationships, lifelong learning, and mindfulness through the efforts of educational
institutions today. While Confucian ideas are present, it is still important that school leaders
adopt the ideas to fit the demands of a diverse, digital world. Teacher training on how to
incorporate these ideals and curriculum development to integrate these ideals would be some
ways that the modern education system could address this challenge. With the rise of advanced
technology like AI, schools might want to consider including Confucian ideas in AI literacy and
responsible use. Ethical frameworks will already need to be implemented and Confucius’ idea of
moral character fits right in.
Preliminary Thesis Statement: Confucius
Confucius believed in a holistic education that focused on moral development, leading to
compassionate, respectful, and intellectual human beings. In modern education, differentiation in
teaching, mentor roles, mindfulness, lifelong learning, and inclusivity are all Confucian ideals
that demonstrate the impact he had on the systems around the world today.
European Contact on Native American Education
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Annotated Journal Articles on European Contact on Native American Education
Givens, J. R., & Ison, A. (2023). Toward New Beginnings: A Review of Native, White, and
Black American Education Through the 19th Century. Review of Educational Research.,
93(3), 319–352. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543221105544
Givens & Ison (2023) explain the history of US education and the impact it's had on
Native American and Black people. The centralization of white experiences in education
has made it seem as though Native American and Black people have little impact on our
education system, but that is not true. In colonial times, boarding schools were created in
an effort to Christianize Native people and assimilate them into a Eurocentric culture.
These boarding schools housed children as young as six, and they did not get to go home
until a decade later. Smith (2020) states that these schools were so inadequate and
inhumane that when reports came out about the conditions, it forced the government to
improve the education of Native Americans. These boarding schools sought to erase
tribal culture and language, replacing them with White American values. This history has
created trauma and mistrust in the Native American community, with some families
seeing school as a tool of oppression rather than empowerment (Givens & Ison, 2023).
It’s hard for a student to be engaged in an institution that has caused so much harm to
their ancestors. The suppression of language and culture has also resulted in a
generational loss of culture. There is a need for a more culturally diverse curriculum that
tells the stories and experiences of Native Americans since the foundation of America.
Hopefully, America can address the harm that has been caused and Native Americans can
begin to heal and see education as a form of empowerment. They should also have environments
where they can honor their traditions and values (Givens & Ison, 2023). Nganga, L., Kambutu,
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J., & Maldonado, S. A. (2025). Decolonizing Education: Indigenous Teachers’ Understanding of
Meaningful Education Practices That Promote the Success of Native American Learners. Journal
of Research in Childhood Education, 39(2), 212–231.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2025.2451055
Nganga et al (2025) explain how the current education system does not address the needs
of Indigenous students and is ill-equipped to teach them. There is a vast disconnect
between home and school that contributes to high dropout rates among Native American
students. The modern curriculum is still very Eurocentric and may not be seen as relevant
to diverse students because it lacks diverse perspectives. Givens & Ison (2023) explored
how the history of Native American education created trauma and mistrust in Indigenous
people; however, it seems that our modern education system is not exactly helping the
healing process. Nganga et al (2025) also explore what Native Americans believe a
meaningful education is. Some of the dimensions mentioned among people were
inclusivity, engagement, empowerment, and cultural relevance. The curriculum should
have diverse perspectives and voices so that a wide range of students can see key figures
of their own culture impacting history. The curriculum should also be inclusive and
engaging, allowing for students of diverse cultures and abilities to participate in
discussions. Additionally, education should be empowering for Native American
students, allowing them to feel valued because they see their own cultural identities being
recognized and represented in the classroom (Nganga et al., 2025). While efforts need to
be made to incorporate these dimensions into education, issues like racism, lack of
qualified educators, systemic challenges, and resistance from some groups may still pose
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a challenge in the reformation of the curriculum and educational institutions. Regardless
of these obstacles, it is only when we start to make positive changes that we can begin to
heal the wounds of oppressed people.
Sun, X. (2022). Colonialism, Sovereignty, and Native American Higher Education: On Carney's
Division of Three Eras of the Development of Native American Higher Education.
International Forum of Teaching and Studies, 18(2), 38-49,65.
https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/colonialism-sovereignty-native-american-hi
gher/docview/2894466773/se-2
Sun (2022) examines the history of Native American higher education in the colonial era,
the feral era, and the self-determination era. In the colonial era, few Native Americans
attended college, and even fewer graduated. Colleges at the time were not supporting
Native American students, either using only a small amount of funds towards their
education or not allocating funds at all. In the feral era, more Native Americans went to
college but the curriculum was focused on vacation and assimilation to Eurocentric
culture. The idea was to make the Indigenous people more civilized and Christian.
Givens & Ison (2023) go into a bit more detail about this era, discussing the emergence
of boarding schools that focused on erasing culture and language from different tribes.
These schools were found to be in poor condition and were later done away with. The
self-determination era started in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement. Schools
were founded for Native American students in both secondary schools and universities,
allowing for more autonomy and less government control. Today, the number of Native
Americans earning degrees has increased along with the amount of federal funding.
Tribal colleges have also emerged, allowing Indigenous people to maintain their
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autonomy while also feeling empowered to pursue higher education. Though education
has come a long way, Nganga et al (2025) highlight the need for more diverse
perspectives, culturally relevant literature, engaging activities, and empowerment.
Schools also need to foster an inclusive environment that mitigates biases and addresses
critical issues. Teachers should be trained to deliver a culturally diverse curriculum to
their students and be ready to tackle uncomfortable conversations.
Synthesis of Articles on European Contact on Native American Education
All three articles stress the importance of culturally relevant material that empowers
Native American students and makes them feel represented. Throughout history, Indigenous
people have been fighting to get a quality education that empowers and engages them. In the
colonial and federal era, Indigenous students rarely went to college and were forced to assimilate
into a Eurocentric culture that erased generations of language and identity. Since the 1960s,
education for Natives has been gradually progressing, but some still argue that it is not enough.
Diverse students still do not see multicultural perspectives in the modern curriculum, which leads
to a lack of relevance and higher dropout rates in Native American students. There is still a large
population of teachers who are not equipped to teach diverse curricula and policies rooted in
colonial curricula that do not meet the needs of Indigenous people. Due to this lack of
representation and complex history, there is a negative perception of education. Many Native
Americans still see educational institutions as a tool for oppression.
Preliminary Thesis Statement for European Contact on Native American Education
Since the foundation of the United States of America, Native Americans have been
secondary to white people in all forms of society, including education. This systemic
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marginalization and discrimination of Indigenous people has led to mistrust in educational
institutions due to the trauma they faced when schools were used as tools of oppression.
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R
eferences
Smith, S. J. (2020). Windows into the history and philosophy of education. Kendall Hunt
