Meaning of Learning: Construction, Loss, and Reconstruction
Author: Li-Li Huang (Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University), Tsai-Shu Hung (Institute of Learning Sciences, National Tsing- Hua University)
Vol.&No.：Vol. 62, No.1
Date：March 2017
Pages：133-162
DOI：doi:10.6209/JORIES.2017.62(1).05
Abstract：
The aim of this study was to explore the processes and mechanisms of the construction, loss, and reconstruction of meaning in the context of learning. A qualitative method was implemented, and 17 adults (9 men and 8 women) were interviewed. Baumeister’s (1991) connection theory of meaning-making, Park and Folkman’s (1997) global meaning and situational meaning theory, and the Chinese cultural script of learning were all adopted as formal theories for the secondary interpretation of the participants’ self-narrative data, and also for the disclosure of the situational structures of existential contexts. The results showed the process to consist of four parts. First, connection is the key mechanism of meaning-building; for example, connecting with oneself/others or with one’s own beliefs about life and the world, or with belief in learning. Second, loss of meaning is a result of disconnection, such as disconnecting from the belief of learning, engendering thoughts about the vacancy of existence. Third, meaning is defined in terms of reality and cost consideration, and being able to see future possibilities. Finally, the reconstruction of meaning results from transformation and compensation. This paper also discusses the implications of culture, the limitations of self-narrative data, and the potential for future research.
Keywords：Chinese cultural script, learning, meaning, meaning of life
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