An investigation of understanding death education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the understanding of death education. The study provided an overview of why death education is necessary and how our current understanding of death education evolved over the past fifty years. The study discusses many of the definitions of death education currently used. In addition, the goals of death education are examined. The literature reviews many studies that were conducted on death education and their implications for schools. The role of the parent in development of death education programs for schools is discussed. This qualitative research study was based on the scholarly works and research contributed by prominent experts in the field of death education. The researcher interviewed six prominent authors. They were Dr. David Balk, Dr. Charles Corr, Dr. Kenneth Doka, Dr. Dennis Klass, Dr. John Morgan and Dr. Robert Stevenson. They were given ten questions to answer regarding death education. They shared their knowledge and understanding of death education and its role in the school. Future studies should focus on the following: interviews with a larger number of authors to determine if there is a variance in responses; teacher perceptions on the role of death education in the curriculum; similarities and differences in death education in countries around the world; attitudes of administrators as to the role of death education in schools; role of the counselor in dealing with issues of death, dying, loss and bereavement in the schools; role of the parent in development of a death education curriculum; methodology to determine the effects of a death education program on students; investigation and evaluation of websites providing information on death education; measurement of the long-term effects of attitudinal change resulting from a course on death education; relationship of death education and reduction of death anxiety.