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'''Values education''' is a term used to name several things, and there is much academic controversy surrounding it. Some regard it as all aspects of the process by which [[teachers]] (and other [[adults]]) transmit [[values]] to [[pupils]].<ref>Powney, J., Cullen, M-A., Schlapp, U., Johnstone, M. & Munn, P. (1995). ''Understanding values education in the primary school.'' York: Reports Express. p.vii</ref> Others see it as an activity that can take place in ''any'' organisation during which people are assisted by others, who may be older, in a position of authority or are more experienced, to make explicit those values underlying their own behaviour, to assess the effectiveness of these values and associated behaviour for their own and others' long term well-being and to reflect on and acquire other values and behaviour which they recognise as being more effective for long term well-being of self and others.
'''Values education''' is a term used to name several things, and there is much academic controversy surrounding it. Some regard it as all aspects of the process by which [[teachers]] (and other [[adults]]) transmit [[values]] to [[pupils]].<ref>Powney, J., Cullen, M-A., Schlapp, U., Johnstone, M. & Munn, P. (1995). ''Understanding values education in the primary school.'' York: Reports Express. p.vii</ref> Others see it as an activity that can take place in ''any'' organisation during which people are assisted by others, who may be older, in a position of authority or are more experienced, to make explicit those values underlying their own behaviour, to assess the effectiveness of these values and associated behaviour for their own and others' long term well-being and to reflect on and acquire other values and behaviour which they recognise as being more effective for long term well-being of self and others.


This means that values education can take place at home, as well as in schools, colleges, universities, offenders institutions and voluntary youth organisations. There are two main approaches to values education. Some see it as inculcating or transmitting a set of values which often come from societal or religious rules or cultural ethics . Others see it as a type of Socratic dialogue<ref>Minnis, F (1991) Socrates for six-year-olds. Booklet accompanying the BBC programme of the same title. BBC, London.</ref> where people are gradually brought to their own realisation of what is good behaviour for themselves and their community.
This means that values education can take place at home, as well as in schools, colleges, universities, offenders institutions and voluntary youth organisations. There are two main approaches to values education. Some see it as inculcating or transmitting a set of values which often come from societal or religious rules or cultural ethics . Others see it as a type of Socratic dialogue<ref>Minnis, F (1991) Socrates for six-year-olds. Booklet accompanying the BBC programme of the same title. BBC, London.</ref> where people are gradually brought to their own realisation of what is good behaviour for themselves and their community. There is a third approach that is prevalent in education today, that adduces that the absolutely essential ingredient for acquiring values -- and for moral action; the ingredient without which action is at best amoral, at worst, immoral is [[Accountability|personal responsibility.]] This approach asserts that in order to acquire values and to be ethical you must be capable of choosing a path and accepting full responsibility for the choice, and for the consequences. It adduces that values education and ethics begin from the proposition that a human being is responsible for his or her acts, and that is a given. That it cannot be changed, or diminished. It can, however, either be acknowledge or deny it. Unfortunately, frequently today it is chosen in fact to deny that people are personally responsible for their acts, even while lip service is payed to the concept. It also maintains that in schools the denial is threefold: schools do not permit students to choose their course of action fully; they do not permit students to embark on the course, once chosen; and they do not permit students to suffer the consequences of the course, once taken. Freedom of choice, freedom of action, freedom to bear the results of action -- these are the three great freedoms that constitute personal responsibility.<ref>Greenberg, D. (1992), Education in America - A View from Sudbury Valley, ''"'Ethics' is a Course Taught By Life Experience."''</ref><ref>Greenberg, D. (1987) The Sudbury Valley School Experience [http://www.sudval.com/05_underlyingideas.html#09 ''"Back to Basics."''] Retrieved 24/3/09.</ref>


Very little research has been done on values education, and very few attempts have been made to train teachers and youth workers on how to facilitate values education classes.{{Fact|date=February 2009}}
Very little research has been done on values education, and very few attempts have been made to train teachers and youth workers on how to facilitate values education classes.{{Fact|date=February 2009}}

Revision as of 18:12, 24 March 2009

Values education is a term used to name several things, and there is much academic controversy surrounding it. Some regard it as all aspects of the process by which teachers (and other adults) transmit values to pupils.[1] Others see it as an activity that can take place in any organisation during which people are assisted by others, who may be older, in a position of authority or are more experienced, to make explicit those values underlying their own behaviour, to assess the effectiveness of these values and associated behaviour for their own and others' long term well-being and to reflect on and acquire other values and behaviour which they recognise as being more effective for long term well-being of self and others.

This means that values education can take place at home, as well as in schools, colleges, universities, offenders institutions and voluntary youth organisations. There are two main approaches to values education. Some see it as inculcating or transmitting a set of values which often come from societal or religious rules or cultural ethics . Others see it as a type of Socratic dialogue[2] where people are gradually brought to their own realisation of what is good behaviour for themselves and their community. There is a third approach that is prevalent in education today, that adduces that the absolutely essential ingredient for acquiring values -- and for moral action; the ingredient without which action is at best amoral, at worst, immoral is personal responsibility. This approach asserts that in order to acquire values and to be ethical you must be capable of choosing a path and accepting full responsibility for the choice, and for the consequences. It adduces that values education and ethics begin from the proposition that a human being is responsible for his or her acts, and that is a given. That it cannot be changed, or diminished. It can, however, either be acknowledge or deny it. Unfortunately, frequently today it is chosen in fact to deny that people are personally responsible for their acts, even while lip service is payed to the concept. It also maintains that in schools the denial is threefold: schools do not permit students to choose their course of action fully; they do not permit students to embark on the course, once chosen; and they do not permit students to suffer the consequences of the course, once taken. Freedom of choice, freedom of action, freedom to bear the results of action -- these are the three great freedoms that constitute personal responsibility.[3][4]

Very little research has been done on values education, and very few attempts have been made to train teachers and youth workers on how to facilitate values education classes.[citation needed] It can be an educational subject or an approach to education applied to the whole or parts of the curriculum, or indeed the whole school ethos. However, there is some uncertainty about how values education should be injected throughout a curriculum and how it would be incorporated into the whole school ethos.

Definitions

There has been very little reliable research on the results of values education classes, but there are some encouraging preliminary results. [5]

This means that there are many definitions. One definition refers to it as the process that gives young people an initiation into values, giving knowledge of the rules needed to function in this mode of relating to other people, and to seek the development in the student a grasp of certain underlying principles, together with the ability to apply these rules intelligently, and to have the settled disposition to do so[6] Some researchers use the concept values education as an umbrella of concepts that includes moral education and citizenship education[7][8][9] Themes that values education can address to varying degrees are character, moral development, Religious Education, Spiritual development, citizenship education, personal development, social development and cultural development.[10]

There is a further distinction between explicit values education and implicit values education[11][12] where:

  • explicit values education is associated with those different pedagogies, methods or programmes that teachers or educators use in order to create learning experiences for students when it comes to value questions.
  • Implicit values education on the other hand covers those aspects of the educational experience that results from explicit values education.

This discussion on implicit and explicit raises the philosophical problem of whether or not an unintentional action can be called education. Similarly one should clarify the distinction between a teacher and an educator.

Objectives of Values Education

The objectives of values education depend on the people who claim to be doing the values education. Religious people will want to impart their specific set of values. People with a particular social perspective (socialist or capitalist) will want to impart socialist or capitalist values. However, there is a growing realisation that the underlying purpose of values education is to help people to behave more responsibly.

There is also a growing realisation that values education should not be about inculcating or imparting a pre-determined set of values but to expose those values which transcend religious and social perspectives.[citation needed] For example, some religious groups object to homosexuality and therefore the religious values of those sects are not good for bringing out responsible behaviour towards others.

As many societies of the world have become heterogeneous with respect to religious belief and more secular, to stem the resulting moral relativism, Values education has been found to be a more effective way of teaching spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, than promoting any particular religious tradition. There is still much work to be done in defining what we mean by spiritual development, moral development, social development and cultural development and how all these developments relate to one another.

Commonality in Many "Educations"

There is some evidence that values education is at the heart of many other so-called "educations".[citation needed]

Moral education

Morals as socio-legal-religious norms are supposed to help people behave responsibly. However not all morals lead to responsible behaviour. Values education can show which morals are "bad" morals and which are "good". The change in behaviour comes from wrestling with questions about right and wrong.[13][14][15][16]

Sex education

There are claims that knowing how to use a condom and other kinds of contraception does not stop teenagers getting pregnant or experiencing the emotional pain of early sexual relationships. Values shape what we do and values education strives to get young people to refrain from early sexual activity and for all people to show respect for partners, not because they have been told to but because they see it as the right thing to do.[citation needed]

Drugs education

Knowledge of what various drugs look like, how they are manufactured and the effects they have on the mind and body is not enough, some say, to help youngsters resist peer pressure and help adults resist the temptation to escape a humdrum existence. There is evidence that traditional drugs education encourages more drug taking.[citation needed]

Teacher education

Cross has made a start at documenting some teacher training attempts.[17]

Multinational School-based Values Education Schemes

Living Values Education Programme (LVEP)

This project of worldwide proportions initiated by the new religious movement called the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University incorporates twenty-two values (quality, unity, peace, happiness, hope, patience, caring, humility, simplicity, trust, freedom, co-operation, understanding, honesty, appreciation, courage, love, friendship, thoughtfulness, tolerance, responsibility and respect)[18] and has formed the basis of the whole-school ethos approach in schools such as West Kidlington Primary School, Kidlington whose head master Neil Hawkes and Values education coordinators Linda Heppenstall are both Brahma Kumari followers[19][20]. The LVEP website lists 54 countries where values education projects are undertaken.[21] Some question the approach of having a list of values to inculcate. For example, a bank robber has courage, co-operates with fellow criminals and is responsible in making sure the get-away car is there on time. There is more to values education, it seems, than just preparing a list of values and convincing people to live by them.

Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV)

Initiated by Sathya Sai Baba it uses five key values (Truth (Sathya), Right Conduct (Dharma), Peace (Shanthi), Love (Prema) and Non-violence (Ahimsa)[22] and now has projects in more than thirty-three countries. Recently SSEHV has changed its name to 'Educare'. Some researchers question the approach of having a list of values to follow. For example, why are only five values chosen as key? Are there not instances when one should not tell the truth. Similarly, if someone sees a young child being attacked by a thug, shouldn't that someone use violence to protect the child?

World Peace Ethics Contest (World-PEC)

This project based in Buddhist values and supported by the Dhammakaya Foundation started in 1982 in Thailand as an annual values quiz contest. The aim of the project is to bring children’s ethical development to higher levels resulting in positive behavioral changes in a way that is relevant to those of all nationalities, races and religions. The 'Path of Progress' is based on a textbook[23] of the thirty-eight values of Mangala Sutta. The number of participants started with 382 in 1982 and rose in 2002 to four million from 13,000 educational institutes — ranging from kindergartens, universities, police and military colleges — students and teachers alike from all over Thailand. The winners of the contest receive plaques of distinction from H.M. the King Bhumibol Adulyadej and representatives of many international organizations. Besides honorary plaques, winners are granted scholarships and certificates for their success in each category. In 2007 the scheme was renamed the 'World Peace Ethics Contest' (World-PEC) and extended to the general public of sixty nationalities in five languages with 5,000,000 participating in Thailand and 10,000 outside Thailand. In 2008 the scheme was extended additionally to bilingual schools in Thailand and to the general public worldwide in seven languages. Educationists will question on what grounds the thirty-eight values were selected and the practical steps taken to "bring children’s ethical development to higher levels". Additionally, more clarity will be needed on just what the positive behavioral changes are that are "relevant to those of all nationalities, races and religions".

Character Education

Main article: Character education

Character education is an umbrella term generally used to describe the teaching of children in a manner that will help them develop as personal and social beings. However, this definition requires research to explain what is meant by "personal and social being". Concepts that fall under this term include social and emotional learning, moral reasoning/cognitive development, life skills education, health education; violence prevention, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and conflict resolution and mediation. Lickona (1996) mentions eleven principles of successful character education.[24] It seems to have been applied in the UK[25] and the United States[26]

Penn Resiliency Project (PRP)

The Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) is a school-based intervention curriculum designed by the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center to build resilience, promote adaptive coping skills, and teach effective problem-solving. A major goal of the study is to promote optimistic thinking to help children and adolescents respond to the daily challenges and problems that are encountered during the middle and high school years. The project has been applied at schools in the United States[27] and in dozens of schools in the United Kingdom.[28] Some educationists will question what building resilience, promoting adaptive coping skills, teaching effective problem-solving and promoting optimistic thinking has to do with values education. For example, a bank robber could try five times to break into a bank, solve several problems in so doing and be optimistic about not being caught.

Examples of Values Education from around the world

Taylor[29]gives a thorough overview of values education in 26 European countries.

Australia

The Australian Government currently funds Values education in its schools, with its own publications and funding of school forums on values education at all levels of education.[30] A conference on "Moral Education and Australian Values" was held in 2007 at Monash University.[31]

Japan

Promotion of moral education by a large number of teachers in Japanese primary and junior high schools was reported in 1988 to be cautious because of fears of relapsing into pre-war style moral education[32] the subject remaining a controversial matter.[33]

Kenya

Lifewords runs Choose Life, a values education programme for Kenyan schools.

Philippines

It is government policy for values education, good manners and right conduct to taught as part of the social studies curriculum (Makabayan) in Primary and High Schools. Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) Program has also been introduced for the Moslem community by LVEP and by the Theosophical Society at Golden Link School. Values education is given as a choice of major in Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) in many Filipino Teacher Training colleges and at MA level at De La Salle University-Manila College of Education.

Singapore

Teacher training institutions in Singapore all have curricula for learning to teach moral and civics education programmes - but students do not take these as seriously as they should due to lack of assessment. The reason has been said to be the lack of innovative teaching approaches such as the discourse pedagogy.[34]

Sweden

The Swedish educationalist Robert Thornberg is a well known writer on Values education. There was also a Centre for Values Education (VGC) at Umeå University until 30 June 2005.

Thailand

In Thailand, values have traditionally been taught within the context of Buddhist religious education. Since 1982 there has been a revival of applied values as an extracurricular activity suitable for Buddhist, Moslem and Christian students alike to prepare Thai students for the effects of globalization[35]. Initiatives have been provided in the form of the 'Path of Progress' Ethics Quiz Contest and the World Peace Ethics Contest (World-PEC) which heirs from Thailand.

United Kingdom

Since 1988 the British government, although not recognising or calling it values education, has promoted and inspected values in the guise of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSCD) leaving the initiative to individual schools to decide how values education standards should be met. It is not clear whether there are standards of values education. It should be noted that the Government and state school systems have never called it "values education". Values education courses in Britain may be implemented in the form of government supported campaigns such as Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)[36] but are more often provided by local experts in the form of LVEP[37], SSEHV, Penn Resiliency or Character education.

United States

Values education seems to be better known as Character education

Zambia

SSEHV has set up the African Institute of Sathya Sai Education (TAISSE) in Ndola. Zambia is one of the countries in Africa involved in SSEHV's Value-based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education (VBWSHE) programme.

References

  1. ^ Powney, J., Cullen, M-A., Schlapp, U., Johnstone, M. & Munn, P. (1995). Understanding values education in the primary school. York: Reports Express. p.vii
  2. ^ Minnis, F (1991) Socrates for six-year-olds. Booklet accompanying the BBC programme of the same title. BBC, London.
  3. ^ Greenberg, D. (1992), Education in America - A View from Sudbury Valley, "'Ethics' is a Course Taught By Life Experience."
  4. ^ Greenberg, D. (1987) The Sudbury Valley School Experience "Back to Basics." Retrieved 24/3/09.
  5. ^ Saterlie, M E (Chair) (1988) 1984 and beyond: a reaffirmation of values. A report of the task force on values education and ethical behavior of the Baltimore County Public Schools. Board of Education of Baltimore County, Towson, Maryland.
  6. ^ David Aspin (2000) However, the meaning of "initiation into values", "mode of relating to other people", "apply intelligently" and a "settled disposition" needs to be clarified. It is also useful to point out that values education can be conducted with people of any age. A clarification of some key terms in values discussions, in M. Leicester, C. Modgil & S. Modgil (Eds.), Moral education and pluralism: Education, culture and values (Vol. 4, p.171-180). London: Farmer Press.[1]
  7. ^ Cheng, R. H. M., Lee, J. C. K. & Lo, L. N. K. (2006). Values education for citizens in the new century: meaning, desirability and practice. In R. H. M. Cheng, J. C. K. Lee & L. N. K. Lo (Eds.), Values education for citizens in the new century (pp.1-35). Sha Tin: The Chinese University Press.
  8. ^ Mei-lin Ng, M. (2006). Valuation, evaluation, and value education – On acquiring the ability to value: A philosophical perspective. I R. H. M. Cheng, J. C. K. Lee & L. N. K. Lo (Eds.), Values education for citizens in the new century (pp.49-66). Sha Tin: The Chinese University Press.
  9. ^ Taylor, M. (2006). The development of values through the school curriculum. R.H.M. Cheng, J.C.K. Lee & L.N.K. Lo (Eds.), Values education for citizens in the new century (pp.107-131). Sha Tin: The Chinese University Press.
  10. ^ Taylor, M. (1994)
  11. ^ Cox, E. (1988). Explicit and implicit moral education. Journal of Moral Education, 17, 92-97
  12. ^ Halstead, J. M. (1996). Values and values education in schools. I J. M. Halstead, & M. J. Taylor (Eds.), Values in education and education in values (pp.3-14). London: The Falmer Press.
  13. ^ Sharp, A M (1984) Philosophical teaching as moral education. Journal of Moral Education, Vol 13, No 1.
  14. ^ Rowe, D and Newton, J (1994) You, me, us! Social and moral responsibility for primary schools. Citizenship Foundation, London.
  15. ^ Lipman, M (1987) Ethical reasoning and the craft of moral practice. Journal of Moral Education, Vol 16, No 2.
  16. ^ Fisher, R (1994) Moral education and philosophy in schools. NAVET Papers Vol X.
  17. ^ Cross, M (1995) Values education: a staff development manual for secondary schools. Framework Press, Lancaster.
  18. ^ Farrer, F. (2000) A Quiet Revolution: Encouraging Positive Values in Our Children (London, Rider). p.35
  19. ^ 'The ethics girls and boys of West Kidlington Primary'. The Independent, (London), Feb 18, 1999 by Frances Farrer
  20. ^ 'Researching a New Interface between Religions and Publicly Funded Schools in the UK'. Eleanor Nesbitt, Elisabeth Arweck, Warwick Religions & Education Research Unit (WRERU), Institute of Education, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
  21. ^ http://www.livingvalues.net/profiles/index.html (accessed 27 February 2008)
  22. ^ Auton, J. (1997) Education in Human Values: Manual for Schools (Prasanthinilayam, India, Sai Towers), p.8
  23. ^ Dhammakaya Foundation (2005) A Manual of Peace (Bangkok: Dhammakaya Foundation)
  24. ^ Lickona, T. (1996) Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education, The Journal of Moral Education, 25(1), pp. 93 - 100.
  25. ^ Arthur, J., Deakin-Crick, R., Samuel, E., Wilson, K. & McGettrick, B. (2006) Character Education: The Formation of Virtues and Dispositions in 16-19 Year Olds with particular reference to the religious and spiritual(Canterbury, Canterbury Christchurch University).
  26. ^ Lickona, T. (1992) Educating for Character: How our Schools Can teach Respect and Responsibility (New York, Bantam).
  27. ^ Freres, D.R., Gillham, J. E., Reivich, K.J., & Shatté, A.J. (2002). Preventing depressive symptoms in middle school students: The Penn Resiliency Program. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 4, 31-40.
  28. ^ Layard, R. (2007) Happiness and the teaching of values Centre Piece (London, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE).
  29. ^ I M, Taylor (Ed.), Values education in Europe: a comparative overview of a survey of 26 countries in 1993 (pp.1-66). Dundee: Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum.
  30. ^ Values Education | Values Homepage
  31. ^ "Moral Education and Australian Values"Conference (Monash University)
  32. ^ Cummings, W.K. & Gopinathan, S. & Yasumasa Tomodo (1988) The revival of values education in Asia and the West (New York, Pergamon) p.83
  33. ^ ibid. p.91
  34. ^ Thomas, E. (1992) Moral development, cultural context and moral education, In Chong,K.C. ed. Moral Perspectives and Moral Education (Singapore, University of Singapore Press)pp.47-68
  35. ^ Kriengsak Chareonwongsakin (2006) “Values Education in Thailand: Preparation for Globalization, for the Academic Seminar for Values Education for Citizens in the New Century, pp. 319-345. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research, Chinese University Press
  36. ^ The Standards Site: Social and emotional aspects of learning... improving behaviour… improving learning
  37. ^ Nesbitt, Eleanor (2003). "Religious Organisations in the UK and Values Education Programmes for Schools". Journal of Beliefs and Values,. 24 (1): 75–88. doi:10.1080/1361767032000053015. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

See also

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