STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE AIMS OF EDUCATION IN AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL AND THE DIFFERING VALUE PRIORITIES EXPRESSED. A Q-METHODOLOGICAL STUDY (original) (raw)

International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing

2010

The focus of this chapter is on philosophy of education as it pertains to values education and the development of character. It uses both classical sources and contemporary poststructuralist theory to develop the argument for the creation of a new ethics of integration based on the awareness that significant events in human culture should become unorthodox subject matter to be critically examined and to learn from. Both historically and habitually, we understand learning as a conceptual activity confined to a generic classroom and taking place in the presence of a certain instruction. In 1916, John Dewey, who still remains a source of inspiration for educational theorists, was the first to expand the boundaries of the concept of learning. Reconceptualizing learning means opening the doors of a generic classroom and letting in real-life human experiences from which we can, and should, learn. According to Dewey, learning from experience means making "a backward and forward connection between what we do to things and what we enjoy and suffer from things in consequence. Under such conditions, doing becomes a trying; an experiment with the world to find out what it is like; the undergoing becomes instruction-discovery of the connection of things" (Dewey, 1916/1924, p. 164). The value of an experience, or its meaning, consists, for Dewey, in perceiving all the relationships, both possible and actual, to which a concrete event may lead up. Experiential events can embody significant meanings. A real-life event can be understood in terms of a cultural extra-linguistic "text", which is subject to interpretation and meaning-making. This approach should help us in re-conceptualizing the aims of education to suit our present age. We can ask an age-old question, what is the aim of education? Or, rather, what are the aims of education? This long-time controversial question renders multiple solutions. Among philosophers, we can recall John Dewey who asserted that the aim of education is always more education; Maxine

A Short Reflection on Values and Educational Research

Value free research is a highly controversial and subjective proposition. Aspects including epistemological, ontological, and political issues make it very difficult to achieve neutral based research. Issues that cause educational research to be rated as inferior and second best include the fact that besides being criticized as being non cumulative, it is unrealistic and distant from practice. Educational researchers are also shackled by the dogma of unattainable ideality of neutrality and non-partisanship. In the attempt to imitate and fit in the deterministic and empirical ways of the natural sciences they disregard the uniqueness of their research.

On the Role of Values in Educational Research: a Critique of Two Research Studies

Journal for Researching Education Practice and Theory, 2019

This paper aims to critique the conceptual framework and paradigmatic nature of two studies that report on empirical data to draw conclusions and claim transferability. The focus is placed on the influence of the raft of beliefs and values the researcher brings to the process of research. My main argument is that research can never be value-free, because research frameworks and designs are underpinned by a set of assumptions about the nature of social reality, what good knowledge is, and how to attain it. Researchers are expected to be self-reflexive and state how their values affect the choice of topic and overall design of their inquiry. In this paper, I deconstruct the theoretical underpinnings and methodological decisions the researchers make to shed light on the influential role of values on the process of educational inquiry. To put my discussion in context, I opt to critique Hariri's (2014) study, which investigates TEFL university instructors' emotional attitudes to their students, fellow teachers and workplace, and Akbari et al. (2017) exploring EFL teachers' emotion regulation behaviour in the classroom. Even though the two studies seem to be conducted within a disparate research tradition, I argue that the researchers have similar underlying ontological and epistemological assumptions that necessitate the choice of a particular methodology. I therefore suggest that the researchers' personal, social and competency values determine the selection of a research methodology. I suggest that researchers should be introspective and explain how their beliefs and hunches have influenced the overall process of inquiry, and what measures were taken to minimize the effects of these preconceived assumptions. The research findings might have wider implications for evidence-based teaching and policy construction.

Quantifying the relation between students' values and their educational choices (Beyond means – end chains

The laddering method is used for interviewing students in order to predict their " deeper " goals for their life. The answers of the student are used to create the Attribute – Consequences – Values (ACV) diagram, and from it we move to the Hierarchical Value Map (HVM), quantifying the chains all the students' give to the interviewers with their answers. Knowing the set of values for each student group we can focus on their career, providing and promoting the appropriate courses for their career development.

The students' values acquired at school

Junior Scientific Researcher, 2019

The trends of introducing and securing quality in education have imposed the need for emphasizing the values that the students acquire at school. We have decided to look this subject closely because students have always been the most obvious indicator for the teacher's success, the parents' success and the school's achievement as a whole. That is why we have started the research about the values which direct the students towards proper functioning and development of their personality. The future of our society depends on the student's values, acquired during their schooling. The lessons values in the educational process should be adequately adopted and nurtured. The children have a tremendous power of observing and their feelings are deeply rooted. They always observe their parents and teachers, who are a source of inspiration. Moreover, young people represent a great value to our society, and it is needed a lot of attention and encouragement for further met cognition. Therefore, the most important thing for students is to begin the process of acquiring values from an early age, which would be a solid foundation for their further development and living. Introduction The concept of value can be defined as knowledges and beliefs accepted for a community or its common good. Values are expressed in the form of attitudes considered desirable and right in the everyday life. Studying and acquiring values originally begins in the family, and then continues in the educational institutions. The core values of the students, which are acquired in the first place, are appropriate values taken over from their parents, and later on the ones that the educational system offers in schools. If there is a lack of consistency between the values students learned in school and the family, then conflicts occur, and these situations cause personality disorders (Yaşaroğlu, 2016).

Value preferences and requirements of the students attending the regional boarding secondary schools

International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 2020

The aim of the study was to reveal the preferences and requirements of the students attending the Regional Boarding Secondary Schools (YBO) concerning the values contain in the educational program of the social studies course. The study was designed within the framework of phenomenology which is among the qualitative research methods. The participants of the study are 79 eight grade students attending a regional boarding secondary school in the Turkey. The data of the study are collected through a survey questionnaire with two parts which contains open-ended items. The data were analysed using the descriptive and content analyses. The findings of the study show that the participants do not differ based on gender and the socioeconomic background of their families. The frequently preferred values by the participants are found to be attaching importance to the family unity, honesty, sympathy and patriotism. Another finding is that the participants do not provide a clear justification for each of the values they preferred. This suggests that it is difficult to establish a justification for the value. However, requirements value justifications are analyzed, it is seen that students they express the definition of value, its importance and the expectations of having this specific value.

High School Students’ Value System

The complex and articulated process that defines Self-concept structuring is also characterized by the influences exercised by the culture and the values that distinguish one's own life context. The role of the values, as ideal benchmarks that guide a person's life, are of great significance in the adolescence, a phase in which an individual acquires the competences and the necessary requisites to undertake particular responsibilities and to re-organize one's Self. Age, gender and type of school had an impact on values. The sample is made up of 480 students equally distributed by type of school (Grammar school, Technical Institutes and Vocational Institutes) and by gender. Students attributed more importance to satisfaction and personal enjoyment. They perceived themselves as inclined to pro-sociality and openness to change. Conversely, they have given less priority to the values of the conservatism and personal affirmation. Students of vocational schools have given less priority to the values openness to change, pro-sociality and success than students in grammar and technical schools. Grammar schools students have also perceived themselves slightly more progressive than other students. Females have perceived themselves as more prosocial and open to change, while males have given higher priority to value power, apparently retracing gender stereotypes.

DEPFE, NCERT Education for Values in Schools – A Framework DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

The whole enterprise of education is extricably linked with the development of values. Devoid of the potential to nurture values, education losses its heart and soul. No one who attempts to depict the spirit of age in which we live can possibly overlook the importance of education for values. Peace and security are facing new challenges that could have negative implications if we do not address them positively. The malleable years of youth in schools are crucial. Whatever is learnt and imbibed will determine to how students would live out their lives in future. The concern about value degradation is not new to this era. Even before independence such concern were pronounced in policy documents. Policy makers and educators have all along seriously mediated on this concern and have been trying to discern the potential of schooling, pinning their hopes on education to fulfill the aspirations and expectations of the public and the society.