PSYCHOLOGY CORNER

INTEGRATING VALUES IN THE CURRICULUM

(Based from the book, COUNSELING AND VALUES EDUCATION:

STEPS TO PEACE IN THE ASEAN SETTING

by Rose Marie Salazar-Clemena)

 AMY L. CHAVES

Oct.  2, 1999

CONTEXT:

Values development has and will always be the concern not only of societies but also particularly of societal institutions like the schools and universities. The 1986 Constitution of the Philippines requires all educational institutions to inculcate the values of patriotism, nationalism, love of humanity, respect for human rights, the strengthening of  ethical and spiritual values, the development of moral character and personal discipline and the encouragement of critical and creative thinking.

In response to the need for values development, massive training programs in various elementary, secondary and tertiary levels have been conducted, aimed to equip the teachers with skills and strategies for developing values in their students.  Strategies used in the elementary schools ranged from the simple telling, modeling, persuading to the more complex approach of identifying values, exploring feelings, and values clarification.  In the secondary schools,  the most widely used methods are inculcating, moral development, values analysis, value clarification, and action learning.  The tertiary level integrates values in various disciplines by methods ranging from games, quiz shows to problem solving and role-playing.

There is also a way wherein values are integrated into the curriculum—through the “hidden curriculum.”  Teachers and administrators help in shaping the values of students in an unconscious and unintentional way through two psychological processes: the reinforcement or the system of reward and punishment formally and informally and the role modeling or the imitation of significant adults in the school.  There is however, the possibility that some values might be unintentionally emphasized such as giving recognition to  achievement or hard work might overstress personally motivated success thereby promoting personal ambition over the value of service of others.  In fostering economic security the educator might overemphasize working for economic betterment and in the process cultivate materialism over the values of thrift and simplicity.

Various instruments of assessing values have been used, ranging from the 5-point Likert-type scales (i.e., 5-almost always to 1-almost never) to Nuesca’s “criterion-referenced measurement” (i.e., gives information-based model about the respondent’s value development stage). Other efforts to measure private values have been prepared by the Child and Youth Research Center through different modules.  These and other test development efforts indicate  that formal  evaluation of values education programs can and should be done.

Values Integration: The De La Salle Experience: DLSU has developed a core curriculum designed to provide a cluster of courses within the general curriculum that focuses on values central to the mission of the university.  As a result, students are expected to develop and enhance some essential values as integrated in the social sciences, humanities, philosophy and religion, natural science, mathematics, research, computer literacy, physical education and three non-academic orientation courses.

            The cognitive and affective competencies developed in the core curriculum are also strengthened in the students’  major field of study.  However, apart from these factors, a vital component in the attainment of curricular aims is the teacher because of the crucial role that he plays in the development of values.  Rose Marie Salazar-Clemena, in her book, Counseling And Values Education, has this to say regarding the De la Salle University thrust:

 The DLSU faculty makes use of its Institute for Faculty Development  through its seminars and workshops to enhance basic teaching skills of the faculty.  This is aimed at helping students attain not only the cognitive learning objectives but the affective ones as well.  There is, in addition, a one-day workshop for teachers designed to help faculty clarify their own values and introduce them to various strategies they can use to incorporate values education in their  respective teaching.  There are two approaches adopted by DLSU in values education: the Values Education Workshop and the Values Infusion.

Based from the qualitative analysis of teachers’ reports, the strategies used are cognitive (telling, persuading, inculcating), mainly to facilitate critical and analytical thinking; modeling, used to develop attentive listening, spirituality, flexibility and honesty.  A few teachers have used the behavioral/action-oriented approach (field trips, interviews, etc.), the speaker-audience techniques (panel discussion, resource speakers, symposium, etc.), group activities (games, role-playing, etc.), outdoor experiences and community-based activities (programs, projects).

The need to affirm the role of values education program in the curriculum especially in the tertiary level is important.  Educators are therefore tasked to examine the what and how of their hidden curricula as well as those subjects where values education are directly taught.  Dr. Lourdes Quisumbing’s thoughts on values education: “The heart of education is values education…It is the quality of our person that is really the test of real and true education…it is the teacher who is the most important force.”

EXPERIENCE:

            I am totally in agreement with the need to educate teachers on values education, no matter what field or subject a teacher handles.  My experience as a teacher has been enriching, fulfilling and nurturing both for my students (hopefully) and for me.  I will never exchange my job with any job because I find that as a teacher I am a “soul-maker”. Perhaps teaching Philosophy may have an added dimension to my teaching. I am definitely a better person because I am a teacher.  Teaching keeps me sane.  Teaching keeps me in control of my feelings—I cannot afford to lose composure or break down and shatter before my students—so I keep my cool, which is a blessing.  However, teaching Ethics is what gives me the sense of significance.  In this subject, I tempt them with various approaches to morality, make them think hard, allow them to imagine consequences and options, make them question intentions.  If I see even just a teeny-weeny bit of light in their eyes, as if to say “yes, that’s true!” Or see a hand hesitantly raised to ask an important question that really matters, I feel so alive, so needed and so accomplished!

            My real worry is when I reach a point in my life when I will be too old to remember my subject, students and classroom—what will happen to me?  Will I still be sane and in control?

REFLECTION:

            What do I think of my self as an Ethics teacher?  I think I primarily use the cognitive approach by requiring my students to read the classical philosophers from Socrates to Rawls.  Towards the end, the students analyze particular cases or moral situations where they are asked to  pass judgment on the nature of some acts, its justifications, and why they are moral or immoral.  Usually their value system is reflected in their answers.

            I want to try the affective and behavioral approaches in my teaching of Ethics because I believe that as a teacher I am most effective if  I can elicit a change in their behavior—from bad to good or  from indifference to positive action.  Coupled with the behavior change is the type of emotional state that the students attain when they participate in value-assessment and value-infusion.

ACTION:

            I plan to introduce the affective-behavioral approaches to teaching Ethics next semester.  As of today, teaching ethics is mainly cognitive and therefore analytical and critical.  I get the feeling that the cognitive approach may not be as effective because at this point in my students' life, they have reached the formal operational stage in their mental development.  They can therefore understand and criticize the philosophy but as to whether the principles they learn from my class become part of their daily life and moral wisdom that I will want to know.  I am preparing an evaluation, the 5 point Likert-type scales for them this semester to help me determine how effective my cognitive approach is in teaching Ethics.

************