In 2004 we began a longitudinal study of 22 primary/middle-school teachers (i.e., K-8) who had just completed their preparation programme and were starting full-time teaching; the study is still ongoing. While drawing on insights from the study over the years, in this paper we report especially on interviews conducted in 2013-14, that is, the participants’ tenth year of teaching (by which time 2 had left the study, reducing the sample to 20). Although we have explored many aspects of the teachers’ experiences and development, our focus here is on the impact of their own values on their teaching, especially their facilitation of values learning and, in particular, learning in the area of community and inclusion. Our research questions were:
- How did the teachers’ own values impact their teaching?
- In particular, how did their values impact their teaching of values, especially in relation to community and inclusion?
- In what ways could the teachers’ attempts to promote values learning have been enhanced?
Teachers are often viewed primarily as technicians who have the narrow task of transmitting pre-set and largely “objective” subject content to students. Accordingly, reference to values – and certainly teachers’ own values – is seen as mainly irrelevant, apart from a few obvious values such as hard work and pursuit of academic knowledge. By contrast, the perspective framing our research is that, while subject learning is very important, schooling should also embrace learning of both personal and sociocultural values. This view of the importance of values learning in schools has been advanced by a number of theorists, including Chapman & West-Burnham (2010), Dewey (1916, 1960), Goleman & Senge (2014), Noddings (2003, 2013), West-Burnham & Coates (2005) and White (1991).
Addressing values in school classrooms may seem to lead to indoctrination, with teachers imposing their values on students. But as Westheimer (2015) observes: “Schools have always taught lessons in citizenship, moral values, good behavior, and ‘character’” (p. 3); and this has not usually been thought of as indoctrination. More importantly, values can be fostered without indoctrinating if a dialogical, “constructivist” pedagogy is used, with teachers certainly having input but also encouraging students to say what they think and ultimately choose their own beliefs and values (Falk, 2009; Meier, Knoester, & D’Andrea, 2015; Piaget, 1968; Vygotsky, 1978; West-Burnham & Coates, 2005; Zeichner & Liston, 2014).
Values learning is essential for students’ personal, social and political development because these require learning to make sound value judgments. For example, in developing appropriate social relationships, students need to consider questions such as how much social interaction is optimal, what is an appropriate balance between their own needs and the needs of others, and how inclusive should they be in their relationships. A sound approach to community participation and inclusion necessitates developing a whole “way of life” (including a set of values) within which the needs of oneself and others are taken care of. As Burnett and Evans say in Designing Your Life (2016), achieving well-being requires a “lifeview,” a “life compass” and a sense of “the good life.”
Our study is relevant to the Conference focus on inclusion and exclusion in education because we explore – among other things – the beliefs and practices of the participating teachers regarding establishing inclusive classrooms and fostering in students the values and skills needed for such a community. One of our findings is that many teachers place considerable emphasis on the value of an inclusive classroom community and on developing strategies for facilitating growth in this area.