The focus of the presented study is on findings that reveal the significance of values of global relevance (sustainability, social justice, tolerance, anti-racism) and their argumentative framing in school curricula. Therefore, the preambles of the curricula for primary schools, secondary schools, and high schools of Bavaria (Germany) were analyzed.

The conceptual framework for the analysis of the values present in the curricula is the Theory of Basic Individual Values developed by Schwartz and colleagues (2012). The theory accounts for individuals' and groups' prioritizations and hierarchizations of values and systematically relates them to each other. It has been empirically tested and there are data from international studies (see Schwartz, 1992; 1999; Schwartz et al., 2012; Knafo et al., 2011; Drahmann et al., 2020). The 19 individual values range on a motivational continuum and are grouped into ten superordinate categories. These categories are based on three universal requirements of human existence, namely needs of individuals as biological organisms, requisites of coordinated social interaction, and survival and welfare needs of groups. The theory distinguishes 19 values (Schwartz et al., 2012, p. 669). These values form a continuum of related motivations arranged in a circular structure of adjacent values (Schwartz et al., 2012, p. 9). The related motivations are organized in a circular continuum containing three circles. Each circle organizes values in a way that allows a grouping in supplementary juxtapositions. In the inner circle, the values are grouped along with the underlying motivations in such a way that self-direction and stimulation are motivated by "openness to change", achievement and power mark "self-enhancement", security, tradition, conformity express the motivation for “conservation” and benevolence and universalism motivate “self-transcendence”. A further grouping reveals either the community character (social focus) or the reference to the individual person (personal focus). In addition, it becomes apparent whether the focus is more on growth and anxiety freedom or self-protection and anxiety avoidance (for further explanation see Schwartz et al., 2012, pp.668-670).

Curriculum research emphasizes the function of curricula for society (Künzli, 1986; Künzli et al., 2013; or the summary in Terhart, 2021. According to these authors, curriculum texts are fewer statements about school, teaching, or teaching input. More precisely, they can be read as societal expectations on school and as expressions of the culture of the respective society (Biehl, Ohlhaver & Riquarts, 1999).

By analyzing the status and argumentative framework of values of universalism (social concern, tolerance, nature), there will be special regard to questions of social justice. Furthermore, the interpretation of the curricula concerning concepts of inclusive education are analyzed.

Methodological decision: The PVQ5X Value Survey (Schwartz et al., 2012) was transformed into categories for a content analysis (Gläser-Zikuda et al., 2020; Kuckartz, 2014; Mayring, 2014). We defined the 19 values as distinguished by Schwartz and then analysed the preambles of the educational curricula by means of these 19 categories. The identified texts on global values have been reflected by a discourse analysis in a second approach. Sampling: We analysed the curricula of four types of schools in Bavaria, Germany: primary schools (class levels 1 to 4; age 6 to 10), secondary tracking schools (“Mittelschule”; class levels 5 to 10; age 10 to 16; “Realschule”; class levels 5 to 10; age 10 to 16 and “Gymnasium”; class levels 5 to 13; age 10 to 19). In the German system, all pupils visit primary school and then go to one of several types of secondary schools based on their performance with “Mittelschule” being lowest (leading to vocational training) and “Gymnasium” highest (allowing access into university). These curricula all contain chapters (“preambles”) on the educational mission („Bildungs- und Erziehungsauftrag“) and on overarching educational goals („Übergreifende Bildungs- und Erziehungsziele“).Overall, the preambles amount to more than 50 pages of printed texts. Data collection: The above-described chapters were first scanned and then divided into units of analysis. A unit of analysis in most cases was a complete sentence, but sometimes it was also a chapter heading or a bullet point. Overall we distinguished N = 876 units of analysis, in the following called “segments” (primary school: N = 358; “Mittelschule” N = 178; “Realschule” N = 187; “Gymnasium” N = 153). Coding process: The category system for analysing the segments is based on Schwartz's model of 19 fundamental values. The categories deductively obtained from the theory were operationalized by means of text passages and processed into a coding manual in which definitions, keyword aids, anchor examples and references are presented. In addition, clarifications of problematic classifications and important distinctions to other values were outlined. Final coding: The coding manual was developed stepwise in discussion of the working group and coders were trained for using the coding manual. After finalizing the coding manual two independent coders coded the entire material two times again.

Overall, values related to universalism account for 17.2% of all mentions. This value range thus ranks second among Schwartz's ten superordinate value categories (Osterrieder et al., under review). Among the segments coded with universalism, 8% refer to societal values in the sense of a commitment to equality, justice, and security for all people in the world. 1.4% of the segments refer to nature in terms of protecting the natural environment and the climate, and 7.8% are related to tolerance in terms of accepting and understanding people who are different from themselves. Equality, justice, and security are contoured in the curriculum texts primarily for the people directly present in the school in each case. Thus, these values are not addressed as socially relevant values but are only called upon for their actualization in a very concrete social space. Environmental and climate issues are represented in an under complex way. The topic is not only significantly underrepresented in terms of the frequency of mentions. It is hardly concretized and, with regard to the assumption of responsibility for environmental issues and climate protection, is only conceptualized for high school students; students from other types of schools are not addressed as subjects assuming responsibility. The fact that environmental protection and nature conservation in the situation of a global threat from the consequences of climate change also means safeguarding human existence is not addressed in terms of its scope, thus invoking a configuration of values that no longer does justice to the topic. (Scheunpflug et al. 2022a; Scheunpflug et al., 2022b) Conceptions of inclusive education are analyzed as part of the category universalism – social concern. We will discuss these differences regarding the societal function of the school and analyze inclusive education as an argumentative figure in promoting social justice.

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