Ideology and values

in education

PGCEi
 Module 1: the goals of education - why do we educate?

Module 2: learning - the process of achieving these goals, and how learning
takes place. What makes effective teaching, to ensure that this learning actually
takes place?

Module 3: building on this strong foundation, you explore what 'understanding'

looks like in your teaching context, and how to identify whether in fact your
learners do really understand.
Educational Aims
and Values in
International Module 1: the
Contexts goals of
(EDUC4241) education - why
do we educate?
“Everyone ... has certain basic beliefs about education
– about the type of knowledge to be valued, the role of
the child, the teacher and society in the process, the
type of society to be aimed for and ultimately the
preferred relationship between morality and schooling.
These normally cohere into particular philosophies of
education. It is important, then, to realize and to
reflect upon one’s own beliefs.” (Bottery, 1990, p.8)
 Purpose of education

How we think about the purpose of education shapes

profoundly the kind of education system that we
establish and the practice we advocate.
Think about your own views about the purpose of
education.
Share these with a partner.

Photo credit: Wilfredo R. Rodriguez H.

https://www.goodfreephotos.com
West-Burnham (2005) believes that:

• Education is a moral act;

• Value-free education is impossible;
• Each and every educational decision has a moral
dimension.
Values, morals and ethics
• Values are the principles or standards of a person or
group; fundamental to the way we organise our personal
behaviour.
• Morals are what one’s conscience tell us is right or
wrong; allow us to decide what is right and wrong; can be
individual and collective.
• Ethics are about the rules we create in order to govern
our collective behaviour; system of moral principles
governing the appropriate conduct for a person or group.
Your starting point…
• Your beliefs about education, themselves shaped by your own
experiences as a learner and educator, will influence the type of
teacher you become.

• Through the course we want you to expose and question your own
beliefs and dispositions.
We want you to think carefully about what you
believe, to read the suggested texts, to share
your ideas with others and to be prepared to
change your position when the evidence
points you in a new direction
‘Values Behind the Practice’ – individual
work

• In pairs read the statements and then choose

one statement about which you have strong
positive views and one about which you have
strong negative views (10 mins).
 ‘Values Behind the Practice’ – group work

• Take it in turns to read out your chosen statements

• As a group, discuss the issues raised. Spend at least a
couple of minutes to debate the issues provoked by
each statement and see if you can reach consensus,
giving reasons for your views (15 mins).
‘Values Behind the Practice’ – group work
(continued)

• Now begin to discuss which statements seem to

belong together.
• Decide on labels that capture the philosophy of at
least three or four groups.
• Assign the remaining statements to your groups.
Revise your label names if necessary (10 mins).
Bottery’s (1990) five codes of
education
Personal values profile - use ‘Document 2 Values
behind the practice’ to review your own personal
‘profile’ of values according to the statements.
Follow the instructions in the handout.
• For each group of 5 statements, allocate 20 points
between them, depending on the strength of your
support The next few slides provide
• Then work out your preferred code (ideology) using
further explanation for each of
the code / ideology – with the
the mark scheme on the third page. text in grey identifying some
key questions about each
aspect.
Cultural Transmission

Education is an important vehicle for passing on cultural heritage to

the younger generation. Teachers are guardians of this cultural
heritage and they must pass this on to our pupils. Otherwise our
cultural heritage and our shared values will disappear.
But this is such a conservative ideology. Shouldn’t we be more critical
about our cultural heritage? To say “we did it in this way in the past so
we should do it in the same way now” is not socially progressive. It
does not reflect how society will be in the future.
Child-centred
The child’s interests and experiences must be central to
learning. We all know children learn best when they are active
and involved. Learning primarily takes place through child
initiated activity. The teacher should be a facilitator of learning
and not simply an instructor.
But in allowing children to develop naturally, are we limiting
them to their own interests? Is the focus on individuals an
abdication of social responsibility? Could each child become
a law unto herself or himself?
 Social reconstructionist
Education is the best vehicle for societal change. The teacher
has to be a facilitator rather than an instructor and should
become a critical guide. This means they are a guardian of
some values from the past and critical of other values. In their
classroom the child is active and develops a critical identity
through social interaction.
Isn’t it too much to ask the teacher to be a social reformer and
does a teacher have the moral right to do this? Might not
valuable aspects of your cultural heritage be neglected in the
passion for social reconstruction?
GNP
Surely the primary purpose of education is to provide a well-trained
workforce which can compete in the world economy. The teacher is
both a trainer and a transmitter. Pupils must be able to fit into the
economic system of the country. There is no point in pupils having
initiative if it doesn’t help them get a job.

But doesn’t this narrow the curriculum? Surely education should

prepare pupils for a life which involves more than just the economy
and it must involve some criticism of an economy-driven model?
Ecological
Humanity is just one participant in the Earth’s ecosphere, rather than
being its ruler or exploiter, so if this ecosphere is not sustainable, then
neither is humanity. Understanding how to achieve such sustainability,
and the actions that derive from this, must then be critical educational
aims.
Just as GNP education narrows the curriculum towards one which is
economy-driven doesn’t ecological education narrow it towards an
environmental emphasis? How can humanity progress economically,
socially and culturally, if we are all ‘saving the world’?
References
Bottery, M. (1990) The morality of the school: the theory and
practice of values in education. London: Cassell.
Emmanuel CE Primary School. Vision, Aims and Values
[online]. Available at
https://www.emmanuel.camden.sch.uk/our-approach-
policies/vision-aims-values/ [Accessed 11.09.19].
West-Burnham, J. et al. (2005) Values in education: Putting
ideals into practice. CSCS Journal 16 (3): 14-18.
Yokahama International School. Our Mission [online].
https://www.yis.ac.jp/mission-values [Accessed 11.09.19].