Values are
binding provisions that reveal the wishes and feelings of societies. According
to this, value is the provisions that are the indicator of the wishes and
feelings of the people in a society about things and are accepted as a common
and unchangeable whole by all members of a society. Values give a person a
respectable freedom, develop a person's personality and increase his power by
enabling him to reach perfection. In the study, values education approaches
were discussed one by one and their general contributions were revealed by
examining them through value education.
The article “Approaches
to Value Education and Evaluation of Approaches” has been prepared within the
scope of the project "Introducing National Spiritual Values with
Scientific Articles in English" with the financial support of the State
Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan
and the initiative of the Socio-Economic Research Public Union.
Key Words: Value, Value
Education, Approaches to Value Education
1.
INTRODUCTION
The value
acquisition, which is formed by the efforts of the individual and the effect of
the environment throughout life, starts in the family and continues with the
school. “How should I teach?” in values education. The question has always been
a question that has always been on the minds of almost every teacher. There are
different opinions about which approaches and methods should be applied in
values education.
Although there
are different opinions about values, almost all of them are of the opinion of
transferring and gaining values to the growing generations. As a matter of
fact, when the history of values education is reviewed, it is seen that there
is a consensus that values should be a part of education. However, the issue of
how to do this has been discussed a lot, especially in the 20th century. In
fact, this issue, which includes experts from different fields, has become a
very complex discussion today.
The values that
are desired to be gained in education can be conveyed through the traditional
indoctrination method, or it can also be achieved through the value
clarification approach, through which the student becomes aware of his own
values. In addition, value analysis approaches are also used in order to
understand the student's values and to make a systematic analysis of his value.
In this article, first the approaches used in values education will be
explained and then their evaluation will be made.
2.
VALUE
CONCEPT
In social life,
people either learn or teach. People think about what is valuable with positive
examples that are accepted by the majority, and what is worthless with negative
examples that the majority does not accept. The achievements within the framework
of these ideas are the most important treasures of life. In social life, values
sometimes come to the fore and sometimes remain in the background, within the
framework of the requirements of the age. But it does not lose anything from
its value and importance.
Values are
binding provisions that reveal the wishes and feelings of societies. Based on
this, they are the provisions that indicate the wishes and feelings of people
in a society about things and are accepted as a common and unchangeable whole
by all members of a society.(Topçu 2012: 90)
Value is a
judgment internalized by the individual who has adopted values such as respect
for human rights, integration with nature and all living things, being
scientific, participation, empathy, universal thinking, and critical logic.
Values are real information about whether something is desirable or
undesirable. So it can be said that value equals belief. If we look at it in
terms of moral education, it is the standards that a person internalizes as a
result of his interaction with his environment and directs his behavior.
The concept of
value is different from "what has been", which is the direct subject
of science and knowledge, and expresses "what should have been".
Therefore, the concept of value is ideal and action-oriented, as it has a
practical rather than a theory. (Bolay 2007: 60)
“The concept of
value is human-specific. The understanding of value emerges as the main factor
that enables the definition of words and behaviors as right-wrong,
beautiful-ugly, good-bad. In this respect, artistic value measures come to the
fore when it is said beautiful-ugly, moral value measures when it is said
good-bad, and religious value measures when it is said halal-haram. National
values are accepted as the flag, banner, historical past and victories that
hold a nation together. Each of the words, actions, behaviors or tangible
assets that are valued according to value measures are seen as value.”
(www.dinibil.com)
It is stated
that value is shaped by human behavior. In this respect, value can be defined
as “The abstract measure that helps to determine the importance of something,
the value that something touches, value; what appears in the person's
connection with the object as a wanting, needing being; It is defined in different
ways such as the whole of the material and spiritual elements that cover the
social, cultural, economic and scientific values of a nation” (Kaymakcan, and
Meydan 2014: 24).
Value is defined
as “the superior qualities and equipment that make people valuable. Since the
values possessed are the factors that will determine the personality,
perspective, behavior and even life of the individual in the future, the
individual's awareness of certain values, gaining the necessary values,
adopting new values; It is very important that he transforms all these values
into behavior by making them the basic structures of his personality.”(Yaman
2012: 28)
The concept of
value is used in many fields of science such as religious sciences, philosophy,
psychology, sociology, economics, mathematics and history. The fact that it
deals with human behavior makes values important in terms of social sciences.
The subject of the concept of value by many different disciplines makes the
definition of the concept of value very difficult. Because each discipline
dealt with and examined the dimension of this concept that concerns its own
scientific aspect, but did not take into account the side that did not concern
it. Therefore, there is no consensus on a definition that will be accepted by
all disciplines about the concept of value. (Ulusoy and Dilmaç 2012: 5) This is
why we see different definitions of value:
“Value is the
belief that something is desirable or undesirable. Value is to help them become
capable of performing all human activities in a way that suits their purposes
as human activities. In Aristotle's words, it is to help people to be able to
do "man's work". (Ulusoy and Dilmaç 2012: 15)
As it is known,
man is a being with material and spiritual aspects. Values constitute the
spiritual aspect of human existence. Values such as religion, faith, morality,
honor, pride, honor, modesty, loyalty, pact, honesty and chastity are included
in the spiritual aspect of man. These values are the condition of human
existence when viewed from a point of view.
At the same
time, values are “the things that we want to have goals not only in our own
life, but also in the lives of others, although we have goals in our own
lives.” (Güngör 2000: 84)
The most
important of the values is the moral values included in the spiritual values.
Moral values have been expressed by many thinkers in many periods of human
history. For example, Yusuf Has Hacib, in Kutadgu Bilig, the first great work
of Turkish-Islamic literature, listed the moral values in question and
described the exemplary and ideal person as follows:
“He is honest in
his work and word, disciplined, steadfast in justice and righteousness,
dignified and humble, does not steal, does not lie, does not drink, does not
gossip, is extremely generous and benevolent. He treats the people around him
with mercy and fairness, and acts in accordance with traditions and etiquette.”
(Fire 2012: 4)
An important
value in people's lives has been the teachings of religion. In Turkish society,
the orders and prohibitions of religion have taken their priority place in the
formation of values and practices of social life. Religious values have been
the cornerstones of societies and the touchstone of life for hundreds of years.
But the modern age, also called the age of enlightenment, which started after
the industrial revolution, made everything pass like fashion trends, eliminated
values, and achieved this by appealing to the human soul at the maximum level.
After this age, religious (spiritual) values fell from the eyes of societies
and remained in the background in shaping the social life of societies. This
unfortunate situation has been seen as the main reason for the moral collapse
of modern societies.
Values are the
essence of the society in which we live. Values are beliefs. With these
beliefs, life becomes meaningful. “The union formed by people who are connected
to each other by their ancestry, homeland, interests, religion, language and
culture is called a nation.” (Artillery 2012: 90)
Nations have
values that they have created by reducing, multiplying, assimilating and
adopting throughout their history within their own structure. The values that
reveal the moral structure of a nation, together, constitute our nation's
history. Our character, which has developed in our national history, has taken
life from the moral principles of the religion of Islam.
“Courage,
disobedience to the strong, rebellion against injustice, respect for elders,
hospitality, keeping promises, forgiving the evil done to oneself can be
summarized as the characteristics of our nation's moral character.” (Artillery
2012: 90)
“One of the aims
of education is to transfer the value judgments of the society to the next
generation. This transfer is carried out either openly or implicitly through
the prepared programs. Here, again, educators; They play an important role in
the preparation of programs and the transmission of these values.” (Altun 2012:
10)
Regarding value,
Gandhi says:
“Think
positively, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive,
because your words become your actions. Keep your actions positive, because
your actions become your habits. Keep your habits positive, because your habits
become your value. Keep your values positive, because your values become your
destiny.” (Cüceloğlu, and Erdoğan 2013: 114-115)
“As it is known,
values are the beliefs that underlie our choices of emotions, thoughts and
behaviors. Values direct our thoughts, feelings, behaviors and decisions by
forming a belief system among themselves. They tell us how to live, what makes
sense and what doesn't." (Cüceloğlu, and Erdoğan 2013: 114-115)
What makes
values valuable is the value given to them. In social values, they are the
values that are valuable to that society, that are the source of life and that
are indispensable. In addition, they are obliged to live together in the same
lands, even if they do not speak the same language, even if they are not from
the same ancestry. In such cases, there are values formed in the historical
process. These values enable communities to live together in peace. Value is a
way of life that is adopted by everyone in societies, has a past, and consists
of all kinds of behaviors, thoughts and rules. In any case, culture is the
combination of these values. Such multicultural life forms express themselves
through the unique values they create. When we look at the Ottoman geography,
these forms are frequently encountered. Peoples lived together in peace and
mingled. Spiritual values lie in the infrastructure of this life.
“In a societal
sense, values are the extended principles accepted by the society as the best,
the most correct, the most beneficial.” (Gürler 2013: 4) A happy social life
revolves around people with moral values. Troubles are settled by people of
value without resorting to legal remedies. In short, neighborhood law is a set
of virtues. Neighborhood law consists of virtues.
In the world
that has become a global village, most of the values are no longer national and
have become internationally accepted values under the name of virtue. Justice,
responsibility, courage, peace, patience, respect, humility, love, gratitude,
being virtuous, compassion, cooperation, frugality, forgiveness, staying away
from bad and bad habits, avoiding violence, cooperation have become universal
values.
Values create
culture in the process. “Culture is considered to be everything that people do
and produce. Tradition, custom, justice, morality, law, language, religion and
education are the elements of culture. (Ulusoy and Dilmaç 2012: 101) History
talks about the civilizations of nations with culture.
Human history
stands on moral foundations. Where there is bad morality there is cruelty,
there is no justice, where there is no justice there are cruel rulers. In the
countries of virtuous and just rulers, there is peace, there is peace, there is
happiness.
“All human
beings, from the noblest to the simplest, face the responsibility of improving
and correcting their own existence. Man's own perfection is the foundation of
all his development and moral progress.” (Diaz 2009: 20-21)
2.1.Determining Values
All the
structures that make social life livable and orderly, which are the chromosomes
of the society that hold societies together and form the genes of the society
that will carry them to the future, are called values. Values are sometimes
principles, sometimes beliefs, sometimes religious teachings, sometimes
traditions. It is the historical accumulations and beliefs of the society.
These are the agreed upon acceptances by all. It is the rules that regulate
social life. They are tools of social solidarity. They are socially integrative
and unifying forms. Until the concept of nation countries was formed, values
were only included as moral concepts consisting of customs and religious
values. However, after the concept of nation-state, the concepts of homeland,
flag and nation were added as values to these values.
For turkish;
Homeland, Flag, Culture, Language, Religion, Family and Freedom are national
values. They are indispensable for the Turkish Nation. Homeland is a sacred
value. The flag has also taken place in social life as a value attributed to
holiness. Justice, Loyalty-Fidelity, Compassion-Compassion, Forgiveness, Love,
Respect, Tolerance, Truthfulness-Honesty, Humility-Chastity, Courage,
Humility-Modesty, Responsibility, Helpfulness, Cleanliness are spiritual
values. With the mortar made of these values, our social life stands. The
continuity of the Turkish Nation and the Turkish State in the world will
continue with the value given to these values and their transfer to future
generations.
In this
research, spiritual values consisting of justice, gratitude, peace,
responsibility, patience, courage, respect, tolerance, humility, virtue,
forgiveness/forgiveness, love, compassion, cooperation and frugality were
discussed. The importance and effect of values education in helping secondary
school (high school) students transform these spiritual values into behavioral
gains and a meaning in their lives were evaluated.
2.2.Properties of Values
The properties
of the values can be listed as follows:
1.
Values are beliefs that
have cognitive, affective, and performance elements.
2.
Values are related to
the goals of the individual and the behavioral patterns that are effective in
achieving these goals.
3.
Values are structures
that are open to change in which individuals experience changes in their
priorities over time.
4.
Values are preferences
that an individual can design equally for himself and others, or only for
himself, or only for others, or for others rather than himself, or for himself
rather than others.
5.
Values are the
standards that guide the selection or change of behavior, people and events.
6.
Values override
specific actions and situations
7.
Values are ranked among
themselves according to the importance they carry, and it provides a system
that determines value priorities.
8.
Values can vary
according to the cultures they belong to, as well as within the cultures to
which they belong. (Iscan 2007: 16)
2.3.Classification of Values
Many different definitions
and classifications have been made while describing the definitions and
properties of values related to the concept of value. The classifications made
by Nelson, Rokeach, Spranger and Schwartz are considered as the most well-known
classifications.
According to
Nelson, values are; It is divided into three groups: individual values that
include our individual preferences, group values shared by the members of a
certain group, and social values that enable the individual to continue his
existence in the social structure. (Black 2007: 20)
Rokeach has
classified values into core values and instrumental values. Core values consist
of desirable values such as success, free choice, equality, virtue. In the
scope of instrumental values, there are values such as willingness,
open-mindedness, being talented, cheerful, courage, forgiveness, helpfulness,
honesty, imagination, independence, flexibility, intelligence, kindness,
responsibility and high self-control. (Black 2007: 20)
One of the best
known groupings of values is said to be made by Spranger. He divided values
into six basic groups: “These are; aesthetic, theoretical (scientific),
economic, political, social and religious value groups.” (Iscan 2007: 22)
Schwartz values;
It is classified as power, achievement, hedonism, stimulation, self-direction,
universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, and security. Power refers to
social position and having social power. Success includes being successful and
competent with a personal success orientation based on social standards. While
hedonism refers to individual pleasure and orientation to pleasure, it is to be
brave with the pursuit of excitement and novelty within the scope of
stimulation. Self-direction expresses independence in thought and action, being
creative. The content of universalism includes features such as being
open-minded, being virtuous, social justice and equality. Benevolence, on the
other hand, consists of being helpful, honest, forgiving, and a spiritual and
meaningful lifestyle. Traditionalism is an expression of respect and devotion
to cultural or religious customs and ideas. Compliance, another value, requires
restraint of impulses and actions that may harm others and go against societal
expectations. The last value in classification, on the other hand, includes
features such as security, the peace and continuity of the society, existing
relationships and the person himself, and the desire for the continuation of
the social order. (Iscan 2007: 26)
Apart from these
classifications, another classification was made by Lickona (1991) and the
values; “responsibility, respect, tolerance, common sense, self-control,
benevolence, compassion, cooperation, courage, honesty, truthfulness and
democratic values.” (Iscan 2007: 22)
Values are
considered to be each of the guiding abstract or concrete principles, beliefs
or assets that enable people to make a choice among alternative ways about the
meaning of life and the shaping of daily life. In this context, it is the
spiritual aspect of the experience and habits of the society that has been
passed down from generation to generation, which has survived to the present
day, and the traditional value to the experience, habits and forms of belief
remaining after its lack and testing; Traditional values have a huge role in
society. In this period when science and technology developed, the younger
generation set this innovation, which they defined as a modern concept, against
traditional values, and modern concepts were seen as a threat to traditional
values. Moral and spiritual traditional values became disregarded as a result.
However, traditional values and modern concepts aimed at improving the living
standard of the society could be gathered under one roof and used
constructively and positively for humanity. Because societies reveal their
existence with traditional values and raise their young people with good morals
within the framework of these values. (Ulusoy and Dilmaç 2012: 41-42)
It can be said
that the values of the verbs and the values of the functions are separated as
follows:
A.
Pleasant-not pleasant:
It belongs to our emotions, with their forms such as joy and sorrow.
B.
Vital values: Values
such as health, illness, age, death, fatigue, strong and weak, noble and common
are vital values. (Korlaelçi 2012: 93)
C.
Spiritual values: It is
superior to other values. These values form a separate area from the human body
and the environment. Others can be sacrificed for the sake of these values.
These values can be grasped through spiritual acts such as preferring, hating,
loving. The laws of these values cannot be reduced to biological laws. For the
flag, all other social values such as self-sacrifice, sense of homeland and
nation, and love of humanity are also included in spiritual values.
D.
Sacred values: “They constitute
a sacred, indescribable space that constitutes the highest step in the division
of values into layers. These values are intuitively grasped as absolute
objects. Any other value sees its symbolic duty according to its sacred values.
The states of this value are creed, belief, worship, awe, etc.” (Korlaelçi
2012: 93)
In order to
strengthen the human personality and give it a strong structure, he takes
refuge in a being he considers sacred. In this asylum, he also creates his own
beliefs and values. This is in human nature. This is how human nature was
created. Man is equipped with the above-mentioned values. Whether he likes it
or not, a person who will live in society has to take these values into
account. Because values prepare a person for life to be a mature, personality,
productive and good person. The institutions that will provide this preparation
are family and educational institutions.
3.
VALUES
EDUCATION APPROACHES
The most
important issue about values is value education. For this reason, the approaches
to be preferred in education gain importance in gaining values to students and
young people. These approaches are; It is expressed as “indoctrination, moral
development, analysis, explanation and action learning” (Superka 1976: 8).
3.1.Suggestion Approach
This approach
includes teaching values and providing consistent support for desired
behaviors. (Kim Suh and Traiger 1999: 723-727) The goal in this approach is to
construct a certain group of predetermined values in the mind of the
individual. (Added 2010: 34)
The inculcation
approach is to instill certain values in the students and ensure that these
values are comprehended, adopted and internalized by the students. In this
approach, students can apply and reflect the values they have learned to their
lives; “Modelling, positive and negative reinforcement, games, simulations,
role playing and learning through invention” (Superka 1976: 4) can be listed as
the methods to be followed. The steps used in the suggestion approach are as
follows:
a)
The value that is
decided to be inculcated is determined.
b)
Values are placed in
order of importance and priority among themselves and their levels are
determined.
c)
It is determined what
should happen in the reflection of the value to the behaviors.
d)
Efforts are made to ensure
that the child understands the reflections of values in behavior with
appropriate methods and tools.
e)
It is evaluated whether
the achieved results such as thoughts, attitudes and behaviors are in
accordance with the targets. (Superka 1976: 4)
3.2.Moral Development Approach
In the approach
developed by Kohlberg and Selman and Galbraith and Jones, the teacher needs to
understand the evaluation of good and bad behavior from the child's point of
view. It is essential to deal with the child's own moral judgments rather than
adapting to his or her various situations. (Iscan 2014: 1203-1222)
The purpose of
the moral development approach is to help students develop their moral
principles to guide their behavior. (Kim Suh and Traiger 1999: 723-727) “The
bases used by the student while evaluating give information about his/her moral
development. Here, the way of reaching the solution is important, not the
solution of the student.” (Okudan 2010: 31) The following steps are followed in
the moral development approach:
a)
The student encounters
a situation that creates a dilemma,
b)
The student's statement
of the dilemma situation,
c)
Testing reasoning for a
situation in a moral dilemma
d)
It reflects reasoning.”
(Superka 1976: 189)
3.3.Analysis Approach
Analysis
approach; It is an approach developed by Oliver, Newmann, Shaver, Larkins, and
Metcalf. This approach aims to “help students conceptualize their values
through logical thinking and follow their analytical thinking processes while
making interconnections between them.” (Superka 1976: 4)
The goal to be
achieved in the value analysis approach is “to provide children with the
knowledge and skills that will enable them to make the most appropriate
decision for a situation. In order to achieve this goal or to decide on a
behavior, the student must also have a cognitive capacity.” (Added 2010: 41)
“Based on this approach, methods such as structured discussion, testing
principles, analyzing similar situations, debate and research are used.”
(Superka 1976: 4)
3.4.Value Disclosure Approach
The approach to
explaining values was developed by Louis Raths, Merrill Harmin, and Sidney
Simon (1966). (İşcan 2014: 1203-1222) In the approach, students are helped to
realize their own values and enable them to think rationally and review their
feelings. This approach helps students internalize their own values through
decision making. (Fernandes 1999: 5)
“The approach
uses methods such as role-playing, simulation, designed or real-life
situations, in-depth self-analysis exercises, sensitivity activities,
out-of-class activities, and small group discussion.” (Superka 1976: 4)
3.5.Action Learning Approach
It is stated
that the action learning approach was developed by Jones and Newmann. “In this
approach, it is aimed for students to see themselves as members of the social
system rather than as interacting beings, by providing opportunities for
individual and social actions based on their own values. When using this
approach, action projects within the school and community, organized groups,
and work based on the application of various skills in interpersonal
relationships.” (Iscan 2014: 1207)
