Adolescent Female Views of Values Education

Abstract

The curricular rationale for many of today's secondary school "values
education" programs is based on the assumption that such programs
influence citizenship behavior, decision making, "appropriate" social
behavior and problem-solving skills. To examine program participants'
reactions to this kind of undertaking, 19 eighth grade females in a
Minneapolis middle school accomplished a Q sort of 60 statements derived
from various education program participants' focus groups. Three
defined student type emerged which contribute to this understanding of
student reactions to a values education program. A positive viewpoint
toward values education factor was so named based on its generally
conclusive orientation to the program. Defining "neutrality," values
education was reflected in a mix of indifference and acceptance of
values education programming. A negative factor represented a distinct
deviation from the other two types. By acknowledging the realities that
these eighth graders held for this approach to values education, schools
should be able to develop programmatic models responsive to a range of
learner types.