THE STATUS OF VALUES EDUCATION IN THE MIDDLE AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS OF TENNESSEE
Abstract
This study was done to determine the status of values education in the public Middle and Junior High Schools of Tennessee. The study was limited to 75 randomly-selected schools from 207 schools in the state that were identified as Middle or Junior High Schools. The study was limited to Social Studies teachers in those schools. Three hundred nine questionnaires developed specifically for the study were sent by U.S. Mail to the Social Studies teachers in the 75 schools. A total of 206, or 67%, of the 309 teachers responded from 64, or 85%, of the 75 schools. The study examined responses from four groups: (1) all subjects in the study, (2) a comparison of urban and rural school teachers, (3) a comparison of male and female teachers, and (4) a comparison of teachers who had taught 0-5 years, 6-15 years, and over 15 years. The conclusion of the study was that teachers are very much concerned about values education. They believe that schools can and should influence the values and moral behavior of young people. They reject the position that values teaching belongs exclusively to family and church. Most teachers feel that parents expect schools to provide values education, though they seem undecided as to whether students really want to know what is right and wrong. Most teachers feel that their schools reflect the dominant values of the communities which they serve, but admit that their schools lack clearly-defined goals for values education programs. Though few teachers have taken college work to prepare themselves, they still feel qualified to do so. Very few teachers set aside a special time during the day to teach values. Discusson is by far the most popular method for teaching values. The three most important moral values which teachers feel should be included in a values education program are: honesty, respect for others, and responsibility.
Subject Area
Curricula|Teaching
Recommended Citation
IRIS BOMAR WHITNEY,
"THE STATUS OF VALUES EDUCATION IN THE MIDDLE AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS OF TENNESSEE"
(1986).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI8802627.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI8802627