Synopsis of a talk delivered by Prof. Sushma Gulati
NCERT

Education is a process of transmission of certain values to help the learner lead a good life – a kind of life that is satisfying to the individual in accordance with the cherished ideals and values of society. Value oriented education aims at introducing human goodness. It covers the development of all aspects of personality – intellectual, social, moral, aesthetic and spiritual. Value education is education for becoming. It aims at equipping the students to face the adversities of life, to deal with joy and sorrow effectively, maintain healthy interaction with others, and thereby bring about global welfare of the society and world at large.

Education as an organized social institution has been considered a major vehicle for nurturance of values. Conceptually, the objectives of education encompass education for values. At the practical level, however, value education is referred to as a deliberately planned education aimed at the development of proper attitudes, values, emotions and skills for holistic development of students. The goal of providing value education is to develop in children, awareness, sensitivity, appreciation, reflective thinking about social/moral ethical values, provide them opportunity to make judgments about what is good and right, choose among the competing values, internalize and practice these values in life. It is only well reasoned acceptance of values which strengthens internalization of values.

The traditional approach in imparting education focuses on providing knowledge and information to students as symbolized in the syllabus, which they are expected to memorize. They receive information but not education. The centre of attention is the subject matter. The instructional goal of helping students understand, appreciate and learn the values inherent in the subject is rarely pursued.

Curriculum – both explicit and hidden, serves as an important source of value education. Curriculum seeks to transmit values through school subjects, the textbooks and transaction of the subject matter.

The different subjects at school stage – Science, Social Sciences, Languages, Mathematics etc. seek to provide knowledge intrinsic to the particular discipline. For example, Science teaching aims at the development of understanding of the concepts, facts, principles, theories and laws that describe the physical and natural world. The human and social sciences help to understand human behavior and social environment. In the very act or process of acquiring knowledge, however, which is not the same as memorization and reproduction of information, certain attitudes, values, habits of thinking that are concomitant to the pursuit of that particular knowledge get transmitted. To illustrate, Science is intended to strengthen the commitment to free inquiry, curiosity, objective-scientific outlooks open – mindedness, search for truth etc. Mathematics is associated with logical thinking, “order, decision making, neatness, accuracy, perseverance. Social sciences at school stage are intended to broaden children’s vision of society to qualify to be good citizens. History portrays the value of patriotism, compassion, bravery, co-operation, loyalty, justice, perseverance as evidenced from the lives of great people. Geography communicates interdependence of countries, unity in diversity, environmental conservation etc. Language, besides encouraging communication and listening skills, is intended to inculcate imagination, creativity, sensitivity, appreciation and emotional development. It is for this reason that objectives of teaching different school subjects also include development of attitudes, appreciations, values, skills, which are appropriate to that subject. Every subject, thus from the stand point of value education is considered to be a repository of values.

Over the years, researches have indicated that teachers’ attitudes and interactions in the classroom make difference in student’s learning of values. Mutual respect, appreciation, kindness, courtesy contribute to positive classroom climate. The most effective teachers are the ones who model the values they want their students to learn. Modeling is a powerful learning medium because it can either reinforce or negate what is learned through the formal curriculum. Students will learn the values if teachers model these value themselves. Modeling of desirable values by the teacher therefore is considered to be an essential pre-requisite. A deliberate attempt is made toward value oriented teaching of subjects.

Good teaching of a subject implies teaching the subject in such a way that the students gain insight into the nature of the subject, its logical structure, its methods and also exemplify the attitudes and values associated with that particular subject. Presenting the lessons from a humanistic and positive perspective is important. The lesson which would inspire and awaken positive feelings and experiences, help in understanding self, encouraging openness to inquiry in raising questions, exploring, discover and constructing their understanding of values and providing opportunity to put their knowledge of values into practice are meaningful. Strategies like questions, stories, anecdotes, games, experiments discussions, dialogues, value clarification, examples, analogies, metaphors, role play, simulation are helpful in promoting values during teaching –learning.

It may be pointed out that the idea of providing value education through the school subjects should not mean that the school subjects are to be treated as mere vehicles of value education and not the knowledge of the discipline if we do that, it would be ‘distorting the true nature of the discipline itself’. Integration of values with teaching of subjects is aimed at building holistic attitudes, positive feelings and emotions about the subject content during teaching – learning process and thereby guiding and facilitating acceptance and internalization of values. The teaching of different school subjects, therefore, should stir the processes involved in value development not only at knowing but also at the feeling and doing levels. The strategies which are applicable in regard to imparting knowledge and information may not be applicable in regard to education for values.

It may be pointed out that the idea of providing value education through the school subjects should not mean that the school subjects are to be treated as mere vehicles of value education and not the knowledge of the discipline. If we do that, it would be ‘distorting the true nature of the discipline itself’. Integration of values with teaching of subjects is aimed at building holistic attitudes, positive feelings and emotions about the subject content during teaching – learning process and thereby guiding and facilitating acceptance and internalization of values. The teaching of different school subjects, therefore, should stir the processes involved in value development not only at knowing but also at the feeling and doing levels. The strategies which are applicable in regard to imparting knowledge and information may not be applicable in regard to education for values.

Planning pedagogical aspects of value education requires professional development of teachers, and their training and planning at both the school and teacher training level. It may not be so difficult but it definitely involves conscious planning. It may come with orientation, practice and continued focus. A system of education where teaching is restricted to instruction and learning to pass the examination will not deter the committed and inspiring teachers and school personnel to march ahead with force and enthusiasm to implement this important curriculum intervention for the cause of value oriented education.

Principles of Pedagogy in Education for Values

• Conviction that values can be fostered through deliberately planned experiences in schools
• Value education is subsumed under the objectives of education
• Value education promotes unconditional striving for goodness
• Value education is concerned with the total personality i.e. cognitive, affective and conative (knowing, feeling and doing)
• Education in values follows a process – awareness, appreciation, willingness, conviction and action
• Education in values involves the process of exploration, thinking, reflection and not imposition
• Values are best fostered by example/influence and imbibed by observation and emulation
• Values can not be taught in the same way as lessons of information yet role of instruction, guidance and supervision cannot be overlooked
• Education for values to be integrated with the entire school system
• School has to have its own philosophy and framework of values which determine the culture of pedagogy
• Teacher’s perception of their tasks roles and responsibilities determine pedagogical inputs
• The curriculum and textbooks are the sources of values – inherent values, and deliberate integration of values
• There is no one prescriptive way to provide education for values – different models
• Pedagogy of education relates subject matter to the child
• The range of strategies to be appropriately used for different age/grade and subjects
• Certain kinds of teacher’s behaviors, attitudes, ways of interaction, classroom atmosphere are the pre – requisites
• Teaching lessons keeping in view humanistic and life perspectives
• Pedagogy of value inculcation involves conscious planning and commitment

Strategies for Integration of Values in Teaching

• Silent sitting
• Story telling
• Narrating Anecdotes – significant incidents from biographies of great men, real life incidents, events reports in the newspaper
• Analysis of critical events
• Quotations – Messages of thinkers/philosophers/educationists
• Questioning/Framing questions
• Discussions of Dilemmas /Clarification of conflicting values
• Problem identification – Solving hypothetical/real life problems
• Improvisation
• Resolving conflicts
• Analogies/Metaphors
• Self-reflection exercises
• Framing value based sentences
• Visualization and Imagining exercises
• Drawing/making collages with the help of Clippings, magazines, articles
• Composing Value based songs/poems
• Expressing the meaning of words in different ways
• Completing incomplete stories/poems in different ways
• Expressing emotions/gestures to convey value themes
• Role play/Simulation
• Team Projects/Community service