Teaching Values in a Democratic Society
Values and Collaborative Learning
Why do we need to teach values? What roles do values play in the learning process? And, what values are essential elements of teaching and learning? If we are truly interested in the education, learning and development of our young people and the significant leadership roles that they will have in our democratic society over the coming generations, we must answer these important questions. For years these questions have been mostly ignored in the curriculum of our educational system from k-12 and in higher education. It seems that our commitment to an “objective education” has taken priority over the necessity to help students to learn by making the important connections with the essential values of the society in which they are being taught.
We have been neglecting the real education of our students in favor of depositing facts and raw data into the minds of students in the hope that they will retain enough to function well in society. Yet, most of our research in education has revealed that students forget up to 90 percent of what they learn from memorization within a year. Most importantly, they have a strong need and desire to make the necessary connections of what they learn to the society and world around them in a way that has real meaning and purpose. Teaching technical skills, especially reading, writing and math, is important but making these skills come alive for students through examples, cultural context and democratic values is even more important for both the learning and the development of students over the years and as they enter the workplace to become contributing members of society. And, for the most part rich cultural context, democratic values and collaborative learning are not being used in the classrooms of our educational system.
Values must be taught and there are certain values essential to making our democratic society work that are supported by law and the example of our forefathers. These values that include equality, justice, prudence, temperance and fair practices must be taught and be understood in order to give the raw skills meaning and real direction for students and to help them make the essential connections. This is the real context of education that creates rich learning environments and makes the classroom come alive for students. Teaching these values through examples from history and current events creates the cultural context that enables students to make better sense of why they are learning subjects in school that in some way will help them to contribute to society. We seem to have made the assumption that students understand these values from their parents or have somehow learned these values on their own. This is seldom the case as even parochial schools focus more on doctrine and dogma than values and few parents take the time to teach their children because they think it is the job of the schools.
So, most students move through elementary, secondary and higher education with only classes in civics to teach them some “facts” about democracy or “religion” classes to teach them about church rules and laws with very little context of learning to help them make appropriate social connections with the collaborative democratic society in which they will soon be expected to contribute. If we want our students to contribute successfully as leaders in American society in a way that improves our democracy and our way of life, we must do better than just a few civics classes to help them learn and to make the appropriate connections with a value-based society that cares about people. Or, do we think that we have reached a level of sophistication that technology or raw technical skills provide all the answers in a society devoid of human values? Clearly, from the recent events on Wall Street and in Congress that revealed an executive and legislative culture with little or no real appreciation for the impact of their actions on the lives of others, we must reflect upon what is really missing in our educational system.
Leaders who are taught in collaborative-based learning environments, at the very least, learn the value of putting the group, organization and mission first before their own selfish interests. On Wall Street where bonuses have soared to record levels while the rest of society on Main Street suffers and the economy is put at risk, an executive culture has developed that has little concern for others. And, in Congress where it is more important to destroy the other party than it is to seek constructive reform, there is a culture of legislators who have learned only the value of self-interest at the expense of others. These are not the values that our nation was founded on. Our great leaders of the past including Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Washington and Jefferson all understood the importance of equality among people, temperance in high office as it relates to money and power, prudence in decision making and fair practices in business and government. And, these are the same values that can be taught in our schools and institutions of higher learning through cultural learning context, collaborative leadership, teamwork and critical thinking that emphasize democratic values, other points of view and service to others. These are values that must be taught in order to be practiced and it is clear by the self-serving cultures that are growing in American society, we are at a critical crossroads for learning and leadership in business, education and government (See Crisis in Education).
With a greater conscious effort to
revise our curriculum with rich cultural context and democratic values,
examples and case studies, much can be accomplished in teaching and developing
the leaders of the future with a moral compass and the ability to think of
others before their own selfish interests. If we are successful in this
endeavor, the next generation of business leaders will be helping to build an
economy with greater emphasis on
- Why do we need to teach values in our educational system from k-12 through higher education? What roles do values play in the learning process?
- What are the essential values that are fundamental to the education, learning and development of our young people that will enable them to succeed as contributors and leaders in a democratic society?
- Why is the teaching of technical skills such as reading, writing and math important but not enough for the development of future leaders?
- Discuss how rich cultural context, democratic values and collaborative learning can be used in the classrooms of our educational system?
- Are values being taught in our present system of education? Why have they been ignored in the past?
- Discuss some examples in society of the lack of fundamental values that could have made a difference in business and government. Why are they not used?
- Discuss the values of equality among people, temperance as it relates to money and power, prudence in decision making and fair business practices and how these values are applied in business, education and government.
- Design a detailed class syllabus using cultural context, collaborative leadership, teamwork and critical thinking with an emphasis on democratic values and service to others.
- Discuss how Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson used some or all of the above values as leaders.
- Do you believe that the values of equality, prudence,
temperance, justice and fair practices can be taught successfully and how
important is it for the future of a democratic society?
