| A review of the history of values education reveals that there has always been a broad consensus that values should be a part of schooling. However, there has been little agreement on what should be taught and how it should be incorporated. Today, the debate, now involving specialists from a variety of disciplines, has become increasingly complex. Modern public education has its context in a culturally pluralistic, multi-value society. Opponents argue that almost every time someone advocates a value system, there is unavoidable exclusion or condemnation of other value systems, either explicitly or implicitly. To understand how values can be incorporated in complex environments it is necessary to get inside organizations which strive to integrate value dimensions into their respective school cultures and examine whatever strategies and practices they may use.;This study used the naturalistic inquiry process of Lincoln and Guba (1985) to investigate and describe the values education strategies of two secondary schools, Westwood Junior High and Hebrew Academy. Purposive, emergent sampling was used to maximize information obtained from observations, interview, and documents. This information was unitized and transferred to index cards. Grounded theories were developed using triangulation, inductive analysis, and member checks. A case study for each school was developed. The methodology utilized allows educators to better understand the holistic dimension of values education as it is seen embedded within the contexts under investigation.;The study provides fresh insight into the philosophical, political, and pedagogical issues that surround contemporary values education. An important implication of the study is that the success of values education in these two schools ultimately depends on effective teachers, a strong cultural context, and directed leadership that enables and empowers others. |
