Education in values highlights the importance of equity.
Education in values is an educational paradigm that seeks to instill respect , empathy and solidarity . It is a training model that transcends the teaching of subjects or subjects and aims to promote civility and inclusion .
It should be noted that the concept of education refers to the process that is carried out for the development of the moral faculties and intellectual capacities of the human being. Values , meanwhile, are virtues or qualities that are considered positive or favorable.
Characteristics of education in values
Education in values is characterized by going beyond the contents of traditional pedagogy , based on the learning of specific topics. Its focus is morally oriented, instructing students to become citizens capable of contributing to the construction of a harmonious society.
This type of education attempts to ensure that children and young people become active members of their community and work towards equality and justice , enriching life in democracy through civic engagement . For this, it promotes responsibility, honesty , integrity and tolerance , for example.
The defense of human rights is one of the priorities of education in values: when these rights are violated, there is no possible peace. It is also necessary to promote skills for assertive communication and dialogue , encouraging conflict resolution guided by negotiation and non-violence.
To promote sustainable development, education in values is required.
Differences with the traditional approach
It is important to keep in mind that education in values and conventional education are not opposite or contradictory. Both are important for individual and community development and, in many ways, can complement each other.
Classical education enables the transmission of humanistic and scientific knowledge . It can be said that it is based on concrete knowledge and that a kind of separation or division is established between what happens inside the classroom or room and what happens outside.
Education in values, on the other hand, aims to train committed, supportive and responsible citizens . What is learned in school is applied in all areas of life, both academic, family and social in general. These values, of course, are difficult to qualify or quantify: you cannot evaluate compassion or put a score or score on social consciousness.
In a broad sense, it can be said that values education introduces precepts of ethics into the teaching and learning process . There may be an explicit task with active methodologies to achieve this incorporation or an implicit work that encourages an introspective process in each student.
Education in values invites lifelong learning and continuous improvement.
Importance of education in values
Education in values is key to building citizenship , understanding this notion as the behavior that corresponds to a good citizen. This type of instruction is needed to develop individuals who respect diversity , are culturally sensitive, and understand the importance of cooperation.
Ethical leadership is required, in this framework, to promote critical thinking and socially positive behavior. Teachers at school and parents or guardians at home must teach how to behave since no human being is born knowing what the appropriate way to act is.
Very diverse issues, such as environmental conservation or the preservation of a community's cultural heritage , depend on education in values. Only someone who understands the consequences of their daily actions can interpret the importance of responsible consumption to contribute to sustainability , for example. In turn, those who understand the relevance of the art and history of their people can assume the defense and promotion of that legacy through volunteering , philanthropy and other actions.
Education in values, likewise, promotes empowerment and autonomy like any educational process but, at the same time, highlights the importance of collaborative learning and teamwork . It is taught that there is no individual well-being without collective well-being since there is an interdependence between people.
The strategies
Educators can appeal to different strategies and methodologies for teaching values. A common resource is to organize debates among students about moral dilemmas to develop active listening and critical reflection.
The teacher, on the other hand, can point out individual attitudes that are harmful to society and thus contribute to raising awareness. However, it is important not to encourage stigmatization : it must be explained that change is possible and that everyone deserves a second chance.
Education in values, in short, has to make visible the functioning mechanisms of society so that each subject is in a position to intervene positively. Shaping behaviors that promote collective harmony and community progress is possible through exercises, examples and other tools.