Giving Voice to the Impacts of Values Education The Final Report of ...

Reflection
The cluster projects were designed around an action research cycle, which encouraged teachers to
continually reflect on the implementation of values education in their schools and the impact of this on
student learning. The extent of this varied across the clusters: some clusters built in time for ongoing
reflective practice and implemented a range of strategies for teachers to share their values consciousness
with others. The following example of a wiki posting illustrates how one cluster encouraged reflective
practice between colleagues:
Obviously we are attempting to help show everyone what we are doing and how our values projects are
going. Max and I have designed a unit based around the idea of ‘Integrity’, using ‘Deadly Unna’ as a text
for analysis. Starting out this unit I had some initial experiences with students struggling to understand
the idea of integrity, and also how their behaviour reflects their own ideals of integrity. We’ve had many
class discussions, including a series of questions that simply had a ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘maybe’ response. It was
interesting to see that while a majority of kids regularly went to the ‘wrong’ side of the room, there were
certain instances where they instinctively decided to do the ‘right’ thing with little justification for their
actions. An example: You are walking down the street, when you come across a wallet; it has some ID and
$100. Ahead of you, you see a teenage boy walking. Do you go up to him with the wallet and ask him if it
is his For this question the majority said ‘no’ that they would keep it, and yet with the same question, but
with an elderly lady, most said they would approach her and ask. The interesting part of this activity was
that many of them could not articulate the reason for one being approached but the other not, except to say
he’s a teenager. It will be interesting to see the data at the end of the unit, to see the change. (Teacher, wiki
posting, Lanyon Cluster)
Other examples of teachers’ reflection-on-action (Schön, 1983) included reflective journals,
collaborative analysis of student data, online forums, regular meetings, master classes, and specialised
professional development.
These data demonstrate how many teachers were able to think deeply about their teaching and the values
they modelled in and outside the classroom, their students’ growing awareness of values, and their own
values. This thinking is illustrated in the following excerpts, which show how a relational consciousness
develops when teachers reflect on what values mean to them and to others:
The project was about values education in many ways. It was about awareness and articulation of my own
personal values. It was about helping other students to do the same. Finally, it was about sharing these
values with the community in order to then provide the community with the same opportunity. It has been
one of the most worthwhile projects that I have been associated with and also one of the most fulfilling.
(Teacher reflection, University Advisor’s report, Beenleigh Cluster)
Often the idea of a teacher is someone that stands at the front of the classroom, you know, lacks emotion…
And over the years, and especially since I had a child myself, I’ve grown to understand that it’s, you know,
empathy, it’s about the individuals, it’s about personal growth, and to see that coming out of these students,
and also by sharing my own personal stories, has made such an impact on these kids. (Teacher MSC story,
Palmerston Cluster)
I have been more challenged by values outside my white middle class culture. (Teacher reflection, postproject
survey)
Section 2: Impacts of the Values in Action Schools Project
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