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

I found myself. I became different in a way I can’t explain – but good. (Student reflection, University
Advisor’s report, Beenleigh Cluster)
I learned how to trust people, not be scared. I believe in myself now. (Student reflection, University Advisor’s
report, Beenleigh Cluster)
The process of self-discovery and self-knowing is important to all students, but findings from the VASP
suggest that this is especially the case for students who are ‘at risk’, marginalised or disadvantaged. The
power of this finding is demonstrated in the heartfelt and insightful written reflection of a male student in
a detention centre: ‘My advice to new boys that come into [institution] is to RESPECT myself and others. Stay
strong and keep your head up. Look towards the future and want better for yourself and your friends and
family. You only have ONE life and ONE life ONLY – treasure everything that you have in your life.’
Other data from the Australian Juvenile Detention Centres School Cluster strengthens this finding.
Results from a Personal Wellbeing Index (Cummins 2006) highlight a growth in students’ understanding of
wellbeing and its significance to their lives. These results suggest that through their close examination of
values and, in particular, their focus on giving to others, many students showed an increased awareness of
themselves and their place in the world.
There is also evidence that shows changes in students’ understanding of the impact of their actions on the
wellbeing of others, as seen in the following data excerpts. The first is a teacher’s description of the way that
students now value difference, and how students, previously marginalised, have experienced acceptance
and self-worth:
There has also been a change in the way individuals in the class are valued. There are children from
different cultural and racial backgrounds in the class, as well as an integrated child with a physical
disability, and a child who has struggled to find acceptance by peer groups. All of these children have
benefited from the values program. While in the early days these children needed to be placed in groups
by the teacher, they are now often selected by others. In some cases these children have gone from being
almost invisible in the classroom to being chosen as peer tutors and their talents acknowledged and valued.
This has improved their confidence and self-esteem, leading to improved educational outcomes. (Teacher
MSC story, Catholic Schools of the Clarence)
The other story excerpts, from students, illustrate their awareness of the role they play in enhancing the
wellbeing of others:
Well, in our classroom, we used to be quite crazy, like when we got a pile of sheets everyone would grab
them and have a fight over what sheet but now we’re starting to respect each other more and like a person
will get two sheets and hand them out to people and we’re waiting our turn in grabbing things, and we’re
sharing stuff. Like if someone’s lost their pencil or something you’d be ‘oh, you can borrow mine, it’s okay,
it doesn’t matter’ and things like that. And we’ve changed a bit more, like we’re all calmer, like we’re all
spending more time listening to each other and respecting each other’s opinions. (Student MSC story,
Palmerston Cluster)
Section 2: Impacts of the Values in Action Schools Project
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