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

The development of mutual feelings of respect, trust and safety
The communities of practice (Wenger 1998; 2006) established around the VASP facilitated mutual feelings of
respect, trust and safety (building on Curriculum Corporation 2008; see also Lovat et al 2009b). One teacher
summed up the significance of this with the comment that values education is ‘all about relationships and
it underpins all we do as a successful school’ (Teacher reflection, post-project survey). Comments such as:
‘My teacher shows care and compassion when we are upset. He makes us happy again by making us laugh’
(Student reflection, University Advisor’s report, Catholic Schools of the Clarence); and ‘I think they’ve become
more caring and very supportive of me’ (Teacher MSC story, Far North Queensland Cluster) illustrates a
common concern.
There were many similar reports of improved and stronger relationships between teachers, students and
parents. All spoke of improved relationships in the classroom, school and home; noticeable improvements in
respectful behaviours; opportunities to share thoughts and feelings in environments that were safe and built
on trust; greater understanding of others; and the support that comes for values education when everyone
works together (see also the findings of Lovat et al 2009b). Stories, such as the ones included here, illuminate
the power and influence of these changes:
Now, the most significant change I think would be in the teacher and the children in that class. The teacher
now sits in the social circle, shares with the children, listens to the children and actually responds and
follows up on what he hears on what is shared. There’s a particular child in that class who has not been
diagnosed as autistic, but may well be in the spectrum, and that child never used to share much at all. But
now he actually talks, and when he’s holding the talking piece, he actually shares his feelings and what he’s
thinking. And from then until now, the children in that class are actually all sharing and they, when they’re
holding the talking piece, they talk for quite a long time, and they share their feelings. And that teacher, the
actual shift in that teacher, is amazing. He not only interacts with them, but he actually speaks at a level
which can’t be heard in the rest of the building…He actually speaks in a way that the children know that
he can be trusted and that he’s listening to them and responding to them. (Teacher MSC story, Melbourne
Eastern Regions Cluster)
I was amazed at how mature and thoughtful the students were. There were times when students spoke
openly about their feelings in front of others. This made me proud that they were so trusting. (Teacher
reflection, post-project survey).
Since we have been doing this thing, the whole class has sort of gained trust in everyone and so out in the
playground we wouldn’t used to play with each other. The girls would do their handball and stuff and
the boys would play touch football. But now since we have been doing the values, everybody has joined
together and they know how to trust each other. (Student MSC story, Far North Queensland Cluster)
An important alternative perspective came from one teacher who underscored the significance of the
relationships developed between students and people previously unknown to them:
Students have been provided with an opportunity to meet and develop relationships with people in the
community that they would not normally do so in their everyday life. This has enabled them to develop a
broader perspective and understanding of the community in which they live. (Teacher reflection, University
Advisor’s report, Greater Brisbane Cluster)
Section 2: Impacts of the Values in Action Schools Project
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