Values Education: Extending the View

A number of values education strategies have recently been developed for use in the classroom. The Shaver model described here incorporates a rational decision-making process based on basic moral values. That process involves identifying and clarifying values, value labeling and generalization, examining the possible consequences of value decision, recognizing and resolving value conflict, and forming qualified decisions. It is not, however, necessary to proceed through that exact sequence of steps. For example, values discussion may begin with the teacher helping a students to recognize a value conflict. From that point, the discussion may move the identification and labeling of values. Consequently, there is flexibility in how this model may be used in the classroom. This model is developed on the premise that people who use such a process in making decisions relating to social-ethnical issues enhance their functioning within a democratic society. It is suggested that people who utilize this process in relation to health issues can likewise enhance the effectiveness of their health-related decisions. Hopefully, there will be a yield of postive health behaviors.