Is it Possible to Teach Without Values?
“ Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb,1984, p.38 ).
If this is true, then, throughout our lives, we are forming opinions based upon our experiences that we have had. In order to formulate an opinion you must, I feel, place a value judgement on it. Is it possible to maintain neutrality whilst teaching, or will these values inevitably encroach upon the knowledge you are imparting to your students is a question for debate?
Dewey believed that:
“…education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience…’ (Dewey 1897, cited in Kolb, p.4 )
If we take both Kolb’s and Dewey’s view that learning and education cannot be separated from past experience then, it would appear that it is inevitable that teachers would pass on their values, intentionally or otherwise, to their students.
I think that your past experience does shape who you are as a person and influence your thought process and that will establish the values you have. I also believe that, because of your experiences, you can revise and even change your perspective on things and so your values can be altered. This is to do with the reflective process that Kolb et al. believe we continually go through during our lives. Jennifer Moon refers to this as:
“learning from the meaningful representation of learning” (2004,p.91)
Kolb developed his ‘Learning Cycle” to try to show this process of reflection. Simply put, this is the concept that we experience something, think about it, test out what we have discovered and then act accordingly as a result. Kolb’s Learning Cycle is illustrated below:
Image Source:http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.jpg
Argyris and Schon developed Kolb’s theory further and devised “Double Loop Learning”. Cartwright summarised the purpose of this well, I think, in the following words, describing it as:
“a way to better understand the ordinary, to question our everyday working world, to think outside the presumptions and limitations that we have, perhaps unconsciously constructed for ourselves” (Cartwright, 2002, p 69) .
Image Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/5d/0c/0a/5d0c0a0fd4a21a88d40e83365b6034f5.jpg
If the above philosophers are right, then it would be almost impossible to teach without values because they are inherent within each of us. I believe this to be true.
Crib and Gewirtz (2011) believe that a teacher aught to have an opinion and make their students aware of it, because not to do is is using what they call ‘licensed avoidance tactics’’. I don’t agree because I feel that a teacher should not try to influence their pupils by allowing their own values to present a biased view of subject matter they are teaching.
Young minds are very impressionable and a teacher is in a position where he or she does have the ability to affect a child’s response to a situation, so I believe that it is not necessarily a bad thing for a teacher to attempt to remain neutral. It does, however, depend upon the circumstances. If a child is demonstrating behaviour that may be damaging to others or to him/herself, then, I believe that, in such an instance, it would be morally and ethically wrong for a teacher not to intervene. The very act of intervention would be a demonstration of the teacher acting according to the values he/she possesses.
My own thoughts on the subject of whether we can teach without values is expressed in the quote below:
“Teachers are permanently involved in values education... sometimes ... without even realizing that they are teaching values ...” (Kohlberg & Turiel in PORTELE, p. 7, cited in Harecker, online)
Bibliography
Cribb A. and Gewirtz, S. (2011) Values and schooling. In: Dillon, J. and Maguire, M. (eds.) Becoming a Teacher: Issues in Secondary Education, pp. 55-67. 4th ed. [online].Maidenhead: Open University Press. Available at: http://lib.myilibrary.com/Open.aspx?id=326918
(accessed 16th September 2016)
Harecker, G. Teaching Values at School: a Way to Reach a Better Understanding in Our World, New Perspectives in Science Education, (online). Available at: http://conference.pixel-online.net/science/common/download/Paper_pdf/325-IBL26-FP-Harecker-NPSE2012.pdf
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall
Kolb, D. A. and Kolb, A.Y. (2008) Experiential Learning Theory: A Dynamic, Holistic Approach to Management Learning, Education and Development, Weatherhead School of Management Case Western Reserve University, (online). Available at: http://learningfromexperience.com/media/2010/08/ELT-Hbk-MLED-LFE-website-2-10-08.pdf (accessed on 6th October 2016)
Moon, J. A. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning Theory and Practice, RoutledgeFarmer, London and New York.
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