Education in values: what does it consist of?

When we think about the meaning of the word education, it is very likely that we relate this word to the way in which people adopt certain norms and conventions that hold society together, work techniques and pieces of knowledge about what the world.

However, there is a type of education that goes far beyond this technical learning: theEducation in values.

• Related article: "Educational psychology: definition, concepts and theories"

What is educating in values?

The concept of education in values ​​is very broad, but in general terms it refers to the set of strategies and relationship dynamics that aim to train citizenship and coexistence models based on respect, empathy and equality.

This means that it goes far beyond the teaching of subjects related to the functioning of nature and societies. If these first subjects speak to us about the "what" and about the "how", the education in values ​​speaks to us about the "for what".

Like education in values is related to the ethical scale and the values ​​that serve to order priorities

It also influences the way in which people set goals to achieve through the knowledge they learn in other subjects.

Topics covered from education in values

This form of education has open several fronts on which students (or, rather, learners) will try to reflect and debate. These are the main ones:

Equality and inequality

The idea that all human beings are equal it is essential to develop inclusive moral systems. However, it is not always easy to know what practical implications this moral principle has. In values ​​education, people are invited to think about what equality means and what types of behaviors threaten it.

The idea that all human beings are equal is not only one of the foundations of democracy, but also makes possible social adaptation and compliance with the rules of coexistence.

Empathy

Although it may seem so at first, educating in values ​​is not about teaching what the laws and regulations are. customs by which society is governed: someone with strong psychopathic traits would also be able to do that. Educating in values ​​consists, among other things, of assuming an ethical scale in which commitment to society and empathy They help define the objectives of our actions.

Putting yourself in someone else's shoes both cognitively and emotionally improves your ability to manage conflict and understand different points of view.

Ethical circles

Values ​​education also reflects on the breadth of our ethical circles, that is, those groups that include individuals, groups and elements that must be protected especially.

Respect for animals is also a topic that is approached from here, and it can serve to generate reflections on the rights of non-human forms of life.

Preservation of the environment

The environment is not only a collection of resources, it is also our habitat, and it needs joint protection. That is why the relationship with nature is fundamental in education in values; On the one hand, it encourages thinking about a problem that must be tackled jointly and that therefore depends on a civic and joint commitment, and for the another allows to develop a sensitivity towards problems that go far beyond oneself and even beyond the people one knows and appreciates.

Screening for special needs

Knowing how to detect personal or collective situations in which one is at a disadvantage is essential to develop sensitivity towards certain types of claims that for us would not have too much importance as they are not directly affected. This is the case of the needs of ethnic minorities or homosexuals who are discriminated against by law and by treatment.

How to develop education in values?

Education in values ​​is not simply a specific subject that must be taught in educational centers; It must be transversal and affect the way of doing not only of all the teaching staff as a whole, but also the way in which the entire educational institution, parents and guardians and, in general, the community acts. Being something that is internalized with practice, there is no division between what happens inside the classrooms and what happens outside of them.

Some strategies to educate in values ​​are the following:

• Reject forms of discrimination.
• Empower forms of leadership not based on the ostentation of power.
• Invite a philosophical debate on moral dilemmas.
• Point out behaviors that are harmful to the group without stigmatizing people.
• Emphasize the principle that people can change.
• Propose joint practical exercises in which decisions have to be made in real time.
• Above all, lead by example.

Concluding

Values ​​education may seem like a relatively new concept that could only be created in today's prosperous societies, but the truth is that philosophers like Socrates They already defended the idea that one of the fundamental pillars of education is the objective of creating good citizens.

In a way, is an education based on philosophy of morals: helps let's reflect on our motivations and on the appropriateness of setting goals in one way or another, taking into account the impact that will have for oneself, but also for others.