Developing values

Purpose

• to develop an awareness of attitudes

• to encourage students to develop positive attitudes towards the following values:

  • an active, healthy lifestyle, by participating regularly in a variety of movement forms and acknowledging the contribution of the Learning Area to physical, mental, emotional and social health

  • personal responsibility, by being accountable for health and physical activity

  • social justice, by being inclusive and respecting the rights of others

  • personal excellence and the achievements of others, by striving for their personal best and acknowledging the achievements of others

  • collaboration, cooperation and teamwork, by working cohesively in groups

  • fair play, by abiding by rules and respecting umpires' decisions

  • prevention and safety, by exhibiting safe practices and developing safe environments in the classroom, in play, in games and expeditions

  • the environment, by demonstrating conservation practices and using minimal impact techniques.

Please note: Role-play (outlined in the Making Decisions section) can also be used as a Developing values strategy.

 

Beliefs…	…determine values…	…which underlie attitudes…	…and are reflected in behaviours.
An underlying conviction about an issue or concept.	Something believed to be worthwhile.	Feelings and inclinations towards actions, situations, people or things.	Actions that reflect beliefs, values and attitudes.

 

Facilitating values education

Teachers implementing a program should act as the ‘facilitator' in values learning experiences and remain non-judgemental of students who display beliefs that may not agree with their particular stance on an issue.

Teachers should also make students aware that:

• sometimes people form opinions without being well informed

• personal experiences often contribute to opinions

• there will usually be a cross-section of opinions within any group

• peers, family, society and culture will influence values.

Debrief immediately after a values learning experience to allow students to share feelings generated from the activity, summarise the important points learned, and personalise the issues/dilemmas by relating them to hypothetical real-life scenarios.