The goal of this Common Essential Learning is to assist in the development of compassionate and fair-minded persons who can make positive contributions to society as individuals and as members of groups. What is desired are individuals whose actions reflect an educated, rational and empathetic sense of social responsibility. In the classroom, this Common Essential Learning has two related aims: to support students in treating other persons with respect; and, to support students in coming to a better understanding of the personal, moral, social and cultural aspects of school learning.
Personal and Social Values and Skills is that complex of knowledge, values, attitudes and abilities which contribute to the development of a sound moral character, a sense of community, and competence in responding to the personal, social and cultural aspects of life. This C.E.L. is intended to contribute to an understanding of the rational basis for examining moral questions and the resolution of conflicts between individuals' needs and desires on the one hand, and their responsibilities to others and to the environment on the other. It involves the development of self knowledge and understanding of the feelings, experiences, needs, purposes and rights of oneself and others.
Other Common Essential Learning’s contribute to the achievement of this one, particularly Critical and Creative Thinking and Communication. While not all of our students will have the same mental or physical capabilities to reflect upon and communicate their understandings in this area, all students will benefit from a caring environment wherein teachers model respect for all persons.
A basic understanding in this area involves distinguishing between different types of values. For example, one can make a distinction between fundamental moral values and aesthetic, economic or other kinds of relative values. Values within these categories can be held either by individuals or by cultural, social or political groups. Although a democratic society does not establish absolute standards for aesthetic, economic or recreational values, certain fundamental moral values are considered necessary for all citizens to hold. Further, while many personal values might be relative to the needs and interests of the person, fundamental moral values such as truth, rationality and justice are not. The most basic moral value underlying development of this Common Essential Learning is that of respect for persons.2 By making a claim for fundamental moral values stemming from a respect for persons, a foundation is established which can be used to develop rational arguments about actions or issues of concern.
Moral values, which form one reference point for such reasoning, include values such as: truthfulness, compassion, fair-mindedness, justice, respect for the environment, respect for the rights and property of others, and respect for democratic processes (the rights of majorities and minorities).
A focus upon Personal and Social Values and Skills is justified through: its contributions to a just society; the preservation and growth of cooperation and harmony within and between social and cultural groups; self knowledge; and a fuller understanding of the personal and social aspects of school knowledge. Development of the understandings and abilities of this C.E.L. are further justified through the support which they provide to learning situations.
While personal and social values and skills are developed from a rational base, it is important to acknowledge both the affective and cognitive dimensions of human rationality. All learning in schools is acquired in social contexts where, for example, the behavior of an individual can affect the quality of the learning experiences of others.
The abilities and understandings promoted in this Common Essential Learning contribute to the establishment of an open and caring environment and thus support students' learning and their desire to learn.
Schools are not value-neutral environments: "In transmitting knowledge to children and young people and developing their understanding of the world the school of necessity has to be committed to the value and the ideals of truth" (Malikail and Stewart, 1987, p. 12). Schools within a democratic society must also maintain a commitment to such foundations of a democracy as freedom of speech, equality and fairness in the treatment of persons.
While families and communities will continue to take responsibility for the maintenance of certain societal and cultural values including moral values, this does not exempt schools from their responsibilities in this area. The emphasis desired by Saskatchewan Education is to help students acquire fundamental moral values stemming from respect for persons through rational and humane processes. Thus, the concept of moral relativism (a belief that when dealing with moral issues any decision is as good as any other) is not sanctioned.
It is important to emphasize that discussion of the teacher's role in developing personal and social values and skills builds upon the other chapters in this handbook. While we are not repeating our descriptions of the teacher's role in fostering the abilities contained in the other C.E.L.s, it is important to remember that they apply equally here. This is particularly true of the role for the teacher developed in Critical and Creative Thinking and Independent Learning.
Within what is perhaps the most demanding, challenging and comprehensive of all the responsibilities which educators share, several interrelated areas need to be examined. These areas include: the models of moral reasoning and moral behavior which teachers display in their actions and the classroom structures which they establish; the overall climate of the school; institutional supports for Personal and Social Values and Skills; and the opportunities provided within the Required Areas of Study for developing moral reasoning and promoting self, interpersonal, and cross-cultural understandings.
While the abilities and understandings of this C.E.L. develop gradually and are shaped both by negative and by positive experiences with others, a single compassionate and fair-minded teacher has a powerful and long-lasting positive affect. A good starting point for understanding this potential is to look at teacher behavior that is consistent with respecting persons. Within the larger aim of coming to understand and ground one's behavior in a basic respect for persons, several crucial themes will be explored. These include examining the role of contradiction, consistency, and balance in developing personal and social values and skills.
When we respect other people we acknowledge their language, their history and their culture as important aspects of their personal identity. While respect implies causing no harm and supporting the rights of individuals and groups to make decisions about what is in their best interest, it also involves active attempts to do well by others. By conferring the status of persons onto others we oblige them to adopt these same responsibilities. That is, respect must be reciprocal.
As most classroom teachers can acknowledge, the difficult part of this modelling comes in understanding how to translate these general guidelines into the specific practices demanded by unique classroom situations. The concepts of contradiction, consistency and balance are useful here.
Consistency within a respect for persons involves teaching practices like the following:
Acting in accordance with respect for persons also involves knowing when to treat people differently in order to achieve this goal. Respecting students' differing cultural backgrounds requires that teachers become knowledgeable about the behavioral norms of cultures other than their own. (For example, eye contact is not respectful in some cultures.) Ways to behave consistently and respectfully towards students with special needs should also be examined. In some cases it will not be appropriate to expect the same level of understanding and action from all students, but it is important to give all students as much responsibility for their personal, social and moral behavior as their physical and mental capabilities will allow.
When attempting to act in a manner consistent with valuing and respecting persons, contradictions begin to surface which must be dealt with. Schools are social institutions containing people, and people do not always act in accordance with their own moral values and beliefs. While persons in authority are expected to be good role models in this area, at times they are not. This needs to be acknowledged with students in a manner that does not undermine the legitimate authority of teachers, administrators or parents. If disrespectful behavior is glossed over when it belongs to adults but acknowledged when it belongs to students, students may become confused about or mistrustful of the genuineness of our belief in respect for persons and of our commitment to it. They may also doubt our commitment to truth.
We need to develop an understanding of the importance of truth and respect for persons, alongside an understanding of the need for some forms of legitimate authority in social institutions and families. This will enable students to choose to behave well, even in those difficult situations where others do not.
The choice would be made from a commitment to the moral values first, and a belief in the communication process second. Where contradictions arise between what people say and how they act, our students need to feel that they can discuss the contradictions, present their viewpoints about injustices or misunderstandings in a respectful manner, and be heard. For adults and students in schools, the important goal here is that of continuously reflecting upon one's own behavior using the standards of truth and respect for persons, and attempting to act in accordance with them. A belief in the capability and the desire of all persons to improve in their treatment of others is a necessary condition of acting on a respect for persons.
Nowhere does the need for constant reflection and the subtlety, the complexity, the artfulness of teaching become more evident than in establishing and maintaining the kind of role model we want to be and the kind of classroom environment we want to achieve. No simple formulas will suffice. The idea of balance is a useful device for weighing the alternatives in individual situations. As educators we need to be sensitive to and constantly adjust the balance between:
Teachers need support from other members of the educational system if they are to fulfill the demands of this role to the extent that they desire. Any examination of teachers' roles is incomplete if it does not acknowledge the reciprocal relationships between teachers' rights and responsibilities and those of administrators, trustees, parents, students and fellow teachers. Thus, the consistencies and balances demanded by the teacher's role and the contradictions which need to be examined should also apply to the school, the school system, and the provincial institutions of education.
The more authority over decisions affecting the rights and choices of others that persons have, the more responsibility they have for acting in accordance with a commitment to truth and respect for persons. With power comes the obligation to exercise it wisely, thoughtfully and fairly. Thus, habits of personal reflection upon the rights and needs of others must be part of the daily life of all members of an educational system.
Before one makes a decision or takes action, one should feel confident that all perspectives have been examined, that the history of the situation is understood, and that the intended goals of the action are sound and potentially worthwhile for all students. Self reflection must be supported by knowledge of the situations and lives of those affected by the decision.
The best assurance for educational administrators that the decisions they make will support growth in personal and social values and skills is based on:
In developing Personal and Social Values and Skills in all school subjects, three areas require particular examination. These areas are: developing understanding of and experience with moral reasoning; examining the content of curriculum materials in relation to this C.E.L.; and, examining social issues in the classroom.
Moral reasoning is concerned with thinking as it relates to the treatment of persons (in the context of their environment) through the use of moral principles derived from the most fundamental principle of respect for persons.4 Since it is possible to consider these moral principles and their application objectively, it is also possible to be rational in our treatment of moral issues and dilemmas.
Although the principle of respect for persons should be the foundation for one's general treatment of oneself and others, the very general nature of this principle makes it a difficult one to apply in concrete situations. Therefore, mediating principles are needed. These mediating principles are logical extensions of the most fundamental moral principle of respect for persons. Examples of such mediating principles would be the commitment to: transmit and promote that which is true; treat all persons equally unless there are relevant differences; maximize anther’s freedom; and, consider the rights and needs of persons. These principles can be further translated into substantive values which provide rules of conduct. For example, one can derive rules regarding discrimination according to sex or race from the principle of equality. Similarly, since respect for persons is developed within the human context and humans depend upon their physical environment for survival, respect for the environment can also be considered a mediating principle.
The process of moral reasoning involves critical reflection upon how to translate the fundamental moral obligation of respect for persons in specific situations. This requires that teachers, together with their students, use mediating principles, moral rules and moral values to arrive at moral arguments. This process involves substantive knowledge, fact-finding and open dialogue. Such dialogue should be developed by persons committed to the employment of strong sense critical thinking.
Curriculum development in all subject areas needs to be concerned that the material presented to students is non-sexist and non-racist. As all materials presented for study will not be totally free of bias, teachers should help students examine materials for the biases that they may contain and the possible effects such biases produce. In studies of individuals in science, the arts, social studies, health or literature, students should be exposed to a balance of males and females from differing cultural backgrounds, in both historical and contemporary settings. "Students should come to see that greatness and goodness have found, and can find expression among men and women in different cultures and races" (Malikail and Stewart, (1987), p. 55). The study of literature and the media can contribute to a heightened awareness of stereotypes, an analysis of why they are used and a better understanding of the ways in which biased presentations affect minority groups. In social studies, developing understanding of the relationships between history, climate, resources and cultural patterns can lead to a better understanding of persons from different cultural backgrounds and religious groups.5
The use of quality children's literature in language arts and drama can provide elementary students with opportunities to learn about human feelings and about other cultures. Middle years' students can begin to explore how values influence behavior through the narratives of, for example, Louis Riel or Mother Theresa. Secondary students can move from these particular illustrations to discuss understandings such as: whether a character in history, drama or a novel acted in a morally correct way; whether an individual challenged the prevailing moral codes, and why; or whether there were conflicting moral values in the situation being studied. Throughout their school years and in all their school subjects, material about people should become an important source for thinking about human needs and human rights and how these can be reflected through acting upon a respect for persons.
The demand that school curricula be relevant and applicable to the challenges of modern life involves educators face to face with the social issues of their time and place. Social issues surface through the content of school curricula in the Required Areas of Study and through the content of students' daily lives - their own real experiences and their exposure to the media.
When such important social issues as racial prejudice or poverty are explored through the themes and concepts of units in social studies, history or health education curricula, they are clearly part of a teacher's responsibilities. The nature of that responsibility is not always clear, however, - particularly when instruction shifts from the prescribed textbook or film to classroom discussion. When a social issue is the focus of study, teachers need to consider how to ensure that treatment of the issue is comprehensive and fair, and also how to avoid moral relativism without stifling student reflection upon perspectives which violate fundamental moral values.
Curriculum decision making related to the treatment of social issues in the classroom can be strengthened by reflecting upon the following guidelines:
A model for the examination of social issues which has been used successfully with middle years students is shown in Table 6.1. It is intended as one possible way of structuring student research of a social issue and could be adapted by teachers to suit their own situations. It incorporates four key factors in the examination of social issues:
This framework is based on:
Table 6.1 can be used as a structure for written reports, oral reports or debates. Following this model, students would begin by identifying a social issue within a range of social issues connected to a unit of study, take a stand upon the issue and state their stand clearly, state the moral arguments used to develop their stand, research and present the evidence to support these arguments. Following the presentation of these reports with further discussion involving students in evaluating the evidence presented (e.g. in terms of its strengths or the credibility of the sources used) also requires students to use strong sense critical thinking abilities.
The development of this C.E.L. helps students to understand themselves and to have empathy for others. In summary, the development of Personal and Social Values and Skills requires that:
| — | educators understand, articulate and model the fundamental values which are foundational to social life and a democratic system of government; |
| — | teachers help students to acquire rational processes for examining the value claims and moral dilemmas associated with social issues; |
| — | materials and activities in the various subject areas be examined for bias and their potential to create balanced and accurate understanding of the lives and potentialities of both sexes and all cultural groups; |
| — | all be valued as persons and treated with dignity and respect. |
Table 6.1
Arguments Relating to Social Tssues7
1. Malikail and Stewart's Personal and Social Values and Skills (Saskatchewan Education, 1987) served as a foundational document for the development of this chapter.
2. This is the most basic principle underlying such important documents as the Canadian Charter of Rights and the United Nations Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For the development of a framework for moral reasoning based upon "respect for persons" see Cochrane's "Prolegomena to Moral Education," in Cochrane, Hamm and Kazepides (1979), The Domain of Moral Education, pp. 73-88.
4. The account of moral reasoning in this section draws heavily on Cochrane's (1979) analysis. This work provides a comprehensive framework for moral reasoning. While Cochrane does not include "respect for the environment," we consider it to be an important addition.
..5. See Sawyer and Green's (1984) The NESA Activities Handbook for Native and Multicultural Classrooms for activities which examine cultural differences.
6. A teacher's manual and activity guide for studying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, useful for teachers of middle and secondary students, is available. See our Practical Resources for more information.
7. From Klenz (1987), Creative and Critical Thinking, p. 75.