Lauren Martin

EDPS 251

Section 001

Kate Sirota

Moral Education

Hidden curriculum is the pervasive moral atmosphere that characterizes every school

(Santrock, 2014, p. 245). This atmosphere is created by school and classroom rules where

teachers serve as models for ethical or unethical behavior. When the rules are followed, the

school becomes infused with a value system as well. Moral education has four approaches:

character education, values clarification, cognitive moral education, and service learning. I will

look at two of the four approaches and briefly explain them and then, go on to incorporate moral

education into my classroom.

First, we will look at values clarification approach. This is an important approach to

moral development because it encourages students clarify their own purpose in life. This is a way

for students to decide what their lives are for and what is worth working for (Santrock, 2014,

p. 247). Instead of being told what their values should be, the students can define themselves as

well as understand others values. I chose this approach over character education because I think

that it is important for adolescents to define themselves, and a good way to do this through

developing their own values and beliefs and not basing their beliefs off of others, such as the

teacher or school administrators. Critics say, the content of these programs offends community

standards and that the values-clarification exercises fail to stress right behavior (Santrock, 2014,

p. 247).
 Imagine we are in a freshman geometry class at a high school and I, the teacher, dont

collect homework at all throughout the semester, and the only things that I grade are quizzes and

tests. Without doing the homework, students will do poorly on quizzes and tests because they

miss out on good practice. But since I dont collect and grade homework, students could go

potentially all year without doing their homework. Hopefully students learn to value their grades

enough that they do their homework even though they dont turn it in for a grade. I believe this

gives the student the option as to whether or not they value their grades and success in the

classroom. I think that giving the students the option to do their homework helps them to see

what values to choose as far as their grades go, because without the homework students will fail

tests and hopefully after the first test, they will learn to value homework. I think this idea lets the

students choose their own values, but because of the consequences of not doing the homework, it

will hopefully push the students in the right direction to do and value their homework. The

students get the option, but hopefully get pushed in the right direction. And that is what I like

about this approach, the fact that students get to choose what they value, what their life is for as

well as what is worth working for. Yes, we all want the students to value good things like

homework and their grades, but what can a teacher do if the student believes his or her life has

another purpose.

The other approach I chose to look at was service learning. Service learning is a form of

education in which students provide service to the community (Santrock, 2014, p. 247). This

type of learning is used to promote a sense of social responsibility in students. Students do

activities such has helping older adults, work in a hospital and tutoring. I like this approach to

moral education because students learn to be less self-centered and more motivated to help

others, as well as it takes education out into the community where the students can learn in new
ways. I believe that service learning is a good way to bring forth the hidden curriculum that

everyone teaches. I have experienced this first hand in my practicum this semester where Ive

tutored and helped older adults getting their GEDs. The practicum class has been extremely

rewarding and I have definitely become more motivated to help others through this service

learning experience. Benefits for adolescent development related to service learning could

include higher grades, higher self esteem, increased goal setting and identity achievement

(Santrock, 2014, p. 247). These students are also more likely to participate in volunteer work in

the future.

Incorporating service learning into a high school math course would be extremely hard.

Tutoring students in a lower math course might be a good option. As the teacher I could provide

a place for younger students in lower math courses to come and work with older students who

already have experience in the lower math course. This provides a place for younger students to

come get help as well as for older students to do some service learning. I could make it an

assignment to where the older students have to log so many tutoring hours by the end of the

semester and they can come and go whenever they please. I think this would be a great way to

provide service learning in a high school math course as well as a nice place to go and get help,

especially for struggling students. I believe this would make for a good semester project in my

high school math course curriculum.

I chose these two approaches because I felt that it is extremely important for students to

be able to choose their own values. I sometimes feel that students can sometimes be forced to

have certain values, where I think it is important for them to choose their own meaning and life

purpose and what they think is worth working for. I also chose service learning because I think it
is an important aspect that students learn to be less self-centered and more motivated in helping

others.

Of the four approaches to moral education I thought these two approaches also had the

most impact on the hidden curriculum and how students learn this hidden curriculum. School is a

very important place for moral education and schools give students great opportunities to

develop morally, especially through values clarification and service learning.

 References

Santrock, J. (2014). The Brain and Cognitive Development. In Adolescence (15th ed., pp. 100-

103). McGraw Hill Education