Values Education in American Public Schools: Have We Come Full Circle?

Overview & Synopsis

This paper describes the history of moral education in the American public school system. The philosophies of moral education, as advocated by the Puritans, Thomas Mann, Noah Webster, and John Dewey, are examined first. The controversial values education of the 1960s and 70s, which has been replaced by more traditional forms within the last decade, is discussed next. These controversial models--the values clarification method, Kohlberg's theory of cognitive development, and the ethical reasoning method--all shared a focus on process, rather than product. In conclusion, the United States has returned full circle to teaching the popular ideals of the past (values, character, and personal/social responsibility); however, the religious basis for these values is absent. Moral education and religious faith need not conflict with each other, but in the interests of cultural pluralism they must be separated in the classroom. (LMI)