First, the main methods of core values education in American schools
1. value indoctrination method. The so-called "value indoctrination" means that students are taught basic judgment standards or codes of conduct about right and wrong, right and wrong, good and evil by indoctrination, so that students have basic values [1]. American scholar James? Schaefer emphasized in his definition of value that value is the standard for us to judge things' good or bad',' valuable or worthless' and' desirable or not' [2]. This method is based on the assumption that adults have the responsibility to directly educate children's values, and through education, children can develop good behavior habits. The responsibility of schools and teachers is to put forward core values and provide students with time and opportunities to learn these values directly. The steps of this method mainly include problem solving, cooperative learning, design based on experience, completing tasks with clear themes, discussing how to combine learned values with practice, and teaching more values.
2. Value clarification method. The idea of "value clarification" mainly comes from the value clarification of American scholars such as Russell and Simon. According to this theory, teachers, consultants, parents, etc. should never attempt to directly convince and instill their own values into teenagers during the process of implementing core values education, because doing so will hinder the values that teenagers are developing. Therefore, the correct approach should be for educators to obtain good values education and positive attitude towards life in a relaxed, happy, independent and equal atmosphere through various effective methods according to the opportunity and needs of children and adolescents' moral quality development. The theory also attaches great importance to the influence of children's moral cognition, moral judgment, emotion, action, choice ability and evaluation process in the process of value formation [3].
3. Moral reasoning method. This method mainly draws lessons from Kohlberg's theory of moral development stages. Its main content is to ask educators to introduce a hypothetical or actual dilemma in the process of implementing values education, and then ask students to discuss and explain their positions and reasons for this "moral dilemma". The whole teaching process can be described as follows: first, it presents a dilemma of value or morality, such as the dispute of "euthanasia" in medicine; Secondly, state your opinion on a hypothesis; Third, test reasoning; Finally, reflect on personal views. The essence of moral reasoning is not whether we can finally reach a unified conclusion, but to let students think about their own views in an open way.
4. Value analysis method. The theory of "value analysis" admits that "value dilemma" is inevitable, and decision-making in social and political environment includes value judgment, so the result of value decision-making deserves serious consideration. It emphasizes that students should be able to analyze various contradictions in values in the process of learning values. Its specific contents include: investigating the truth of the dilemma story; Propose an appropriate alternative action plan; Consider the possible short-term and long-term consequences of different decisions; Let the students judge which alternative decision is the best [4].
Second, the main ways of core values education in American schools
1. Implementing core values education through school curriculum
One of the important ways of American core values education is to offer special value-centered courses and courses in various disciplines, mainly including literature, social sciences and history courses. Social science curriculum standards include requiring students to understand major historical events in the social, political, economic, cultural and religious development of American States and the whole United States. It requires students to know about individuals and social organizations that have played an important role and made important contributions in the history of American development. Therefore, the focus of school education is to let students imitate the moral behavior and values of these people or organizations and encourage students to participate in social life extensively. Literature course is an important course field for American schools to teach students moral values and moral reasoning. By letting children learn stories in literary works, these stories and stories with universal reference can provide children with examples of learning and imitation in reality. History course is another important course field in which American schools educate students on core values. In the United States, the government clearly stipulates by law that American history courses must be offered in schools of all levels and types. The teaching of system history in middle schools focuses on learning historical facts and processes and on "understanding"; College students will also take an American history course, focusing on the theoretical sublimation of historical facts and "seeking Tao." Cultivate students' patriotism through history education and establish national self-confidence and pride. The above courses are very theoretical and political, full of bourgeois world outlook, outlook on life and values. Thomas, former president of the American Moral Education Association? Kriner pointed out: "The role of academic courses in the cultivation of values is a sleeping giant. If we can't use this course as a means to cultivate values and moral awareness, we are wasting a good opportunity. " [5]
2. Education of core values through the school environment.
American schools at all levels attach great importance to environmental education, especially the important role of school environment in school moral education. Therefore, primary and secondary schools all over the United States regard school environment construction as an indispensable way to carry out core values education [6]. The construction of school environment can promote the implementation of core values education and the formation and development of students' core values. The school environment here mainly includes material environment and spiritual environment. The physical environment mainly refers to the buildings and teaching facilities in the school, such as the school library, school history museum, teaching building and laboratory. American flags and national emblems should be hung on all buildings of American schools to cultivate students' patriotism and civic awareness. Spiritual environment mainly refers to colorful campus cultural activities, which can be divided into three categories. The first category is to hold various academic activities, advocate the goals and values pursued by the school, and influence students' thoughts and thinking. The second category is to carry out campus cultural and sports activities extensively to cultivate students' independent consciousness and self-reliance and self-improvement spirit. The third category is to carry out activities such as school celebration, National Day, admission and graduation ceremony in the whole school to cultivate students' spirit of patriotism and love for the school.
3. Conduct core values education through extracurricular activities.
Researchers in American core values education believe that schools should provide students with opportunities to use the core values they have learned. Extracurricular activities are a good way and opportunity for students to use the core values they have learned. Therefore, in the process of implementing core values education, American schools regard extracurricular activities as an important way for students to practice core values. Draush believes: "School extracurricular activities can help students experience and practice moral values such as self-discipline, self-love, cooperation and teamwork, respect and responsibility, sense of belonging and dedication. In many cases, extracurricular activity plans help students practice and apply consensus values and cultivate good personality characteristics. " [7] American core values education has various forms of extracurricular activities, mainly including ceremonies and school services (such as daily chores, voluntary service, helping poor students, etc.). ), school sports activities and community services (such as providing free services for community hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, nurseries and other institutions).
4. Schools, families and communities cooperate to implement core values education.
A remarkable feature of implementing core values education in American schools is to attach importance to close cooperation with families and communities. The American Character Education Alliance has long proposed that schools should actively go deep into parents of students, so that all parents can understand and support the core values advocated by schools and the strategies suggested by schools to teach values. Schools should also seek help from the government, media, youth organizations, business and other social sectors. Only in this way can schools effectively promote the realization of core values. Thomas? Kriner said: "To achieve long-term success, the education of new values must rely on the strength outside the school: schools and communities should work together to meet the needs of children and promote their healthy development." Therefore, he actively advocated: "Schools, parents and communities should work together." [5] In the United States, there are various forms of cooperation among schools, families and communities, and there is no unified model and specific standards in each state. For example, Wisconsin Department of Public Education 1987 initiated the "Family Education Year" activity, and Missouri Department of Primary and Secondary Education implemented the "Parent-Teacher Program". Some schools let parents come to the school to participate in the implementation of the values education plan; Some schools systematically show their values education courses to parents and tell them how to implement these values at home; Some schools simply transplant the core values education plan to families and send relevant educational materials to parents; Some schools and communities have jointly worked out the values education plan and determined the education theme, and relevant organizations and institutions in the community (such as citizen organizations, church organizations, local media and youth groups) have participated in the implementation of the plan.
Thirdly, the enlightenment of American school core values education to us.
1. We should comprehensively use various educational methods to improve the effectiveness of China's core values education.
In the historical development of core values education in American schools, there are four methods: value indoctrination, value clarification, moral reasoning and value analysis. Because they have their own advantages and disadvantages and do not exist independently in real life, American schools often emphasize the comprehensive application of these four methods in the process of implementing core values education. For example, value indoctrination focuses on transmitting the theoretical knowledge of core values to the educated, but often ignores the cultivation of the value analysis and value judgment ability of the educated; The methods of value clarification, moral reasoning and value analysis are beneficial to the development of educated people's rational judgment ability and the publicity of individual subjectivity, but they often make the educated people walk into the fence of relativism. At present, China is in a period of social transformation, with numerous social contradictions and prominent social value conflicts. In this case, how to lead all kinds of social thoughts with socialist core values and how to arm young people's minds with socialist core values has become a very urgent strategic task for our ideological and political educators. Therefore, we should actively learn from the successful experience of American school core values education, comprehensively use various educational methods in the process of developing China's socialist core values education, give full play to the advantages of various educational methods, and actively avoid their disadvantages, so as to effectively improve the effectiveness of China's socialist core values education.
2. Pay attention to the organic combination of explicit curriculum and implicit curriculum, so as to enhance the penetration of core values education in China.
In the United States, the education of core values permeates all aspects of school education, mainly by setting up some explicit courses and implicit courses to achieve its core values education goals. Dominant courses mainly include civics, history, literature, politics and philosophy. By teaching these courses, schools can enhance students' sense of responsibility and mission, cultivate students' patriotism, and qualify them to become "good citizens" in the United States. Hidden courses, also known as potential courses, mainly include school spirit, campus culture and campus environment construction. Because these educational resources are relatively hidden, the educated are easily influenced and infected unconsciously. American schools have made full use of the advantages of hidden educational resources in the education of core values, so they have received good results. In China, the implementation of socialist core values education in schools generally pays more attention to the positive role of explicit courses, but pays less attention to the development and utilization of implicit courses. Therefore, in the process of carrying out the education of socialist core values, we should be good at combining the explicit curriculum with the implicit curriculum, so as to give full play to the positive guiding role of the explicit curriculum and the effective infiltration role of the implicit educational resources.
3. Actively guide teenagers to participate in social practice and feel social education.
American schools attach great importance to the positive role of social service activities in the process of core values education. Schools usually organize students to go deep into communities, institutions and enterprises to carry out social service activities to cultivate students' sense of service and responsibility. In the process of carrying out the education of socialist core values, China should also give full play to the important role of social practice. Because the education of young people's socialist core values is not only the education of knowledge and theory, but also the education of practice and cultivation [4]. Tao Xingzhi, a famous educator in China, once pointed out: "Education that is not life-centered is dead education, and schools that are not life-centered are dead schools." [8] However, in real life, all kinds of schools at all levels in China often organize students to participate in some social service activities, such as visiting nursing homes and orphanages in their communities to seek sympathy and help. However, because each school has not formulated a complete set of perfect mechanisms or systems to guarantee it, its social practice activities have little effect, and even some activities are just a formality. Therefore, we must further establish and improve the mechanism or system that students must participate in social practice activities, and gradually form a long-term mechanism for students to participate in social practice activities, thus laying a solid practical foundation for the effective development of socialist core values education in China.
4. Build a "trinity" comprehensive education network of schools, families and communities.
In the United States, schools have cooperated closely with families and communities and successfully implemented core values education, which has given us great enlightenment. In China, educating teenagers on socialist core values is a huge and complicated social system project, and it is far from enough to rely solely on the strength of schools. At the same time, we should give full play to the role of school education as the main channel, and strive to build a "trinity" comprehensive ideological and moral education network with schools as the leader, communities as the platform and families as the foundation. Only when the three educational subjects participate together and form a strong joint force can the education of socialist core values in China be raised to a new level. At present, efforts should be made in the following two aspects: First, the daily contact and communication mechanism between schools and families should be established. Schools should always get in touch with parents of students, and invite parents to participate in ideological and moral education and core values education, so that parents can fully understand their children's ideological and moral situation, and then they can get strong support and help from parents. Second, establish a daily coordination mechanism between schools and communities. Schools should give full play to the advantages of the community in the process of core values education, organize students to go deep into the community to participate in various social service activities, and let students get exercise and education in the actual service process.
refer to
[1] Ge Chun. The implementation of American school values education and its enlightenment to China's core values education. Global Education Outlook in 2009 (1).
[2] James Schaefer & William Strong. Facing moral decision: the cornerstone of teachers' theoretical foundation. Belmont: Woodsworth Press, 1976.
[3] Xin Zhiyong. The development of values education methods in western schools and its enlightenment. Comparative Education Research, 2002(4).
[4] Tian Yumin. Core values education in American primary and secondary schools and its enlightenment. China Youth Research, 2008( 1 1).
[5][ America] Thomas? Kriner. American classroom-the strategy of quality education schools. Trans. Haikou, edited by Liu Bing and others: Hainan Publishing House, 200 1.
[6] Fan Shucheng. An analysis of American core values education. Foreign Education Research, 2008(7).
[7] Edward. Drocher, Marim. Williams: Educating the Mind: Comprehensive Character Education. Colvin Publishing House, 1998.
Tao Xingzhi. Complete Works of Tao Xingzhi (Volume II). Chengdu: Sichuan People's Publishing House, 199 1.
(Editor Andy)