Development of an instrument for assessing educational value orientations

Abstract

The concept of values as persistent universal beliefs has been developed extensively in the disciplines of philosophy, sociology, anthropology and psychology.<sup>1</sup> According to Kerlinger, the interest in the under-standing and measurement of beliefs is predicated on the assumption that value differences constitute the essence of major human choices and conflicts.<sup>2</sup> In curriculum, the question, 'What knowledge is of most worth?',<sup>3</sup> is critical to the selection of curriculum content, The rationale for content selection is embedded in the belief systems of individuals involved in the curriculum development process. These belief systems, frequently termed 'educational value orientations', have been described in the curriculum literature,<sup>4</sup> While there is logical and anecdotal evidence to support value orientations, empirical efforts to document specific teacher beliefs have been limited to categorizations within major philosophical schools of thought.<sup>5</sup>