Teaching Moral Values - Research Paper Example

Teaching Moral Values Moral values are essential attributes that people ought to display at home, in schools, and in the public. Teachers play a significant role in imparting moral values to children because the teachers spend most of the time with children. Some of the most fundamental moral values include acceptance, forgiveness, patience, mercy, honesty, hard work, perseverance, and courtesy (Sweat). Moral values are not only beneficial to the children who display them, but it is better for the society as a whole. It is hard to impart moral values to an adult, especially if it is the first time that such an adult is being introduced to moral values. Subsequently, teachers, parents, guardians, and religious leaders should play active roles in uplifting the moral standards of the society through teaching moral standards within their realms (Weissbourd). Fundamentally, moral education occurs largely in schools where teachers are tasked with the responsibility of imparting ethical and moral values besides the necessary formal education, albeit upholding high moral values depend on personal choices (Weissbourd). According to Chapman, McNamara, Reiss, and Waghid, the moral propriety of learners who are in schools depend on the involvement by parents, teachers, and school managers. Schools that lack such involvement usually exhibit a high sense of moral decadence. It means that learners acquire moral values through what they hear and see rather than what they perceive. Although the authors blame secularism and moral relativism for the moral decay within the society, they propose the amalgamation of spiritual, moral, and personal values in education so that learners can acquire a wholesome moral education. However, it is worth noting that the authors derived their arguments from the Muslim context (411-414). Parents have an enormous responsibility in teaching their children moral values that will help such children develop into responsible citizens in future. More often than not children who are neglected in their childhood tend to have moral decay in the sense that such children lack a sense of direction. While both teachers and parents share the responsibility of moral education to the children, the task is too enormous to be left in the hands of the teachers (Alt and Reingold 25-28). However, introducing moral education in schools has merits and demerits because moral responsibility ought to be an induced behavior rather than a forced character. Japan is one of the countries that have laid out elaborate education plans that will see the education sector introduce moral education into the school curriculum. Moral education will be most effective when the educators pair it with conventional subjects like science and mathematics. The disadvantages of such an idea are that children may develop a negative attitude towards moral education depending on their perceptions of the subjects being taught (Sweat). Ambrose, Donald, and Tracy L. Cross agree that character education (CE) ought to be a central idea in the minds of school managers, teachers, and the parents. Character education (CE), also known as moral education, takes place at home, in schools, and in places of worship. Moral education is better than skills of citizenship, particularly when it comes to governance styles and leadership within the society. Children with high moral; values stand an excellent chance to be moral leaders. Students acquire moral reasoning through the integration of universal values in schools such as essentialism. The issues of morality and ethics elicit mixed reactions in various quarters because different people do not agree on the rationality and techniques of moral education (320-340). The benefits of imparting moral values on children are numerous because most of the moral values coincide with the national regulations and some religious/cultural doctrines. Although the world is changing rapidly in terms of technology and the children are learning things that affect their moral values accordingly. In as much as the moral values remain the same, the techniques of imparting such values ought to change according to the changing world. The benefits of teaching moral values to the children remain the same because such values cut across the board. Moral values are essential to both the society and the children because the children will learn how to coexist harmoniously within the society. In turn, the society benefits from people that is morally upright because of the few incidences of crime and rogue behavior (Weissbourd). Although virtually all quarters of the society and education realms agree about the need to educate the children about moral values, opinions are divided on which methods work best for the children. In choosing the method of imparting moral education in the children, parents and teachers should consider the situation, the socio-cultural norms, government regulations, and the current needs of the society. Fundamentally, parents and the teachers are the most effective educators when it comes to imparting moral values to children. The parents play a primary role in educating their children about morality while at home while teachers combine moral with compulsory education in schools to mold responsible citizens. In essence, there ought not to be a specific approach when it comes to moral education but each educator should coin his/her technique according to the prevailing conditions and the attitude of the learners (Alt and Reingold 25-28). Alt and Reingold argue that the moral role of the teachers has changed corresponding to the moral needs of the society. Students are at the core of moral fabric of the society and the teachers’ role in moral education ought to be in line with the student’s needs. Moral education starts with the teachers being a moral example to the students that they teach. Students tend to ape or absorb what they see more than what they hear and this fact necessitate the teachers to uphold high moral standards. Being an example to the students is one potent way of teaching moral values to the students. Some liberalists, however, raise fundamental questions concerning the teaching of moral values in schools. Critics of moral education state that some acts may be termed as immoral yet they are intended for the good of the society or country. Consequently, citizenship skills ought to be distinguished from moral values. Besides, teaching moral values does not, in any way, relate to infusing religious doctrines in schools (13-30). Moral values are essential components of the society that children need to learn at an early age so that they can become responsible citizens. However, the techniques of teaching moral education ought to be objective and universally acceptable, considering the cultural diversity of the modern society. Students can acquire such moral virtues as honesty, integrity, forgiveness, mercy, patience, and determination from their teachers, particularly if the teachers act as role models (Weissbourd). Works Cited Alt, Dorit, and Roni Reingold. Changes in Teachers' Moral Role: From Passive Observers to Moral and Democratic Leaders. Rotterdam: SensePublishers, 2012. Print. Ambrose, Donald, and Tracy L. Cross. Morality, Ethics, and Gifted Minds. New York: Springer, 2009. Print. Chapman, Judith D, Sue McNamara, Michael J. Reiss, and Yusef Waghid. International Handbook of Learning, Teaching and Leading in Faith-Based Schools. , 2014. Print. Sweat, Becky. 10 Practical Ways to Teach Your Children Right Values. United Church of God. 23 March 2008. Web. 27 October 2015. Weissbourd, Richard. Why Teaching Values Isn't Enough. Psychology Today. 23 June 2009. Web. 27 October 2015. Read More