Value change in adolescents: school effectiveness in the affective domain

Abstract

Factors contributing to school effectiveness in the affective domain have been largely ignored in recent research in spite of a transnational concern about value disorientation. This thesis explores the influence a secondary school has on adolescent value formation. Current theories on "effective schooling" and "valuing" provide a framework for the research. Following an introduction to the issue of values in schools, the thesis reviews the literature on "values", "effective schools", and "school climate" before proceeding to a description of a two site, longitudinal study. The creation of a value change-effective schools (VCES) model enabled local school issues to be analysed in conjunction with an overarching theory and principles which are relevant to a broad educational community. The four complementary surveys of parents, students and staff included a wide range of items which address frequently voiced methodological criticisms of the "effective schools” approach. Subsequent chapters summarise and discuss the findings of the surveys and place them in the context of current research. The thesis demonstrates that a school has a significant, unique role to play in adolescent value formation. Value change did not emerge as a cause and effect phenomenon, but as a complex interaction of change agents operating within the terms of the value change-effective schools model. Programmes and strategies, which have meaning at the local level, can be developed for the affective domain based on insights provided by the model. The factors associated with effectiveness were determined and defined primarily by the local schools. They crossed over domains from the cognitive to the affective, coalescing to form an effective learning environment.