Values--those intangible guideposts--serve as standards and perceptual screens which assist us in selecting our priorities for reflection and action. Our quest is to clarify, compare, and form values expressed in defensible and consistent value judgements and actions.

Everyone ought to be profoundly concerned with the "development" of the leaner and consequently the development of society. The ultimate standard (value) for such development is to attain a more adequate level of value and moral awareness, sensitivity, reasoning, and action. The why, what, and how of the value education "emphasis" are being seriously confronted in a more dedicate and systematic manner. This is perhaps symptomatic of something much deeper in our personal and social fabric. Dissonance, conflict, tensions are inevitable ingredients in our development toward self-actualization as we struggle with the sticky matter of life. The challenges are many, the roads are arduous, and the journey is lengthy but who cannot say immensely worthwhile and "Value-able".

Values Education in Schools: A resource book for student inquiry is an important new resource for teachers involved in values and ethics education. It provides a range of practical philosophy resources for secondary school teachers that can be used in English, religious education, citizenship, personal development and social science subjects.

Global Values Education: Teaching Democracy and Peace , which is the seventh volume in the 12-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, presents scholarly research on major discourses in v alues edu- tion globally. It provides an easily accessible, practical yet scholarly source of information about the international concern in the field of globalisation and c- parative education. Above all, the book offers the latest findings to the critical issues concerning major discourses in comparative education in values education in the global culture. It is a sourcebook of ideas for researchers, practitioners and policy makers in values education, multiculturalism and moral education. It offers a timely overview of current issues affecting values education, comparative edu- tion and education policy research in the global culture. It provides directions in values education, and policy research, relevant to transformational educational reforms in the twenty-first century (see also Zajda & Rust, 2009). This book critically examines the overall interplay between values education, globalisation, dominant ideologies and implications for policy research (see also Apple, 2004). It draws upon recent studies in the areas of globalisation, equity, social justice and the role of the State (Zajda, Biraimah, & Gaudelli, 2008). It explores conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches applicable in the research covering values education, globalisation, equity and multicultural education. Various book chapters critique the dominant discourses and debates pertaining to values education, multiculturalism and relevant comparative education discourses.

This book critiques dominant discourses and debates pertaining to values education, cultural identity and teaching democracy, set against the backdrop of growing social stratification and unequal access to quality education. It addresses discourses concerning globalisation, ideologies and the state, as well as approaches to values education and teaching democracy in schools. The book explores the ambivalent and problematic connections between the state, globalisation, values education and teaching democracy. It also explores conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches applicable to research on values education, multiculturalism and identity politics. Drawing on diverse paradigms, ranging from critical theory to globalisation, and by focusing on globalisation, ideology and values education, the book critically examines research dealing with cultural diversity and its impact of identity politics. Given the need for a multiple perspective approach, the authors have diverse backgrounds and hail from different countries and regions, offer a wealth of insights, contributing to a more holistic understanding of the nexus between values education, multiculturalism and national identity. With contributions from key scholars worldwide, the book should be required reading for a broad spectrum of users, including policy-makers, academics, graduate students, education policy researchers, administrators and practitioners.

This book examines dominant discourses in values education globally. It critiques dominant discourses and debates pertaining to values education and cultural identity, set against the current backdrop of growing social stratification and unequal access to quality education. It addresses discourses concerning globalisation, ideologies and the state, as well as approaches to values education in schools. The book explores the ambivalent and problematic connections between the state, globalisation and values education. It also explores conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches applicable to research on values education, multiculturalism and identity politics. Drawing on diverse paradigms, ranging from critical theory to globalisation, the book focuses on globalisation, ideology and values education and critically examines recent research dealing with cultural diversity and its impact of identity politics. Given the need for a multiple perspective approach, authors from diverse backgrounds offer a wealth of insights, contributing to a more holistic understanding of the nexus between values education, multiculturalism and national identity. With contributions from key scholars worldwide, the book should be required reading for a broad spectrum of users, including policy-makers, academics, graduate students, education policy researchers, administrators and practitioners.

It is clear from cross-national investigations that the concern with values education is universal, but that national approaches to the critical questions confronting value educators are extraordinarily diverse. This volume begins by examining the context of the revival of values education, and asks why it is gaining new impact in national and local educational systems. Chapter 2 helps to locate values education in its historical time and place. The case studies presented in Chapters 3-9 provide examples of the major variations in national practice in Asia and the West; and the concluding chapter identifies many of the options open to educational leaders. The aim of the book is to provide both practitioners and scholars with insights into the latest developments so that they can approach their work with broader vision and compassion.