Education for Values Among Arab Ethnic Minority in Israel: Educators' Perspectives

Values education in educational systems serves as the foundation for building a healthy society, with educators playing a central role in delivering it to their students, in making them ethical, value-oriented and capable of discriminating between right from wrong, involved and contributing to the community. The present study aims to explore the perceptions and attitudes of values education among elementary school educators within the Arab society in Israel. It looks to provide actionable recommendations on how to present values when modeling and teaching them to their students. A qualitative research method was conducted using semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data was collected during the 2023-2024 academic year. It was done through semi-structured interviews of 158 educators from 34 public elementary schools in various Arab towns across the state of Israel. The findings revealed that educators consider values education to be of the utmost importance, with an emphasis on social values such as empathy and consideration for others, alongside personal values like excellence and achievement. The study also highlighted the necessity of tailoring values education to align with the contemporary era, specifically in the context of technological advancement and media influence. Educators emphasized that values education is a long-term process demanding structured implementation and effective collaboration and coordination between educators and parents. In light of these findings, it is important to continue to promote the training and professional development of educators and provide them with additional and effective tools for values education, in addition to increasing cooperation and coordination with parents.