Abstract

In this multiple case study, the focus was on how teachers in the selected schools in Narowal cultivate values in their secondary school students. To attain a comprehensive understanding, twenty teachers were purposefully selected for interviews. Qualitative content analysis using NVivo 12 software was used to analyse the gathered data. The research found that these teachers employed diverse approaches to teaching values education. They incorporated storytelling, moral dilemmas, Islamic quotes, examples, activities, games, and projects into their practices. Furthermore, they aimed to foster a positive atmosphere in the classroom by endorsing respect, cooperation, tolerance, and empathy among students. However, the teachers felt hindered by several challenges. They highlighted time constraints due to curriculum overload, the presence of large class sizes, test-oriented educational systems, a diverse student population, and limited resources as factors impeding their effectiveness. Following these findings, it is recommended across society and administration levels that support should be provided to aid secondary school teachers in delivering effective values education.

Key Words

Values education, Teachers’ Practices, Secondary school, Qualitative case study, Methods and Constraints

Introduction

It is recognised nowadays that the process of education leads toward holistic development, and schooling aims to cover a child’s academic, social, spiritual, moral, and technical skills (Akram, Al-Adwan, Aslam, & Khan, 2021; Baig, 2014). Education is not only the source of imparting knowledge and skills but also transfers culture, traditions, and values from one generation to another. It is also recognised that there should be a balanced curriculum including the content of the subject, real-life skills, and traits such as honesty, integrity, truthfulness, sincerity, human rights, democracy, responsible citizenship, and care not only for self but also for others (CSVE, 2017).

Values education aims to instil in learners a sense of humanism so that they become good human beings capable of creating a peaceful environment within a society  (Bhatt, 2018). Values education is known by several names worldwide, including Character Education, Ethics Education, and Moral Education. There is a slight difference among these terms, but all have the same central theme of developing a personal and social belief of values by assigning an essential role to teachers and schools for its inculcation (Lovat & Toomey, 2009).

In addition, Values education contributes to the development of a balanced education system, which leads toward the transformation of the social, personal, and emotional behaviour of individuals to make them good citizens of a state. This type of system not only focuses on the development of personality traits but also struggles with raising the economic status of a learner. As a result, students are interested in their studies at school, and dropout issues can be resolved by retaining students in schools (CSVE, 2017). The outcome of this education system provides opportunities for the young generation to work according to their potential (Onebunne & Okoli, 2020).

These days most countries of the world are trying their best to deliver a balanced education to their students, covering the subject content as well as values and skills of life. Therefore, it is a dire need to regularly improve the curriculum to meet the new and demanding needs.

Quaid e Azam, the founder of Pakistan, in his address at the Education Conference in 1947, also highlighted the importance of the character building of the next generation. The National Education Policy 2017 gives clear direction toward the holistic development of students. The policy underscores that holistic development makes students aware of their hidden qualities and spirit to contribute to the development of the country by infusing the values of justice, tolerance, democracy, brotherhood, integrity, and honesty according to the ideology presented in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Government of Pakistan, 2017).

The continuous instability of governments and the low priority of its stakeholders to propagate social cohesion led to the downfall of values education in Pakistan (Muhammad & Brett, 2017). Every new government tried to initiate new steps to promote the education sector by considering previous governments’ outdated or irrelevant policy recommendations (Muhammad, 2015). The education sector is like a laboratory in which experiences are being done continuously; however, the usual practice is memorising textbook content to pass the examination (Muhammad & Brett, 2015, 2019, 2020). School students cram like parrots and ignore logical thinking skills and conceptual study. Every policy indicates that the quality of education in Pakistan is declining daily, and it is not preparing the next generation for employability, higher education, and good citizenship (Atta, Muhammad, & Mahmood, 2022; Khalid, Muhammad, & Siddiqui, 2022; Muhammad, 2019).

In Pakistan, Education prioritising academic achievements neglects values and social awareness, crucial for a constructive society, positive behaviour, and fostering tolerance, respect, truthfulness, and care in a multicultural society (CSVE, 2017). The courses like Islamiyat and Social Studies/Pakistan Studies are taught in schools from grade four to fourteen, and values education is being imparted through these subjects (Rauf, Muhammad, & Saeed, 2021). However, the reality is that more importance is given to science and mathematics, and little attention is paid to these subjects introduced for cultivating good character among students. In addition,  most of the schools in Pakistan focus only on the academic aspect and have failed to consider the socio-psychological needs of the students, which are very important (CSVE, 2017).

On the other hand, values education is now generally accepted as an essential component of schooling. Therefore, it is necessary to explore how secondary school teachers implement values education in their classrooms. More specifically, the study aims to address the following research question: What are the strategies and methods they use to foster values among their students?

Methods

This research study uses a qualitative research approach with multiple case study research designs under the umbrella of the interpretive research paradigm (Yin, 2018). This paper is derived from a larger research project (for PhD) involving multiple case studies examining values education in Pakistan’s secondary schools.

The research sites were selected using a purposeful sampling method. The research sites comprised different types of secondary schools in a district of Punjab, Pakistan. Among these schools, four belonged to the public sector, four belonged to the private sector, and two were under the administration of the Pakistan Army. The four public sector schools were heterogeneous, with two from urban areas and the other two from rural areas. Similarly, the four private institutions were also of three types: Two private schools were elite schools of the district, one school belonged to a middle-class community, and the last was a missionary school. The purpose of selecting these schools as research sites was to select the secondary school teachers teaching Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies to the students of secondary classes.

The participants were selected using purposive sampling (Taylor, Bogdan, & DeVault, 2015). These participants were secondary school teachers teaching Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies to the secondary (9th & 10th) classes since these subjects are considered specific to inculcate values in students (Zia, 2003). Two teachers from each school were selected as a sample of twenty teachers. Half of them were the teachers of Islamiyat teaching 9^th and 10^th classes, while the other half of the teachers were teaching Pakistan Studies to the classes, as mentioned earlier. The list of these participants is given in Table 1:




 

Table 1

Types of School	Student Population	No. of Schools Recruited	No. of Teachers Recruited
Provincial Govt. High School (Urban)	Boys	2	4
Provincial Govt. High School (Rural)	Boys	2	4
Army Public School	Co-Education	1	2
Rangers Public School	Co-Education	1	2
Private Elite School	Co-Education	2	4
Private Middle-Class School	Co-Education	1	2
Missionary School	Boys	1	2
Total		10	20

 




Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain in-depth knowledge and information about the practices of secondary school teachers regarding values education.

We used three types of coding, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, combined with cross-case analysis. NVivo 12 was used to facilitate the analysis of the interview data. A cross-case analysis conveys a better understanding of similarities and differences among the practices of the participants of the study. Thus, cross-case analysis provided a means of describing similarities and differences in the practices of participants.

 

Findings

The following are the details of teachers’ reported classroom practices concerning values education:




Compassion and Care for Self

According to the study’s conceptual framework, the first theme was compassion and care for self. There were many sub-themes under this theme, like making students conscious about their health, grooming, and sustained development.




Health

In order to make students healthy, teachers focused on making students follow the teachings of the Quran and Hadiths, cleaning, exercising, taking healthy and balanced food, providing them with a good and fresh environment, and understanding their importance. Most teachers used the lecture method to advise students on how they become healthy. For example, one of the participants stated:

I tell students about many things and often advise them to care for their good health. One of them is that I tell them to take a bath and wear neat and clean dresses daily to come to class. Always take a good diet. With these habits, they can enjoy good health. (01. Pb. R-IS)

The same is the case with other teachers who did not use any other specific strategy to motivate students to care for their health. One of the participants elaborated it in this way: “Daily and especially on Friday, I teach them how to keep clean and healthy themselves. I advise and direct them regularly to trim their nails, take a bath daily and eat a well-balanced diet” (14. Pvt. M. PS). 

A few teachers considered that the teachings of Islam are the best source to make students aware of the importance of health. For example, one of the participants stated in these words:

Adopting the habit of cleanliness is the best way to keep the body healthy. Students are motivated by the teachings of our religion [Islam], in which cleanliness is considered half of the faith of a Muslim. A Muslim must keep not only himself clean but also the environment of the surrounding. (04.Pb.R-PS)

Some participants did not rely on telling, advising, and directing the students to care for their health. Instead, they considered that to make students healthy, they are involved in activity-based learning that works more effectively than the lecture method. In this method, the active participation of the students results in their deep interests, understanding, and practicality. One of them commented this way: “I prepare students physically and mentally. During the PT period, teachers take the class in the playground, where students exercise, and whatever the program is, the focus is on the student’s health” (10.Pvt.E-Isl).




Grooming

For student grooming, participants used a variety of strategies. They focused on realising them to dress well and develop better communication skills. They used some practical skills like preparing them for working on boards, questioning answering sessions, and assigning different tasks to curtail the students’ hesitation. Most participants said that appreciation of the students resulted in shunning the hesitation in students, and they became confident, active, and well-mannered with this approach. As one of the participants stated:

Grooming the students who are already well-groomed, well-dressed, well-mannered and have good etiquette is appreciated. Other students are inspired by such types of students who are admired by the teachers and try to make themselves like those of the students. (07.Pb.U-Isl)

Some participants said that confidence is a basis for the students to be groomed well. They used different techniques to make them confident, like questioning, assigning different tasks, and speaking to the audience on the rostrum. One participant advocated his strategy: “Unless students become confident, they cannot groom. The students who are not confident, questions are asked to them. Students are groomed by individual attention of the teachers also” (09.Pvt.E-Isl).

A few participants considered that the students’ communication skills are improved to make them well-groomed. They had the point of view that students are practising, again and again, to speak nicely. This trait helped the students describe their arguments in society to keep pace with the changing world. For this purpose, they also play as a role model for their students to make them socially aware. As one of the participants elaborated:

To make my students groomed well, I always care about their dress, communication skills, and manners. I give examples, and students observe me when I practically play a role of a good and well-groomed person in a market, at school, or on the playground. Students learn a lot, and a sense of improving their dressing, communication skills, and manners is developed in them. (05.Pb.U-Isl)

There were different points of view of teachers regarding the use of social media by secondary school students. Most of the participants were against the use of social media by the students. One of the participants who opposed using social media described that:

I think that students should not use social media. Because at this age, they do not comprehend their benefits and losses, and most students use it negatively. I am against the social media activities of the students. It is harming our new generation. They are unable to develop well-groomed personalities. Its benefits are minimal. (01.Pb.R-Isl)

Some participants who were supporters of the use of social media by the students gave the reason that the students must know about the new technology of the world. They supported their thinking by saying that social media make students socially aware of society. One of the supporters of this category presented his logic in these words:

In school, there is not enough time to use social media except when they go to a computer lab or assign work to complete on a computer. I always let them know about new technology to better adjust to society. In this way, they may know about the changing world. One may join this profession also in the future. (03.Pb.R-Isl)

A few of the participants advocated the use of social media by the students for the development of well-groomed personalities of the students. But they wished that it could be used for a limited time, for specific purposes, and under the supervision of teachers, parents, or the person who may keep on checking the activities of the students.




Compassion and Care for Others

Most teachers narrated that they advise, motivate, and urge students to care for others and feel the misery of those around them. They all used different ways to motivate the students. Some were urging and motivating students by quoting the example of the life of the Prophet (PBUH). Another participant considered the poetry of the national poet of Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Iqbal, as a source of inspiration and motivation for students. His poem is read daily in the morning assembly in almost all public schools of Pakistan.

Some had a different point of view regarding the development of kindness for others. They considered that students at this level are not mature enough to have feelings for others. As one of the participants expressed his perception in these words; “I think the worries of others are not easily felt. When a person is suffered, he/she learns the worries of others. Therefore, I do not take much care regarding this” (06.Pb.R-PS).




Compassion and Care for the Environment

Most of the public teachers talked about advising students to plant trees for better care of the environment. They said that there was a government campaign for planting and caring for the trees as one of the public teachers commented that “plantation is the best solution to keep our environment clean and green. There is a campaign from the government of Punjab to plant trees. Students are advised to plant maximum trees” (03.Pb.R-Isl).

Some teachers considered role modelling the best method of infusing values of compassion and care for the environment in students. They believed that students could not follow this well unless a teacher was practically involved in activities focusing on compassion and care for the environment. One participant commented, “When I take the class outside the classroom if I see the wrappers on the ground, I try to collect them” (05.Pb.U-Isl).

Some other arguments were connected with the strategy for making the environment suitable. A few considered that our curriculum focuses on inculcating habits for the betterment of the environment. They had the curriculum-centred approach and considered it the best thing as students prepare for exams and take an interest in inculcating this value in themselves. One of the teachers elaborated, “There is a lesson of cleanliness in the subject of Islamiyat. I tell students about cleanliness while teaching” (09.Pvt.E-Isl).

A few also talked about using the Quran and Hadiths to make students aware of the importance and need for planting trees. They believed that students being Muslims, always actively participate while teaching them by using the Quran and Hadith. They are well motivated and follow the instructions by the teachers accordingly. One teacher seemed to be advocating the same idea in these words:

Trees are the best source of keeping the environment good. Trees are the blessings of Allah Almighty. Students are told about the hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) about the importance of plantation. I tell students that if there are no trees, then life becomes impossible here. I tell them that trees are essential for the life of human beings. I direct them to plant trees and protect them. It is a continuous source of earning rewards from Allah Almighty. (02.Pb.R-Ps)

A few of them used different motivational techniques to make students understand the preservation of a good environment. They also emphasised the plantation of trees for a healthy environment. As one of the participants gave his example, he planted different types of trees in his house. He added, “I have a 12 Marla house in the city. The ten Marla land is a covered area leaving two Marlas for plantation. I always care about the planted trees. This habit makes me happy, and my environment becomes calm and healthy. This is what I also share with students. (11.Pvt.E-PS).

Some elements are continuously damaging our environment. It includes smog, water pollution, land pollution, and noise pollution. Teaching students about these elements and how to avoid them was necessary. When asked teachers how they teach the students about smog, they mostly responded that they tell, instruct, direct, or advise students about how to protect themselves from smog. One of them added his strategy in these words:

I tell them that smog combines smoke and dust suspended in the atmosphere. I tell their parents not to light the fire in the fields or avoid making the atmosphere smoky. I advise students to wear masks and not wear sleeveless dresses in smog. (04.Pb.R-PS)

Some participants said there was a campaign from the government to make the people aware of smog issues. Different banners were fixed in schools also. Students were directed to read the banners carefully and act upon them. As one of the participants seems to be highlighting the strategy to make students know about the smog, “There are many banners fixed in my school. I tell students to read them carefully and act upon the directions of government to protect themselves from smog” (19.Pvt.M-PS).

A few participants elaborated that the best strategy for making students aware of smog is to tell students about the danger and risk of smog. In this way, students become alert and try to avoid it. For example, a teacher claimed, “Students are advised to tell their parents not to burn the fire in fields after the harvesting season. In this way, rich decomposers are also wasted who make the land fertile” (08.Pb.U-PS).

Another factor that affects the environment a lot is noise pollution. Different arguments were found while asking about noise pollution. Most participants from public and private institutions said they only lectured students about the risks of noise pollution during teaching. One of the participants told his strategy as follows:

Children like to make noise naturally. But it is told to students that the learning process can only be possible if there is silence. It is guided to them to always talk quietly without disturbing others. Never use unnecessary horns on bikes or other vehicles. It is also advised that good human beings never like to be noisy. (09.Pvt.E-Isl)

Another participant supported this idea: “Yes, I often tell students that noise pollution also damages your body parts and brain. It is made them understand by telling them the dangerous consequences of noise pollution” (02.Pb.R-PS). One teacher who belonged to the public sector highlighted his approach by teaching students with daily examples to avoid making noise. He added:

Students always love to make noise. But I get their attention by asking whether they are comfortable in a noisy environment. They reply they are not comfortable. Then I motivate them to be quiet. During class, when I listen to the noise of horns on the road, I also get their attention by saying look if you feel good because of these loud voices of horns. When you use horns near schools or hospitals, others are also disturbed. (05.Pb.U-Isl)

Safety and security of the students

Most participants used the lecture method to advise, direct, or instruct students about safety and security. As one of the participants elaborated on his strategy, “I advise students when they come to school, do not accept the offer of any person to sit on his bike or car, etc. I advise them to always come in a group so a bad person may not harm them in any way” (03.Pb.R-Isl). Similarly, another private teacher who belonged to an elite-class private school advocated the same use of strategy in these words:

I teach students to talk with people keeping safety and security in mind. I tell them they always observe the people talking and touching them. I always advise them to be vigilant about their conservation and the style of physical touching. I make them realise which part of the body by touching other people and which type of conversation harms them. (09.Pvt.E-Isl)

Some participants had the point of view that students must have some skills and strengths to defend themselves. They had the point of view that, in this way, students can save themselves from unfamiliar people who may harm them. In addition, a few participants had a different point of view and considered it a useless activity at the secondary level as students had grown up to the level that they easily protected themselves. As one of the participants elaborated, “This type of strategy is used for early classes. At the secondary level, there is no need to teach them to be aware of unfamiliar people” (10.Pvt.E-PS).




Truthfulness

When asked about the specific strategy they used to make students truthful, most public and private school teachers said they played role models for the students to speak the truth. When they observed that their teachers always told the truth, they copied, and in return, they became truthful. One of the participants advocated this type of strategy in these words: “I always tell students that neither I tell a lie nor my family, and we are always successful. Further, I tell them about many liars who are always disappointed and fail (04.Pb.R-PS). Another participant emphasised becoming a role model for students in these words:

In this regard, I just try to be truthful, which means I become a role model for the students to speak the truth. Otherwise, if a teacher continuously advises students to speak the truth, that will never be accepted by the students. (06.Pb.U-PS)

Some participants highlighted using examples of life events of different personalities in the history of Islam to teach students to always speak the truth. Furthermore, a teacher quoted the Hadith to motivate the students to always speak the truth.




Trustworthiness

Regarding strategies used for infusing the value of trustworthiness in students, most public sector teachers responded that there was no need to develop this value since students at this age did not have such dealings with other students in which trustworthiness is required. This thinking can be easily predicted in the following statement of a participant: “At this age, there is no matter of trust upon one another. There are no dealings among students in the classroom” (08.Pb.U-PS).

Example-based learning was described as effective by some participants. Different teachers presented different views about quoting examples. Some said that the examples from the life of the Prophet (PBUH) permanently impact the students’ personalities. As one of the participants stated:

I always like to inculcate the values of trustworthiness in students by quoting examples from the life of the Prophet (PBUH), that how much he was trustful even for the non-believers. He was named ‘Sadiq and Ameen’ before bestowing prophethood upon him. I tell students that he (PBUH) is our greatest role model. (01.Pb.R-Isl)

Other teachers who inculcated the value of trustworthiness with examples stated that giving examples to students from their practical life helped immensely. One of the participants reported this strategy in these words:

I often quote examples from my personal life to develop the value of trustworthiness in students. I tell them that many times this value saved me from severe consequences. My friends trusted me as I always remained sincere to them. Resultantly, I never faced any difficulty with my friends. (12.Pvt.E-Isl)

A teacher from the Pakistan Army administered school narrated her strategy for making students trust others “In school, there are a sports gala, group discussions, different classroom talks, and competition of students proved very helpful in this regard” (18.PAA.PS).




Honesty

Most teachers, public as well as private and Pakistan Army-administered schools, used the teachings of Islam to infuse the value of honesty. However, some also mentioned that giving examples from Islamic history motivated the students to be honest. One of the participants reported this strategy in these words:

Students are trained according to the teaching of Islam that if they have taken a book or anything else from others should be returned. They are told it is the Sunnah of our Prophet (PBUH), a necessary component of our moral values. In this way, all the students become honest. Examples from the Islamic history of famous people are also given to them. (02.Pb.R-PS)

A reasonable number of participants presented their arguments in favour of telling stories to the students to make them honest. They proved that storytelling is a good technique for a teacher because students take more interest in a story. The following quotation is an example of such thoughts:

The moral of many stories is ‘honesty is the best policy’, and honesty never goes unrewarded. Honesty is the basis of all matters. Through these examples, students are advised to be honest, and habits of honesty are developed. (04-Pb.R-PS)

The same teacher also added another strategy for instilling the value of honesty: “Appreciation is another strategy that encourages students to be honest. When a student returns a thing of another student, I appreciate him in the class, clap for him that makes him happy and he proud of his honesty” (04-Pb.R-PS). Some participants stressed that if a teacher practices honest dealing in every matter, students follow this teacher. One teacher working in a Pakistan Army-administered school advocated this strategy in these words:

I always see that students follow their teachers. I always try to be honest in class, school, or at home. Students get inspired by teachers’ honest behaviour and like to change themselves by following honest teachers. (18.PAAS.PS)

In short, from these teachers’ perspectives, it can be inferred that appreciation, encouragement, and describing the importance of honesty produce better results for inculcating the value of honesty.




Fairness

Different questions were asked to the research study participants about the strategy they were using for infusing this value in students. They all told different strategies to inculcate the value of fairness. Most teachers from public, private, and army-administered schools’ staff commented that they infused this quality in students by presenting themselves as a role model for them. Students always like those values and habits which they observe in their teachers. One of the participants added, “We try to deal with all the matters with fairness. Students always follow their teachers” (06.Pb.U-PS). Another teacher also stressed the same thing in these words:

I try my best to never ignore working with justice. Students often quarrel with one another in the classroom. I carefully handle the matter and make decisions based on justice. Students follow me and try to be just. (16.Pvt.M-PS)

Some participants said they quote examples proving justice is an essential value to leading a successful life. As one of them described:

I often give them different examples related to the practising of justice. Nowadays, in Pakistan, students are watching the historical drama “Ertu?rul” (A Turk drama serial that portrays the life of a Turk freedom fighter ‘Ertu?rul’ who fought and struggled hard for the victory of Muslims). I give the examples of Ertu?rul that how successfully he practised justice and won. (12.Pvt.E-PS)

Contrary to this, an Islamiyat teacher in a public school described that students do not need to instil the value of justice at the secondary level. He had the point of view that at this age, students often do not betray others and often remain sincere to others. Therefore, there is no need to focus on infusing this value (Fairness) at this level of study (06.Pb.U-PS).

Hard Work and Pursuit of Excellence

Different responses were received in answer to this question. Most teachers were not using any specific strategy to make them hard working. Some had the point of view that students were hard-working because their parents took care of them. They continuously visit the schools and take great pain for their students. Some others considered that continuous admiration and appreciation make students hard-working. One reported, “When a student does not work efficiently, I continuously urge him to work hard. When he starts to do so, I admire and appreciate him in class. As a result, he becomes a hard-working student” (14.Pvt.M-PS).

Surprisingly, among the four research participants from elite private schools, three teachers revealed that students work hard to gain high-life status. They always like to work in an environment of competition. One reported, “Mostly students are hard-working because they want to obtain good marks. They want to secure their future and win the competition in a class. They want to achieve top position” (12.Pvt.E-Isl). A participant believed that such students have hard work built in them. There is no need for appreciation, motivation, family involvement, or anything else. They are hard-working as they simply have the nature to work this way. One such participant supported this idea in these words:

All students in the class are not hard-working. Some students work diligently. They are naturally hard-working students. They have no targets to take a position in the class or obtain good marks. They start to work diligently and devotedly whenever work is assigned to them. (11.Pvt.E-PS)

The second sub-theme in the category of hard work and pursuit of excellence is the strategies teachers use to overcome laziness in the classroom. Every teacher stated different strategies to overcome laziness in the classroom. But one thing that is common among almost all teachers is that they prefer the activity-based involvement of the student. They believed that laziness could be avoided if students actively participated in the teaching process. This strategy makes them accustomed to working hard. Students are asked questions during lectures, which is very helpful in making them active. As one of the participants reported:

Some students are lazy in the classroom. They are not active and do not pay attention to their work. I often ask questions to them, so their laziness changes into activeness. When such students know that they will have to answer the question at any moment, they remain active in the class. (02.Pb.R-PS)




Saying No to Corruption

Most participants said they had quoted examples where corrupt people faced severe consequences for their corruption. Participants also shared that in this way, fear is created in students, and they never indulge in corruption in their future life. As one of the participants reported, “In my point of view, examples work a lot from practical life. I also quote different examples of our surrounding about the corrupted people and their humiliation at the end” (11.Pvt.E-PS).

Contrary to this, a teacher from the public sector teaching Pakistan Studies commented not to quote examples of the people who are corrupted to students. He advocated his idea in these words.

It is better not to specifically quote an example of a person. There is a possibility that he or she will start to avoid corruption. But in a student’s mind, he or she will be permanently considered corrupt. I always talk about the consequences of corruption generally. (06.P.U-PS)

Some other teachers also mentioned the different strategies they were using in their classrooms, like lecture methods, advising, telling, inculcating different values like truthfulness, honesty, justice, etc., and through some activities for making students hate corruption. One of the participants said, “It is done through the different activities in the class in which students are involved without informing them, and then the result is presented to them to discourage corruption” (05.Pb.U-Isl).

Respecting the Law, Rules, and Regulations

Most reported using telling, advising, and instructing methods to instil respect for the law, rules, and regulations in students. They believed that in the classroom, it was easy to guide the students about the country’s laws, rules, and regulations. One of the participants expressed it in these words:

It is told to students that the state’s laws are made by and for the people. It made them understand that if we, as a citizen of Pakistan, praise the European countries for obeying the rules and laws of the state, then why do we not? I teach them to care about the queue in the bank or public places. I always advise them to follow the SOPs that the government has imposed on us. They are told that all the laws are for their benefit. (03.Pb.R-Isl)

Some of them considered that making students obey the rules and regulations of the school can make them followers of the rules and regulations of the state. They said students are not mature enough to tell them about the state’s laws. But when they become accustomed to abiding by the school’s norms and laws, they become good citizens considering the country’s laws in a good way. A teacher from an elite public school stated:

I make students abide by the state’s laws by making them follow class rules. I impose the laws and rules of the class on students strictly and tell them that after classroom rules, there come school laws, then city, tehsil, district, province, and country laws which they will have to obey all the time. (11.Pvt.E-PS)

A few participants believed that seminars, guest lectures, and different activities should be held in schools to enhance students’ awareness of laws. Different specialist speakers from the law and administrative departments should come to the school and address the students. This strategy works a lot as maximum students attend these seminars, and they learn to obey the state’s laws collectively. Furthermore, in this way, teachers also get benefits and learn increasingly in this respect. One of the participants supported this strategy by speaking as “Often seminars are held in our school for developing the students’ awareness about different laws, rules and regulations of the country. All students are gathered at a place and attend this seminar attentively” (18.Pvt.M-PS). Another teacher shared his method and talked about his strategy: “If students are told about the dangerous consequences of not abiding by the laws of the country, they get scared and, in this way, obey the laws of the state” (06.P.U-PS).

Discussion

Twenty secondary school teachers were interviewed to explore different strategies they used in classrooms to inculcate different values in students. There is a need for values education in the right direction, with the right strategies for students to build good character (Khan, Muhammad, & Masood, 2021; Marini, 2018; Naseer & Muhammad, 2019). All interviews focused on compassion, safety, truthfulness, honesty, hard work, excellence, corruption, and respect for law and regulations.

The first theme, compassion and care for self, explores how teachers instil students’ awareness of personal development, including health care and grooming. The analysis revealed that teachers primarily used the lecture method to teach students about good health, focusing on dos and don’ts. In addition, the strategy they used in the classrooms to develop a sense of awareness in students to keep themselves healthy was telling the students about the teachings of the Quran and the knowledge of hadiths, as most of the students in the class were Muslims. They advised students to study and follow the Prophet’s (PBUH) life.

Another strategy teachers at secondary schools used was to involve the students in some activities. According to them, these activities made students active, energetic, and a source of mental and physical exercise, making them healthy. These activities include questioning, assigning different tasks, speaking to the audience on the rostrum, debates, quiz competitions, and different body exercises. These techniques not only made them healthy but also confident. Teachers are also represented as role models for their students by adopting good habits to remain healthy.

For the grooming of students, social media was also a debatable subject. Teachers argued differently about the use of social media by the students. Some argued that students should not be allowed to use social media as it was the cause of many immoral and unhealthy habits in students by affecting their precious time for study. Some teachers advocated using social media to meet the modern demands of the changing world. Appreciation and giving incentives were other strategies that teachers were being used in classrooms to motivate students to care about their health, grooming, and confidence-building. When students were rewarded based on completing any task or demonstrating neat and clean habits, they became more energetic, enthusiastic, and confident.

The commonly used strategy in the classroom to inculcate the value of compassion and care for others was advising, telling, and instructing students to do this or that. In this strategy, teachers used the lecture method to infuse the value of compassion and kindness for others in students. They also quoted the example from the life of the Prophet (PBUH). Role modelling is another strategy that teachers use to infuse this value in students. It is another good strategy for making students have feelings of kindness and compassion for others. If teachers advise students to be kind and compassionate to others but often scold their students without any solid reason, they cannot instil these values in students (Berkowicz & Myers, 2020). Quoting examples from the poetry of the national poet of Pakistan was another strategy to develop feelings of merciful and kindness in students. The poems were read daily throughout the whole year in the morning assembly. Literature also suggests that students read and get inspired by the pieces of poetry to remain kind to others (Jack & Tetley, 2016). Teachers took this poetry as a motivation for the students to help needy people and at least feel mercy for others. However, some participants argued that students are not mature enough to develop feelings of care and compassion and that infusing this value is unnecessary.

Students were taught environmental values through the lecture method using the Islamiyat curriculum as a role model. The Quran and Hadith were used to teach cleanliness, while the “Clean Green Pakistan” campaign was used to encourage tree planting. Students were encouraged to read and act responsibly, and examples from daily life were provided to avoid noise pollution. In addition, lecture methods, direct observation, and role-play techniques were also employed to promote environmental awareness.

In the category of safety and security of the students, teachers liked to advise the students. They just told the students in the classrooms to follow their teachers’ instructions to cope with different situations in which the safety of the students is needed. Some teachers have made students skilful in handling such situations. Some of them advised students in the classrooms to take care of their health because healthy people can defend themselves better than weak students from bad people.

Teachers preferred to speak the truth to infuse the value of truth in students. They considered role modelling a better strategy to make students truthful (Berkowicz & Myers, 2020). Teaching students with an example of this value was another strategy of the research participants. They quoted the examples to the students from their personal and daily lives to strengthen their views. Teachers also used the knowledge of Hadith to tell students that speaking the truth is salvation while telling a lie caused havoc in society. Students at the secondary level grasped the meanings from the teachings of the knowledge of hadiths that the last Prophet of Allah (PBUH) always spoke the truth, and being his (PBUH) follower, they should always practice truthfulness. To sum up, Most teachers used the lecture method to instil the value of truthfulness in students.

Analysis of the interviews indicated that most teachers claimed to not inculcate the value of trustworthiness in students. They had the point of view that this value could not be infused in students. Trust builds among the students gradually. The others who had the strategy to inculcate this value in students favoured the lecture method in which motivation, examples, and the knowledge of Hadith was the best source for students to make the students trustful. Some teachers also liked informal meetings with students to develop the spirit of trustworthiness in students. Informal meetings like sports gala in school, group discussions, dialogue, classroom debates, and competitions were also helpful in making students trustful for others. Discussion method like dialogue helps develop critical thinking and attitudes like trust, tolerance, and respect for others (Tawiah et al., 2022).

Most secondary school teachers use the lecture method to instil honesty values in students, teaching Islamic teachings and inspiring them to be honest in their practical lives. Teachers use the lecture method to instil honesty values in students, teaching Islamic teachings and inspiring them to be honest in their practical lives. Another method that teachers used in their teaching to infuse this value was by telling stories to the students. Teachers told the stories to the students with moral lessons “Honesty is the best policy” to motivate students to work honestly. They also quoted examples to tell students about the importance and benefits of honesty. In addition, many teachers also infused the value of honesty through role modelling. They believed that they could not inculcate this value in their students unless teachers were honest, as students always like to copy their teachers. A literature review also suggests that giving examples and modelling can help in the inculcation of moral values in students (Abdullah, Hudayana, Kutanegara, & Indiyanto, 2019).

The data analysis about the value of fairness depicts a clear picture of the strategy for inculcating this value. Different views were received about the classroom strategies participants used to inculcate fairness. Most participants believed that role modelling was the best strategy to use in the classroom to infuse this value in secondary school students. Different researchers have also suggested role modelling. Roux and Dasoo (2020) also advocate the same strategy for infusing the value of fairness.

Hard-working is the key to success, and an environment of good, hard-working, and efficient people makes students hard-working. In other words, it can be said that a man is known for the company he keeps. The study participants believed that the home environment and surroundings count a lot. Some teachers argued that the continuous admiration and motivation of the students make them hard-working. There was always a need for motivation to acquire knowledge and effective learning (Ferrari, 2001). The participants reported that the thrust for gaining high status in life was another source for being the hard worker of students, and students wanted to get high grades to get good jobs and high ranks. Without hard work, their dreams could not come true; therefore, the spirit of leading others and the aim to win different competitions resulted in being a hard worker. Findings showed that activity-based learning made students active, and they focused on their lessons more enthusiastically. Akhtar and Saeed (2021) also supported that activity-based learning, in which students actively participate, makes learning more effective by minimising laziness in students. 

Participants generally agreed that students are taught to hate corruption by quoting examples from society. They believed that when students were told through lecture method about the corrupted people, their corruption, and in the end, the dangerous consequences they had to face, students got frightened and avoided indulging in corruption. Habituation—doing something continuously and regularly so that it becomes a habit—was another strategy to make students corruption-free. According to the analysis, the students were taught by repeated instructions and guidance to make their habits permanent. When this practice continued for a long time, students habitually hated corruption. This strategy was also advocated in another research study that habituation is helpful in the character building of the students (Sari & Akhwani, 2021).

Lectures were commonly used to teach students how to observe laws, rules, and regulations. Students were treated strictly to obey the laws of the school. In this way, they become habitual and obey the state’s laws. In addition, some other teachers scheduled conferences, seminars, meetings, and group discussions in schools to tell students about the state’s laws. In these seminars and conferences, different resource persons from the law and administrative departments came to the school and briefed the students about the rules and laws of the country—and the dangerous consequences of not obeying the laws.

Conclusion

To conclude, this qualitative study examined how secondary school teachers foster the development of various values in their students. The study’s results highlight the importance of values education and shed light on teachers’ strategies to promote character development. Among the strategies identified were lecture-based instruction, role modelling, incorporating religious teachings and literary examples, engaging students in activities, and emphasising the importance of the environment. Teachers can cultivate compassion, care, honesty, fairness, hard work, and respect for others and the environment in their students by using these strategies. Insights such as these contribute to a broader understanding of values education and provide valuable guidance for teachers and policymakers seeking to cultivate a positive and virtuous school culture.

References

• Abdullah, I., Hudayana, B., Setiadi, Kutanegara, P. M., & Indiyanto, A. (2019). Beyond School Reach: character education in three schools in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 9(3), 145– 159.
• Akhtar, M., & Saeed, M. (2021). Applying activity-based learning (abl) in improving the quality of teaching at the secondary school level. Pakistan Journal of Educational Research and Evaluation (PJERE), 3(2), 27- 38.
• Akram, H., Al-Adwan, A. S., Aslam, S., & Khan, M. (2021). Pedagogical practices and challenges in cultivating moral values: A qualitative study of primary school teachers in Pakistan. Education 3-13, 51(4), 607– 619.
• Atta, A., Muhammad, Y., & Mahmood, A. (2022). Prospective teachers’ understanding of good citizenship: Evidence from two case studies. International Review of Basic and Applied Sciences, 10(2), 206-214.
• Baig, S. (2014). Beyond the content and pedagogy: A step forward towards value- based teacher's professional development. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 7(2), 1–16.
• Berkowicz, J., & Myers, A. (2020). Integrating mindfulness into education. Education Week.
• Bhatt, S. R. (2018). Knowledge, values and education. In S. R. Bhatt (Ed.), Philosophical foundations of education: Lessons for India (pp. 31-41). Singapore: Springer.
• CSVE. (2017). Curriculum supplements value education. Islamabad: Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.
• Ferrari, M. (2001). The pursuit of excellence through education. London: Routledge.
• Government of Pakistan. (2017). National education policy. Islamabad: Ministry of Education.
• Jack, K., & Tetley, J. (2016). Using poems to explore the meaning of compassion to undergraduate nursing students. International Practice Development Journal, 6(1), 1-13.
• Khalid, T., Muhammad, Y., & Siddiqui, M. (2022). Cultivating global citizenship among secondary school students: Pre- service teachers’ beliefs. Global Social Sciences Review, 7(2), 326-337.
• Khan, I., Muhammad, Y., & Masood, S. (2021). Teaching values to students for their holistic development: An analysis of secondary school teachers’ beliefs. VFAST Transactions on Islamic Research, 9(3), 90- 99.
• ovat, T., & Toomey, R. (Eds.). (2009). Values Education and Quality Teaching. Springer Netherlands.