מורים למתמטיקה מתגייסים לחינוך לערכים

In many Israeli secondary schools, there is an almost total separation between knowledge acquisition and education for values. Education for values is dealt with by the counsellors, the home-room teacher, and social coordinators, as well as via social activities such as field trips. The eagerness to succeed in the matriculation exams frequently shunts education for values aside. The Law of Education (1953, 2000) and official documents issued by the Ministry of Education stress the importance of education for values, thereby implying the need to integrate the latter into disciplinary learning. This study focuses on the feasibility of integrating education for values into a major school discipline, namely mathematics. The research was conducted in the form of an experimental dissemination study by twelve teachers in seven middle schools who received prior training as well as ongoing guidance pertaining to the issue. The results indicate that mathematics teachers can be motivated to integrate both social and personal values into their teaching. Furthermore, this can be done accomplished without jeopardizing either the rate of progress in teaching the official mandatory curriculum or the students' achievements. Beyond the feasibility proof, the results demonstrate a shift in teachers' perceptions regarding the integration of education for values into their subject-matter teaching from doubtful to mindful, in addition to increased awareness of its importance and applicability. The conclusion asserts that it is essential to render this possibility applicable to the entire system. This would necessitate the preparation of adequate materials as well as the enhancement of prospective teachers' and in-service teachers' awareness of it.