Australian Journal of Teacher Education
Abstract
It has been long evident in the research literature that students in different countries hold quite different views about school and about learning at school (e.g. Husen, 1967; King, Moor & Mundy, 1974). Likewise, their value orientations towards life in general, as well as towards school in particular, vary (e.g. Jackson, 1968; Robinson, 1973; Himmelweit and Swift, 1969). Only recently, however, have such issues been widely researched in Australia (e.g. Anderson, 1978; Batten & Girling-Butcher, 1981). The present study explored the emerging views and perspectives of adolescent views and perspectives concerning schooling and life generally. Attitudes towards the curriculum were sought, since the literature suggests curriculum decisions are critical to future plans and goals. In addition, however, a wide variety of general, social and educational issues was investigated to tap student affective concerns since there is much recent evidence to suggest that cognitive and affective factors interact to influence schooling outcomes (Marjoribanks, 1981). More general attitudes towards the school in terms of what it does, fails to do, and should be doing from an adolescent perspective were tapped in line with a growing emphasis in Australia on policy-oriented research (Anderson, 1980), and a desire to improve the quality of educational offerings (Williams et aI, 1982).
Recommended Citation
Poole, M. E. (1984). The Attitudes and Values of Melbourne Adolescents towards Schooling and the Future. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.1984v9n1.5