VaKE
V a KE ( V alues a nd K nowledge E ducation, that values and knowledge education ) is a didactic concept for school teaching . V a KE is an open teaching method . It does not refer to a specific subject, but can be used in any domain with knowledge content (i.e. not art, sports or similar school subjects). One of the triggers for the conception of V a KE is the finding that many teaching staff find it difficult to simultaneously convey social norms and curricular content in specialist lessons .
How V a KE works
First of all, the executive subject teacher selects a subject area that he would like his students to acquire new knowledge about . Now he formulates a problem or a complex of problems for which a solution or set of solutions is to be found by the students. Here is the problem
- formulated in such a way that important data for a complete problem definition are deliberately missing and
- that - in the sense of Vygotsky - the requirements lie in the area of the zone of proximal development.
- The problem contains a moral dilemma .
Typically, after announcing the V a KE task to be worked on, the pupils begin to work out first attempts at a solution. It soon becomes generally clear that no moral position represented by the students has been finally thought through in the sense of a solution and that further information (see 1.)) is missing. These missing data are usually of a content-related nature, whereby the missing content naturally originates from the curricular area in which the class teacher wishes to gain knowledge.
In the next step, the students begin to research content that they believe will lead them to be able to support the moral opinions represented with factual data. Typically
used for research .
At the point when the facts have been sufficiently improved, a new phase of moral argument about a possible solution can be initiated.
Role of the teacher
The teacher takes on an advisory and supportive position. A psychological challenge for the teacher is that at the beginning of a V a KE project, due to the openness of this teaching model, it cannot be clear in which direction the student research is going to solve the moral dilemma described. It is by no means uncommon for class members to carry out extremely extensive research in areas that are not explicitly known to the teacher himself. The consequence is thus partly a reversal of the usual school roles in relation to professional competence - in short: in the end the student knows more than the teacher. The teacher must be able to accept this challenge!
V a KE using an example from jur. classes
(This example can be used, for example, in social studies or politics at upper secondary level, since the subject of "law" does not exist in normal German-speaking general schools):
Michael works as an apprentice in a carpentry workshop. His teacher is very experienced, but one day he makes a mistake that costs the company 3000 euros. The master claims to the company management that Michael made the mistake. Michael is released and tells the story to his parents. However, he does not want to fight, but is looking for a new apprenticeship position but cannot find one. After a few weeks he got a call from the owner of the carpentry shop saying he could work there again. He thinks everything is all right again, starts there and one day learns that his father adjusted the damage - damage for which Michael was not responsible.
A possible encouraging character here is the lack of history in terms of information about the legal situation, the presence of opposing witnesses, practical opportunities in the event of a lawsuit against the company by Michael's father as the legal representative, factual data about the industry ("if I complain, does this get around and I will never get a training position in the regional carpentry industry again? "), possible intervention options via the responsible chamber of industry and commerce, etc. These data, which are not initially available, are part of the V a KE share" KE ", So knowledge education. If this is now available after a student research, based on the now completed description of the situation, the pros and cons of legal steps, the acceptance of the termination or other solutions can be discussed morally; this would then be the “values” part of V a KE.
V a KE using an example from science and technology lessons
Mr. Müller has a family with several children. He is a trained welder and for family reasons does not want to move with the children again just to get a welding job somewhere. But he needs a job because Mr M. was fired a month ago. Therefore, Mr. M. is ready to accept regional offers that may not fully match his previous professional training. From a newspaper ad he found out that a well-known energy supply company wanted to build a nuclear power plant near him. For this project, 50 m./w. Looking for construction workers who must have welding skills . Mr. M. is hesitant: actually he is categorically against nuclear energy. But if he went to build for the electricity giant, his children, who mean a lot to him, could stay in the region and keep their social contacts. How should Müller proceed?
The possible prompting character is here, e.g. B. using current data to research knowledge about nuclear energy, different types of nuclear power plants, the possible radiation exposure, the alternative job opportunities for unemployed welders in region X through, for example, an employment office training course, etc. One should also clarify (in theory) to what extent it would be a problem for the children if z. For example, the mother again (about whom nothing was [consciously] stated in the V a KE problem) would work part-time and Mr. Müller would commute for another part-time job so that he would get a “full-fledged welding job”, but something with the children in the evening could undertake. Then one could also be morally justified what the student learning group compared to the presentation of their V a KE dilemma. presented to the teacher and the other groups as their solution.
Question of the universality of the applicability of V a KE
In general, ped. assumed that a more frontal, teacher-centered teaching style would be appropriate for very weak students. The V a KE concept does not attempt to overturn this doctrine. However, the fact is that the open teaching method V a KE is very suitable for high-performing students. At the time of writing this article in its first draft were in Süddeutschen / Ost. Space academic theses in development that investigate the question of whether V a KE is also a smart teaching option for open teaching in the east. ASO or the German special school (formerly “ special school ”) would be. It may be assumed - even before the results are published - that V a KE to special ped. Institutions is not a complete impossibility, but V a KE dilemmas should be designed by the teacher in such a way that the level of difficulty is rather lower than that which one would expect students of the same age in higher schools, i.e. it has to be from students of special ped. Institutions tend to be less researched in order to arrive at an acceptable solution to the dilemma and the completion of missing factual knowledge.
Establishing the concept
The concept has already been implemented in numerous schools. The summer academy for gifted students in Obertrum, Austria (2003) is an example of extracurricular assignments.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : "THE LESSON MODEL VaKE (VALUES AND KNOWLEDGE EDUCATION) IN THE EXCELLENT FUNDING: THE PROCESS AGAINST WOYZECK"
literature
- Patry, J.-L. (2002). Science is not values-free - neither in research, nor in school. Salzburg Contributions to Educational Science, 6, 1, 5–14. URL: http://www.sbg.ac.at/erz/salzburger_beitraege/fruehling_2002/patry.pdf
- Patry, J.-L., Weyringer, S. & Weinberger, A. (2007). Combining values and knowledge education. In DN Aspin & JD Chapman (Eds.), Values education and lifelong learning (pp. 160-179). Dordrecht: Springer.