Research confirms the positive impact of Values-based Education (VBE)
Including the positive impact of values education, in general
Seven Ways VBE Schools Make a Difference
Research shows that schools adopting the VBE approach can achieve seven transformative results
Positive Staff Relationships
In a VBE school, teachers saw themselves not merely as a close-knit team, but often described their colleagues as an “extended work family”.
Relationships among staff extended beyond the demands of the school day. Many spoke of genuine friendships with colleagues, and described the school not simply as a place of work, but as a meaningful part of their social and emotional lives — a place where they felt connected, supported, and at home.
A Distinctive VBE Atmosphere
Pupils, staff, parents, and school leaders all described the school as a place with a special, positive energy — something everyone could feel.
Many likened it to a big family, where every individual felt valued, loved, heard, and treated fairly. For them, the school was not just a place of learning, but a genuinely warm, welcoming, and uplifting space — a place they truly enjoyed being in.
Values for Life and Beyond School
In today’s world, some families struggle to provide consistent moral guidance or to instil positive human values such as kindness, respect, and honesty and many others, in their children.
VBE schools help bridge this gap by cultivating values that stay with children for life — guiding not only how they learn, but how they grow, relate to others, and make decisions far beyond the classroom.
The Unique Unifying Role of VBE
Values-based education helps unite people from different nationalities, cultures, and religions. By focusing on shared human values, VBE creates common ground — something everyone could relate to, regardless of background or belief.
In today’s increasingly diverse school communities, this is especially valuable: a values-based ethos offers a foundation for peaceful coexistence, where different ideas, traditions, and worldviews could be embraced with mutual respect and understanding.
VBE as a Framework
School community sees VBE as a clear, guiding framework centred on children’s moral development. Parents appreciate its holistic nature, seeing it as an approach that shapes behaviour, nurtures character, and gives children principles to carry through life.
Governors view VBE as a structured model for teaching values — it shows that the school aims to raise good human beings. Teachers describe VBE as a strong foundation for preparing children for life beyond school – allowing them to educate not just academically, but personally — supporting the growth of the whole child.
Values-Based Child Development
Parents say their children use values to navigate challenges, manage their behaviour, and respond thoughtfully to different situations. Leaders note that the school’s positive approach to values is more effective than rule-driven methods. They feel VBE improves behaviour and offers a meaningful complement to the academic curriculum, with both domains deserving equal attention.
Benefits of VBE can be achieved in a typical mainstream school, without major policy reform. The heart of VBE lies not in documents or structures, but in the values lived daily by staff and children — and the choices those values inspire.
Inclusion Through Values
The school welcomed children from a wide range of backgrounds — including those with medical needs, learning difficulties, behavioural challenges, or a history of exclusion from other schools. Teachers shared stories of how VBE made a genuine difference in the lives of these pupils, offering stability, belonging, and growth.
This inclusive approach was led from the top, with the headteacher firmly rooted in the belief that every child deserves to be lifted up. Governors noted that VBE proved especially valuable in more challenging year groups, where strong relationships and shared values helped create a positive, united environment.
Positive Staff Relationships
The evidence is clear: in values-based schools, staff relationships are built on clearly defined and sincerely lived positive qualities
Staff Relationships in a VBE School
Teachers consistently described a strong sense of psychological safety within the school. They felt comfortable expressing their views openly, without fear of judgement, and experienced mutual respect in their day-to-day interactions. Communication was open and reciprocal, with staff feeling heard and included in decision-making. Relationships were characterised by trust and equality, with little sense of hierarchy between colleagues.
Many teachers spoke of the staff team not just as close-knit, but as a true “work family.” Colleagues were also friends, and the school was more than just a place of employment — it was a meaningful part of their social lives and personal identity. Professional boundaries were respected, but the warmth and camaraderie extended well beyond the job description.
Staff described a harmonious working environment, free from serious conflict or tension. Even in difficult circumstances — such as budget cuts — they remained optimistic and deeply committed to the school. Several said they would rather make personal sacrifices than leave the community they felt so attached to. This spirit of mutual care and loyalty was widely attributed to the school’s values-based ethos, which they saw as a key factor in both staff wellbeing and the healthy integration of work and personal life.
What about other schools?
The positive staff culture described in this study stands in stark contrast to the realities reported in many mainstream schools. According to the Teacher Wellbeing Index (Savill-Smith & Scanlan, 2022), 59% of school staff feel they work in an environment marked by negative team dynamics, and 78% report struggles with their mental health. Against this backdrop, the school in this study stands out as a rare example of a workplace built on trust, emotional safety, and mutual support.
These findings echo a wider body of research highlighting the importance of stable, trusting relationships in shaping teachers’ professional experiences (Coban et al., 2020; Rashad, 2016; Kars & Inandi, 2018). They also reinforce Eldor and Shoshani’s (2016) view that a sense of security and psychological comfort is essential for teachers to thrive and fulfil their potential.
This school’s strong focus on teamwork, open communication, and collective belonging reflects a deeper vision of education — not only as an academic endeavour, but as a social and emotional space. Here, values are not just taught — they are lived daily, shaping the culture from within (Husu & Tirri, 2007).
A Distinctive VBE Atmopshere
The warm, welcoming atmosphere extended far beyond staff relationships — it reached children, parents, and even governors, shaping a whole-school culture of kindness and mutual respect
VBE school’s unique atmosphere
Many participants spoke of the school as a place with a truly special vibe — warm, kind, and felt in every part of daily life. It was often described as a big family or a close-knit community, where everyone felt valued, cared for, listened to, and treated fairly. For many, the school was far more than just a place to study or work; it was a genuinely comforting, safe, and joyful space — somewhere they wanted to return to each day.
This atmosphere didn’t emerge by chance. It reflected the headteacher’s intentional effort to create not only a strong learning environment, but also a deep sense of belonging — a place that felt like home.
Staff felt this atmosphere just as strongly. Several teachers affectionately described the school as their safe haven especially during personally difficult times. Relationships between adults and children were built on kindness, honesty, respect, love, and gratitude — qualities that, in many people’s view, formed the foundation of the school’s overall climate. Children often shared that teachers here didn’t shout — instead, they encouraged, reassured, and helped them believe in themselves. All of this contributed to a calm, respectful, and emotionally safe environment where everyone could thrive.
What does research tell about this?
The distinctive atmosphere found in VBE schools closely aligns with findings from research on school climate and values-based education. Rudasill et al. (2017) emphasise that school climate is fundamentally relational — shaped by the perceptions, interactions, and shared values of pupils, teachers, and leaders.
Galvez-Nieto et al. (2022) also highlight the connection between school climate and the internalisation of values, arguing that a positive emotional environment not only reflects shared values but actively reinforces them. In this school, the calm, respectful, and welcoming atmosphere became a living expression of its values-based culture.
Hawkes (2018) distinguishes VBE from other approaches noting that educators “live and breathe” the values — not just promoting them, but embodying them through their daily actions. Similarly, Knight et al. (2022) found that VBE helps cultivate a harmonious environment, supporting the view that such a school climate doesn’t happen by chance — it is the result of intentional leadership and relationships rooted in shared values.
This suggests that a warm and respectful atmosphere in VBE schools is not simply the outcome of good intentions or a unique mix of personalities, but a systemic result of a values-driven approach embedded across the school.
Ценности, формирующие не только ученика, но и человека
Дети часто говорили о том, что будут опираться на ценности в будущем, и многие верили, что будут следовать им на подсознательном уровне. Большинство детей понимали, что ценности будут важны и во взрослой жизни, а некоторые делились мечтами о профессиях, связанных с ценностным служением — такими как учительство или благотворительность.
Ценности на всю жизнь
Учителя неоднократно отмечали, как дети самостоятельно проявляли усвоенные ценности — во время спортивных мероприятий, экскурсий, поездок или при разрешении конфликтов между собой. В таких ситуациях дети применяли различные ценности для того, чтобы самостоятельно справляться с реальными жизненными задачами.
Некоторые учителя отмечали, что эти ценности стали для них столь же важными, как и для учеников, и описывали процесс их собственного внутреннего усвоения ценностей наряду с детьми. Похожие примеры приводились и в отношении родителей и братьев/сестёр: в ряде случаев дети оказывали влияние на родителей, побуждая их к ценностному подходу в воспитании, а в некоторых случаях этот подход распространялся и на других детей в семье.
Дети часто говорили о том, что будут использовать ценности в будущем, и многие верили, что они будут руководствоваться ими на подсознательном уровне или вспомнят их в нужный момент. Также звучали отдельные свидетельства о том, что некоторые выпускники продолжали проявлять ценности и после окончания школы. Большинство детей осознавало, что ценности будут важны во взрослой жизни, а некоторые высказывали стремление выбрать профессии, связанные со служением обществу — такие как преподавание или благотворительность.
Родители также подчеркивали важность ценностей для подготовки ко взрослой жизни. Они отмечали, что ценности уже помогают детям справляться с повседневными ситуациями дома, и соглашались с тем, что закладывать их нужно с самого раннего возраста.
Почему это считается важным?
Полученные в ходе исследования данные согласуются с научной литературой, в которой привитие ценностей рассматривается как фактор, оказывающий влияние на протяжении всей жизни.
Так, Хоукс (2013) подчёркивал, что ценностно-ориентированное образование (VBE) требует не только провозглашения ценностей, но и их последовательного воплощения на практике — именно этот принцип отразился в том, как учителя, дети, и даже родители внутренне принимали и проживали школьные ценности в повседневной жизни. В том же духе Рокич (1973) определял ценности как глубоко личные принципы, ориентиры, направляющие поведение и принятие решений, что поддерживает идею о том, что усвоенные в школьные годы ценности могут сохраняться и во взрослой жизни.
Среди прочих, Ноддингс (1992) утверждала, что не все дети приходят в школу из поддерживающей и заботливой семейной среды, что делает школы ключевыми пространствами для нравственного становления — такую точку зрения разделяли и участники исследования: сотрудники говорили о восполнении «ценностного дефицита», а родители подчёркивали, что ценности «формируют у ребёнка взгляд на всю жизнь».
Сантоса и др. (2020) также настаивали на том, что педагоги должны продвигать ценности как основу для формирования полноценной и благородной личности, в то время как Том (1980) рассматривал преподавание как нравственное по своей сути “ремесло” — подход, который хорошо соотносится с ролью учителей в передаче ценностей как в явной, так и в неявной форме. В совокупности, эти взгляды помогают объяснить, как ценностная культура школы повлияла не только на поведение детей в настоящем, но и на их жизненные ориентиры, взаимоотношения в семье, перспективы и формирование идентичности за пределами школьных стен.