Are Public American High Schools Void of Values? The Teacher Perspective of Moral Education in Public School

Abstract

The American public school system's immense influence on culture and politics makes its critical inquiry vital for social awareness and prosperity. There is a wide body of literature that speculates on the presence of moral education in American public high schools. This study addresses the research need for information on the real-life "moral education" situation. The use of the literature term "moral education" was confirmed by research participants. A qualitative study was formed to explore the situation. Two American public high schools with different population sizes and ethnic demographics were used to recruit 18 participants. The study determined that moral education is present in American public high schools, because the topic is "organic" or naturally inseparable from the teaching process. A number of methods were used to teach the topic and subjects ranged from controversial to non-controversial in nature.