A curricular framework for discipline-specific acquisition, teaching, and assessment of values in higher education

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the extent to which values are assessed to create and propose a framework intended for stakeholders to develop and apply outcomes for the acquisition, teaching, and assessment of values. The research on assessing values frequently emphasizes general issues and pays little attention to the unique discipline circumstances that influence the creation and implementation in practice. Though that the assessments and analyses that concentrated on values necessary to fulfill the demands of the modern workplace are sparse. This is the gap in the literature that this study intends to contribute. Bloom’s taxonomy was used as a theoretical framework to determine how values assessment might provide solutions to this problem. The question posed was “How can Bloom’s taxonomy’s values domain be used to build a framework for assessing the values at the study university?” A quantitative approach was used to examine the relationships among variables by collecting and analyzing numeric data expressed in numbers or scores using the self-developed Trilogy Assessment Affective Domain Inventory on the extent to which values were assessed in higher education. This instrument was completed by 268 lecturers from various disciplines at the South African University of Technology in the Gauteng province. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 28.0 descriptive statistics. The reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha as a high value for internal consistency. The results revealed that seventy-four percent of the lecturers were not assessing the values domain. These results highlight the need for a framework to help solve the problem. The utilization of the proposed framework may assist stakeholders in improving learning outcomes design, acquisition, teaching, and assessment of values.