The present study paper is intended to elucidate the realities of the elemen-
tary school teachers' value orientations or attitudes concerning 24 alternative issues that we are usually faced with in our moral life. This study is also de-
signed to i...
The present study paper is intended to elucidate the realities of the elemen-
tary school teachers' value orientations or attitudes concerning 24 alternative issues that we are usually faced with in our moral life. This study is also de-
signed to identify the order of 28 virtue-factors, which are now presented to pupils in our moral lessons, rated by the teachers in terms of desirableness or importance.
The survey covered a total 505 elementary school teachers in both sexes, male 300 and female 205, living in Jeju province area from July to August 1981. The respondent teachers were provided with and asked to fill out a set of question-
naires developed by the present writer in order to test their value orientations
The findings obtained are summarized as follows;
1) The major respondents are of the view that the conduct should be judge the goodness or badness by the motive and intention of the doer, not by the consequence of doings. And they do not be in favor of the propostitions like 'the end justifies the means' or 'no liability arising from mistake'.
2) To lead a life worth living, the respondent teachers value utility above justification and put the prudence or adaptation to circumstances before the habit or persistence to principles.
3) The respondents conceive that man is the master of his destiny who is able to control his own happiness by choice and effort rather than being subordinat-
ed by the given inevitable conditions. Besides, they seem to believe that happi-
ness is dependent on each person's subjective point of view.
4) The respondents emphasize more self-cultivating or family-managing activit-
ies than services to the public and to the country.
5) As for the focus of devotion in the family, the female respondents' value orientation appears to be more self- or children-orientied than parents-orienti-
ed, while the male are in contrary order.
6) Most of respondent teachers seem to believe that man's inborn nature is gen-
erally good and the goodies exceeds the baddies in population. But they consider
that the human character building hangs on esch person's will and effort first of all, next, on his experiences of lifetime, and last, his innate disposition.
7) The respondents feel that the level of our society are getting lower and more degenerative as time goes on. And they consider that the economic develop-
ment exert the vicious influence upon our moral life.
8) The respondents value most highly the virtue 'health·safty' among 16 items
introduced to them as virtues for individual life. Subsequently, they emphasize the importances of 'honesty·sincerity', 'diligence·endeavor', 'bravery·convi-
ction', 'frugality·temperance', 'tolerance·benevolence', 'extension ofindivi-
duality', 'ingenuity·enterprise', 'gayety·buoyancy', 'patience·indomitabili-
ty', 'independence·autonomy', 'punctuality', 'prudence·reflection', 'esthetic
appreciation', 'proper arrangement', and 'care for animals and plants'in order.
9) Out of the given 12 virtues related to the social life, the respondent tea-
chers feel that the virtue 'responsibility·obligation' should be most emphasiz-
ed to pupils in moral education. And then they give next ranks to the importan-
ces of 'love for family', 'respect for human rights' 'law observances', 'cooper-
ation·mutual aid', 'friendship·fidelity', 'sense of public duty and benefit',
'justice·fairness', 'kindness·sympathy' 'sense of veneration and gratitude',
'love for humanity', and 'love for school and hometown' in order.
In addition, the result of this survey study shows that the respondents have some different value orientations or attitudes towards the above moral issues and virtues according to their sex, main place of growth, religion, age and len-
gth of teaching experience.