Presentation
The REFA Laboratory is chaired by Mrs. Norma Zakaria and was established in order to promote research though the collaboration between different partners at the Department of Educational Sciences, researchers-professors at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik as well as educators of universities and schools interested in the research in the fields of pedagogy, didactic and education management. This Laboratory is a platform for research and cultural events organized by the Department of Educational Sciences: conferences, seminars, thematic colloquies, specialized magazines… Moreover, it promotes interdepartmental exchange within the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, and interfaculty exchange based on the principle stipulating that humanities and social sciences are continuously correlating.
The suggested research project at the REFA Laboratory for the academic year 2013-2014: Values Education in light of the New Challenges
This project is in the framework of an issue of great current interest covering a popular field in the educational institutions: values education. This theme generates today multiple questions asked by educational bodies, directors and teachers at schools. In fact, the challenges facing education are multiplying and developing at a swift pace causing conflicts and disturbances within the learning generations, and disrupting their profiles and concepts. Imposed by deep and irreversible social transformations, these challenges threaten education and join the obstacles creating numerous difficulties for the level of teaching and learning. It is noteworthy that these challenges are of different levels and have positive and negative impacts at a time. Starting from this point, new tasks for schools and the complexity of the educational process emerge.
As it is common to speak of school failure, school motivation and school help, it is common to speak as well of the values as one aspect contributing to the improvement of the educational process due to highlighting the links between ethics and education. Therefore, it is necessary to develop active teaching which promote a culture of values. This culture should include, in addition to the acquisition of scientific knowledge, a thorough reflection on the complexity of the human being and on the various aspects which this being represents.
Another link is highlighted in the schools’ context: the relation teacher/learner, which has to be explicit and reciprocal; the role of the teacher is to ensure a certain dynamic between all the actors in the educational system, and the role of the learner is to react positively towards the actors. This entails shared responsibilities and advocates a success pedagogy consisting of the student’s participation and the teacher’s goodwill.
In this context, it will be possible to understand the learner’s autonomy and the teacher’s abilities. Concerning the learner’s autonomy, as a first factor towards the success of the acquisition of values, it is necessary to take into consideration that the humans are beings aware of this autonomy and of potentialities governing their decisions. Hence, the teacher’s role will be to develop the learners’ ability to shoulder the responsibility and “know” how to learn; the central objective of teaching being mainly the formation of the human being’s spirit.
It is true that all questions related to education and the teaching system start from the words of the direct partners in the teaching/learning process; however, it is important to keep in mind that these issues go far beyond the framework of schools and partners aiming at joining the social frame. As a result, the multiple changes that have occurred on the society as whole, on the level of schools and the ever-increasing requirements foster values education: individual values, humane values, ethical values and social values.
Fields of research
1st Axis: individual values and formation of the person
To better understand Man as a human being, it is necessary to prove how values can deeply influence the individual: on the intellectual level through the formation of the spirit, on the emotional level through impulse control and affects regulation, on the moral level through the formation of the will and consciousness towards his actions.
2nd Axis: Social values as a factor for integration and strengthening social links
The basis of living together is governed by values. On this level, social values education allows the development of an attitude calling the human being to appropriately communicate with the others, behave adequately towards the others and know how to adapt to the environment where he lives; all this aims to promote social links.
3rd Axis: The implementation of values in the educational system
This axis suggests the implementation of teaching modalities promoting the application of the values by learners. It tackles the school context, partners at schools, values education management by the administrative directors at schools, as well as the chosen teaching contents and adapted work approaches in the teaching/learning process. All this aims to prepare the learner, theoretically and practically, to really respect and live the values.
Types of conducted research
- Theoretical research conducted on various subthemes related to values, as well as then different manifestations. This research can dig their sources from the fields of humanities related to education: philosophy, psychology and sociology.
- Practical research conducted in the schools context: viewpoints of the teachers, learners’ testimonies, pedagogic projects implemented in this field, research action related to practices in schools.
Final Presentation
- Conducted research will be included in a collective work published in the framework of the REFA Laboratory.
- A colloquium on the theme of Values as a source of personal development and social integration can expand and develop the research project.
Members of REFA Laboratory
Professors
Andre Pachod,
IUFM d’Alsace-Université de Strasbourg
Christelle Bou Rjeili,
USEK
Christelle Hayek, USEK
Danielle Tabet,
USEK
Georges Salloum,
USJ
Joseph Moukarzel,
USEK
Maguy Chataoui,
Lebanese University
Michel Caillot,
Université Paris Descartes
Michel Zakaria,
USEK
(Sister) Mona Bejjan,
Collège des Filles du Liban, Beit Hobbak
Mirna Mzawak,
USEK
Mona Zoghbi,
USEK
Norma Zakaria,
USEK
Paul Jelwan,
USEK
Scarlet Sarraf,
Lebanese University
Siham Achi,
USEK
Souheila Salloum,
USEK
Viviane Choueiry,
Lebanese University
Yollande Bardaghji,
USEK
PhD Students
Charlie Aghnatios
Dayana Majdalani
Ghina Mounla
Guitta Hanna
Joyce Rouhana
Marianne Sarkis
Maroun Chamoun
Miled Hobeika
Mirna Dib
Muriel Sawaya
Nadine Boulos
Rana Antoun
Rania Nohra
Rima El Soueidi
Rita Chahwan
Sœur Micheline Mansour
Yolla Saab
Contacts
Mrs. Norma Zakaria
Tel.: +961 9 600 056
Email:
normazakaria@usek.edu.lb
Secretariat:
Tel.: +961 9 600 055
Fax: +961 9 600 551
Email:
fpsh@usek.edu.lb
Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
P.O. Box 446 Jounieh, Lebanon