The Vake Handbook: Theory and Practice of Values and Knowledge Education

"Values without knowledge are blind, while knowledge without values is irresponsible." This principle underlines the motivation to write this book. It presents VaKE, Values and Knowledge Education, a theoretical model based on constructivist learning theories, and many examples for its practical implementation in diverse educational fields. Thanks to its extensive theoretical foundation, the model opens up almost unlimited possibilities to tailor the course to the needs of the participants and to the dynamics of a process.

The justification of ethical values is attributed a general importance for the development of personality as well as for the thriving and flourishing living with each other in a society. School education aims at providing respective knowledge. However, this knowledge is separated from the subject matters, whereas for its application in daily life both – knowledge on facts as well as on values – are necessary and indispensable for evaluation, assessment and decision making.

Sieglinde Weyringer, Dr., founder and current general secretary of the AVaKE Association, is a retired senior lecturer at the Department of Educational Science at Salzburg University, Austria. Her interests are in research and practice of values and citizenship education, high ability studies, and organizational development.

Jean-Luc Patry is retired university professor, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria. He is a founding member of the Association for Values and Knowledge Education (AVaKE). His research fields are: moral education; social interaction in education, particularly situation specificity; theory of science; theory-practice relationship; research methods, etc.

Dimitris Pnevmatikos, Ph.D., is Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Western Macedonia, Greece. He has published more than 100 articles in scientific journals and books. He is a founding member and currently the President of the Association of Values and Knowledge Education (AVaKE).

Frédérique Brossard Børhaug, Professor of Education at VID Specialized University and Prof. 2 at NLA University College, Norway. Her research deals with intercultural and anti-racist education, inclusion of minority youth and education in the Anthropocene.