IntroductionValues and attitudes, together with their structure, lead to or determine social behavior (Meulemann, 1987, pp. 513 533). This relationship holds great significance for educators, as values are seen to be systematically related to behavioral outcomes. Values affect, influence, or otherwise lead to certain behaviors. Within this context, individual behave purposively; that is, they act because they believe that such action will lead to a desired outcome. To the extent that individuals can rationalize their beliefs or believe that individual values will lead to certain outcomes whether mistaken or not, it may be said that values influence behavior (Spears, Eiser and Van der Pligt, 1989, pp. 43 55). In such instances, individuals do not necessarily have to understand what motivates them precisely, or to separate their motivating beliefs from other values in their belief system. Indeed, to another observer, their beliefs may appear prejudiced or irrational. The issue is whether they attribute their goal to a specific belief or set of beliefs, and then act accordingly; not to the correctness of their beliefs. In that sense, value leads to behavior.
In education, the focus in on the teacher's attitudes. It is crucial, therefore, to establish a linkage between those attitudes, their behavior, and teaching outcomes. Education takes place within a culture. This culture is the pattern of individual attitudes and orientations toward education among the members of an educational system. It is the subjective realm which underlies and gives meaning to educational actions.
The components include cognitive orientations, affective orientations and evaluative orientations, or, in other words, judgments and opinions about factors involved in the process of education.
Culture in education is the system of empirical beliefs, expressive symbols, and values which define the situation in which actions in the educatio...