A typology of educational democratic values: perspectives from teachers and students in Vietnamese secondary schools

Abstract

Educational democratic (ED) values and their manifestation in school are related to the school context and the socio-political-cultural setting. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine participants, including two principals, four teachers, and three students in two secondary schools in Da Nang city, Central Vietnam. The participants indicated sixteen ED values, either instrumental (e.g., friendliness, autonomy) or terminal (e.g., fairness, equality). These ED values can be recognized in both formal and informal school spaces. The findings shed light on the Vietnamese stakeholders’ views on ED values, their manifestation, and their contribution to the democratic school, which could be a premise for further exploring stakeholders’ democratic commitment in the Vietnamese educational context.