Fostering values through literature : a study of the set Roald Dahl readers in Year 7

Abstract

This dissertation is concerned with the importance of teaching literature and its potential to foster sound values in students of English. The study evaluates how effective select Roald Dahl readers, which can be chosen by Maltese government schools for Year 7 English Literature, are in this regard. In doing so, the study also determines which values and outcomes presented in ‘The Learning Outcomes Framework’ documents, like ‘The Learning Outcomes Framework: Reaching Destinations Final Seminar’ and ‘The Learning Outcomes Framework: Reaching Destinations Seminar for Heads of School’ (2015) can be reached through these readers. Moreover, it evaluates how the readers’ particular literary features can facilitate the transmission of values. The study adopts a qualitative approach to data collection, through a detailed evaluation of a select part of the curriculum and semi-structured interviews conducted with an Educational Officer and two Heads of Department for English. A thorough analysis of this data led to the identification of five themes that clearly indicate that literature can in fact be effective in fostering values; a number of values are present in the Dahl readers, and the author’s literary features help bring them out effectively. This result demonstrates that literature can be used to nurture the values and reach related outcomes presented in important documents and policies published by the Ministry for Education and Employment, and continues to confirm the importance of including literature in the curriculum. Finally, the study consolidates that teachers of English have the capability of assisting not only students’ language development, but also their holistic development.