Barriers to Practicing Values: Challenges Encountered by Values Education Students in Applying Values Education to Their Everyday Lives

Abstract

The study focuses on the challenges faced by Values Education students in applying their learnings to daily life, emphasizing the importance of values education in character and moral development. The key questions explore the barriers in integrating values education into daily life, factors affecting the application of values education concepts, and coping mechanisms used by students. A phenomenological research design was employed, focusing on semi-structured interviews with tertiary-level students majoring in Values Education at Leyte Normal University. A convenience sampling was used with a sample size of 10 students. Finding shows that students face challenges such as socio-economic pressures, peer influence, and personal biases that hinder the application of values education in their everyday lives. Key challenges identified include internal conflicts, societal norms, peer expectations, and practical constraints that hinder the consistent application of values. Specific values such as courage, commitment, respect, empathy, patience, resilience, optimism, and determination were found to be particularly difficult to integrate into daily routines. The study suggests the need for supportive educational environments, experiential learning opportunities, to better equip students to overcome barriers and effectively apply the values learned in school in various life contexts.