The Evolution of the Field of Formal Values Education in the Recent Century at the ‘Elmiyeh Seminary of Qom

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate Professor, Faculty Member of Education, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute, Qom, Iran

10.30471/edu.2026.11369.3103

Abstract

Extended Abstract
 
Introduction and Objectives: Values education, as one of the important and fundamental branches of the field of education, has gained a prominent position among other prevalent branches in universities and academic centers both inside and outside the country in recent decades, particularly in the West and more recently in Iran. This branch is generally considered a prerequisite for many subfields of educational sciences and, like other branches, requires a specialized approach. Understanding its importance necessitates extensive studies and research in this area, specially from a comparative perspective. Accordingly, three Qom Seminary students who studied at McGill University in Canada after completing their doctoral degrees in the field of philosophy of education with a focus on “Culture and Values in Education” returned to Iran between 1999-2001 and as faculty members in the Group of Education at the Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute worked to establish the branch of Values Education at the master’s level and develop the course syllabus for this branch, diligently pursuing this important matter. Subsequently, the Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute dedicated one of its master’s programs to the branch of “value-based education” to enhance the scientific capacity and cover various aspects of educational discussions. It aimed to provide a foundation for deepening and expanding Islamic values education by establishing 54 credit units comprising common and specialized courses, in addition to a 4 credit for thesis dissertation. It should be noted that this was the first time values education was being offered as a specialized branch by the Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute, becoming a pioneer among all academic and seminary centers in this regard.
The overall goal of this research is to express the importance of and familiarize audiences with the objectives and results of conducting value-based education courses based on the philosophy of values at the master’s and doctoral levels. It is evident that achieving this overarching goal relies on training individuals who are sufficiently familiar with the philosophy of values.
Depending on the foundations, principles, and approaches current in values education, this academic branch can introduce, explain, promote, and institutionalize many values. In the scope of value education, values themselves are the primary subject matter of teaching and training. Valuation based on the philosophy of Islamic values occupies a significant position in various moral, legal, social, political, and economic realms, particularly within the framework of human thought .Values, at a glance, are a function of beliefs and are not separate from the principles derived from foundational bases.
Research Methodology: For this study, an exploratory approach and a descriptive-reporting method have been employed. The findings indicate that values education in value-based spheres, by explaining the what, how, and why of values and relying on the philosophy of values, provides a platform for nurturing values up to the point of institutionalizing them in the minds and psyches of the actors in these spheres. This paper presents a descriptive report on the evolution of the field of education and values in the Qom Seminary to be analyzed by experts in micro and macro studies of values across different value-based dimensions, thereby expanding the scope of discussion and analysis within this newly established field of value education.
Research Findings: Although the discussion of values has a history parallel to discussions in ethics, law, politics, economics, and others, it has only recently gained attention in the context of the academic field of value education in scientific circles in the West, particularly in recent decades, influencing various educational activities around the world. While the shift away from religion in some scientific and cultural institutions in the West and the sudden focus on the topic of values and their role in various scientific and cultural domains may, in some instances, be considered a positive and significant development due to the inefficiencies and inadequacies of the prevailing religious teachings in Western societies, it appears at least partially to reflect Western neglect of the role and position of pure religion and true wisdom in human life, gradually sidelining or disregarding these two essential elements from religious-belief and cultural-social spheres in the West, resulting in adverse consequences for individuals and Western societies. Conversely, Islamic studies in the realm of values reveal that the Quran and the teachings of the infallible illuminate various aspects of recognizing values and adhering to them in both theory and practice, as well as the markers for distinguishing between values and anti-values, allowing individuals to easily and confidently grasp values according to their rational and innate inclinations while remaining faithful and committed to them conceptually and practically.
Discussion and Conclusion: Undoubtedly, the academic branch of values education holds a very high importance and standing compared to other branches of knowledge within the philosophy of education. Nevertheless, this study indicates that, as yet, this scientific orientation has not received the status it deserves in terms of curricula and educational-research programs within universities and seminary institutions. By establishing and strengthening value education, one can better achieve the objectives and strategies for identifying, promoting, and expanding moral, religious, cultural, economic, political, and aesthetic values in society. Thus, utilizing the orientation of values education, depending on the current foundations, principles, and approaches in values education, allows for the identification, explanation, cultural formation, globalization, and internalization of many values. Given the prominent role attributed to values education, it can be acknowledged that the philosophy of values serves as a precursor to other supplementary philosophies in ethics, culture, economics, politics, and so on. In other words, the foundations and principles of the philosophy of values will be regarded as presuppositions for other supplementary philosophies. Furthermore, the philosophy of values will give identity to other supplementary philosophies, and these philosophies will be colored by the philosophy of values, acquiring either a divine hue from Islamic values or a materialistic and secular tone from Western values.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Islamic Education
Volume 20, Issue 54
January 2026
Pages 73-103

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