Examination of high school students' perceptions of values education in terms of the hidden curriculum

The purpose of this study is to examine high school students' perceptions of values education in terms of the hidden curriculum. To this end, the study was conducted following a qualitative case study design. The study group consists of 82 students enrolled in a public secondary school located in the Çiçekdağı district of Kırşehir province. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form developed with expert consultation. The data were organized and analyzed according to the content analysis method. The analysis involved categorizing the data into thematic units, which were subsequently presented in tabular form to clearly illustrate the findings. The participants' opinions were presented in the findings section. The findings indicate that students predominantly perceive values education as the transmission of core values such as love, respect, tolerance and altruism. It was found that these values are mostly acquired through in-class activities such as speaking, listening, examining activities, educational videos. In extracurricular activities, students were found to acquire values mostly through tournaments, school trips, cultural events and ceremonies, cinema and film activities, theaters, iftar dinners, seminars, poetry readings, local goods events, school bulletin boards and competitions. High school students stated that school activities positively influence behaviors such as respect, sociability, self-expression and self-confidence, sense of responsibility and discipline, national identity development, developing a positive attitude and cooperation. Furthermore, while the classroom environment was found to enhance feelings of cooperation, solidarity, friendship, and responsibility, the broader school environment was more effective in fostering socialization and acquiring positive role models. The family environment, meanwhile, was identified as essential in teaching appropriate behaviors and forming the basis of social norms. In conclusion, it has been determined that both in-class and out-of-class activities embedded within the hidden curriculum hold an important role in the transmission and acquisition of values.