Values can be defined as the main source of influence on personal behaviour shared by the members of a certain culture and manifested through norms and symbols.  The values are the core and fundamentals of behaviour.

As behaviour is visible, the values aren’t. Values are internal or subconscious. Already in 1976, Edward T. Hall developed the iceberg analogy. He reasoned that the visible aspects (behaviour) are the part of the iceberg  above the water, but there is a larger portion hidden beneath the surface.

These ‘under-water-parts’ are based on values, norms and beliefs.

When a  school wants to change students’ behaviour, the school has to address the ‘under-water-parts’ and address the values.

In Scandinavian society and school, this reflection is almost automatically made. School ethos is defined starting from values, that are visualized by didactical and pedagogical methods. The school environment can be seen as a living testimony of the realisation of the schools’ values.

In this course we offer the possibility to explore how Swedish schools start with core values, to shape their didactical/pedagogical approaches.  This has proven to be a powerful mean in the interaction and inclusion processes that take place in a multicultural city as Malmö.

During school, the participants can experience from first hand how this process was carried out and we provide possibility for interaction and exchange of ideas.