Let the Children Lead: A Teacher Action Research Study on Student Agency and Values as Curriculum

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Abstract

This article presents a teacher action research study in a third-grade Jewish day school classroom, exploring how Mussar (Jewish ethical tradition), mindfulness, and multimodal expression foster student agency and transform classroom culture. Through student-led practices and structured reflection, values became lived experiences rather than abstract ideals. When ethical learning is treated with the same rigor as academics, children engage more deeply and take ownership of their moral development. By shifting the teacher’s role from director to facilitator, the classroom became a space for co-constructed ethical inquiry. This approach supports students in shaping a value system that influences how they reflect and grow over time.

Authors

• Margo Brooke Pellmar, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School

• Allison JoAnn Lester, Arizona State University