Exploring Mechanisms for Strengthening Critical Attitudes in High School Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the role of the hidden curriculum in the transmission of educational values in Tehran’s secondary schools. This qualitative study employed an interpretive phenomenological approach. The participants included 22 individuals (teachers, school counselors, principals, and students) from secondary schools in Tehran, selected via purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was conducted using Nvivo software. The analysis yielded three main themes: “school social interactions,” “formal and informal school structures,” and “internalized beliefs and attitudes.” These encompassed subthemes such as power relations, unspoken norms, structural discrimination, gender stereotypes, and traditional perceptions of success. Findings revealed that values such as obedience, passivity, competition, silence, and conformity are transmitted primarily through informal interactions and hidden structures within the school environment. The hidden curriculum plays a foundational role in shaping students’ attitudes, values, and educational identity. To achieve the true objectives of education, it is essential to critically examine hidden cultural dimensions and power structures within schools and to design pedagogical strategies that promote justice, critical thinking, respect, and responsibility in meaningful and sustainable ways.