I agree that axiology is a crucial element of education. I was inclined to argue that morals, values, character and ethics are more significantly needed in secondary schools. But, it occurred to me, if it isn’t taught in elementary school, many high school students will be beyond its reach by the time they encounter it. So, yes, it is an essential part of what teachers teach.

Having said that, for me epistemology is primary. With apologies to Yeats who said, “Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of the fire” (“Famous Quotes”, 1998-2010), I think filling the pail is bulk of what teachers do. To do that, to fill the children with knowledge, they need to know “the way learners come to know the ideas they learn” (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, page 208). Once they have a clear vision of that, teachers can work on “lighting the fire” of inspiration.

References

Famous quotes by William Butler Yeats . (1998-2010). Retrieved January 26, 2010, from http://www.famous-quotes.com/author.php?aid=7889
Kauchak, P. & Eggen, P. (2005). Introduction to teaching: Becoming a professional (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.