Cecilia Damonte, Elke Whittle & Denise Bendixen
Character Education
• No one universal definition of Character
Education
• Many interpretations and applications by a
wide range of institutions and
organizations
•
•
Character education is teaching children about basic human values, including
honesty, kindness, generosity, courage, freedom, equality, and respect. The
goal is to raise children to become morally responsible, self-disciplined
citizens. (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
A deliberate effort to develop good character based on core virtues that are
good for the individual and good for society.(Thomas Lickona)
• Constantly changing
History
Pre-1950: McGuffey’s Readers, based on Christian principles from the
Bible, were used widely in schools to instill among children "natural
virtues" – such as honesty, hard work, thrift, kindness, patriotism, and
courage.
1950/60s: A major shift in American society:
• Logical positivism
• Moral relativism
• Individualism
• Pluralism
History (continued)
60s & 70s:
• Values clarification
• Moral reasoning (moral dilemma discussions, Heinz dilemma)
• Decision-making process focused on discussing values in a
theoretical sense only
1975:
Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987),
“Theory of Moral Development”
Mid-80s:
Shift in American society:
• Perceived degradation of morality in society
• Recovery of common moral ground
History (continued)
Mid-90s:
New organizations and research centers were formed to advocate for
character education
2002:
President George Bush signed into law the “No Child Left Behind Act,”
which made character education a stated priority for
public schools.
After 2002:
More schools are implementing character education programs.
The underlying theory
Theory of Moral Development
Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987)
Level I: Preconventional Morality
Stage 1.
Obedience and punishment orientation
Rules are perceived as absolute
Doing the right thing is obeying authority and avoiding punishment
Stage 2.
Individualism and exchange
Rules are obeyed for personal gain
Everything is relative according how they serve the individual needs and interests
Level II: Conventional Morality
Stage 3.
Good interpersonal relationships
Emphasis on being a good person - shift in interpersonal feelings
Importance to live up to the expectations of family and close community
Stage 4.
Maintaining the Social Order
Broadly concern of the society as a whole
Important to maintain the social order, respecting authority and performing one’s duties.
Level III: Postconventional Morality
Stage 5.
Social contract and individual rights
A shift to search for values and rights that should be present in a good society
Besides differences in culture and beliefs all rational people should agree on (1) certain basic rights and (2)
democratic procedures to change unfair laws and for improving society.
Stage 6.
Universal principles
Universal justice where all members of the society are treated in equal impartial manner, respecting their basic
dignity.
Implicit and explicit recognition that a democratic process will not necessarily guarantee a just society.
A commitment to justice makes the concept of civil disobedience viable
Stages of Moral Reasoning: Preschool to
adulthood. Dr. Thomas Lickona
(Ages indicate reasonable developmental expectations for a child of normal intelligence growing up in a supportive moral environment)
STAGE 0: EGOCENTRIC REASONING
(preschool years - around age 4)
STAGE 1: UNQUESTIONED
OBEDIENCE
(around kindergarten age)
What's Right:
I should get my own way.
Reason to be good:
To get rewards and avoid punishments.
What's Right:
Reason to be good:
STAGE 2: WHAT'S-IN-IT-FOR ME FAIRNESS
What's Right:
(early elementary grades)
Reason to be good:
STAGE 3: INTERPERSONAL CONFORMITY
(middle-to-upper elementary grades and
early-to-mid teens)
STAGE 4: RESPONSIBILITY TO "THE
SYSTEM"
(high-school years or late teens)
STAGE 5: PRINCIPLED CONSCIENCE
(young adulthood)
What's Right:
Reason to be good:
What's Right:
Reason to be good:
What's Right:
Reason to be good:
I should do what I'm told.
To stay out of trouble.
I should look out for myself but be fair to those who are fair to me.
Self-interest: What's in it for me?
I should be a nice person and live up to the expectations of people I know
and care about.
So others will think well of me (social approval) and I can think well of
myself (self-esteem)
I should fulfill my responsibilities to the social or value system I feel part of.
To keep the system from falling apart and to maintain self-respect as
somebody who meets my obligations.
I should show the greatest possible respect for the rights and dignity of
every individual person and should support a system that protects human
rights.
The obligation of conscience to act in accordance with the principle of
respect for all human beings.
Stages 1 through 5 are adapted from L. Kohlber’s stages of moral reasoning as described in Kohlberg (1975, 1978, 1981); Stage 0 is adapted
from William Damon (1977) and Robert Selman (1980).
http://www.character-education.info/Articles/stages_of_moral_development.htm
Comprehensive Approach to
Character Education
1. Defines character comprehensively to include its cognitive, emotional, and
behavioral dimensions. Good character consists of moral habits of the
mind, habits of the heart, and habits of action.
2. Moral habits, or virtues, are acquired through practice. This process is
captured by James Stenson's statement, "Children develop character by
what they see, what they hear, and what they are repeatedly led to do."
3. It seeks to provide students with repeated, real-life experiences that
develop all three parts of character.
4. It provides these character-building experiences through all phases of
school life, including the formal as well as the informal ("hidden")
curriculum.
5. There is no such thing as value-free education. A school teaches values in
everything it does.
6. It is proactive—creating opportunities for teaching values and character—
as well as responsive to opportunities (teachable moral moments) that
spontaneously arise.
7. A school committed to a comprehensive approach to character:
 Publicly stands for core ethical values
 Defines these values in terms of observable behavior
 Models these values at every opportunity
 Celebrates their occurrence in and outside of school
 Studies them and teaches their application to everyday life, including all
parts of the school environment (e.g., classrooms, corridors, cafeteria,
playing field, school bus)
8. Holds all school members—adults and students alike—accountable to
standards of conduct consistent with the school's professed core values.
12-Point Comprehensive Approach to Character
Education
http://www2.cortland.edu/centers/character/12-pt-comprehensive-approach.dot
Target Groups
• Students
• Schools:
• Faculty
• Administrators
• All school employees
• Parents and Caregivers
• Communities as partners
Research
• Smart &Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for
Success in School, Work , and Beyond, 2005 (Lickona & Davidson, SUNY
Cortland, CEP)
• What Works In Character Education: A Research-Driven Guide for
Educators, 2005 (Berkowitz & Bier, University of Missouri-St. Louis)
• 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, revised 2010, (Lickona,
Schnapps & Lewis, CEP)
Research (cont.)
11 Principles of Effective Character Education, revised 2010, (Lickona,
Schnapps & Lewis, CEP)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
Promotes core values.
Defines “character” to include thinking, feeling, and doing.
Uses a comprehensive approach.
Creates a caring community.
Provides students with opportunities for moral action.
Offers a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum.
Fosters students’ self-motivation.
Engages staff as a learning community.
Fosters shared leadership.
Engages families and community members as partners.
Assesses the culture and climate of the school.
Research on Effectiveness
What Works In Character Education: A Research-Driven Guide for
Educators, 2005 (Berkowitz & Bier, University of Missouri-St. Louis)
•
109 research studies were evaluated and only 33 effective programs identified.
•
There is multitude of strategies programs employed; therefore, making it difficult to
pinpoint the exact reason for its effectiveness.
•
Not enough information:
Example: Many programs claim to integrate character education into the curriculum.
Few programs, however, document how they do it, which subjects are included, and
how extensively it is done.
Conclusion
Difficulties:
• Many different variables in character education.
• Comprehensive approach perceived as unrealistic.
• Constantly changing demands (technology, globalization, media exposure,
environment).
• Constantly changing environment (make up of society).
• Many programs are not effective.
• Establishing a common framework to prepare for quality level III research is
necessary.
Reality:
•
•
•
•
Evaluation guidelines and framework are being developed.
Established field with research departments at universities.
The Journal of Research in Character Education
Best practices newsletter excellence & ethics
Second Step
Skills for Social and Academic
Success
Second Step
• The SECOND STEP program supports
academics in two ways:
– Lessons align with academic content
standards and Head Start performance
standards, and include academic integration
activities.
– Social and emotional learning (SEL), the
basis of the skills taught in the program,
supports academics.
Lesson 4: Self-Talk for Learning
• Warm-Up - Brain Builder: My Turn, Your
Turn
• Review
• Introduction
• Story and Discussion
• Skill Practice
• Wrap-Up
• Song
Bullying in Friendships
Objectives
Student will be able to:
• Indentify and recognize bullying within social
friendship groups
• Understand what they can do about bullying
within relationships
• Understand how a bystander canbe part of the
problem or part of the solution
• Apply empathic concern and perspective
taking
Bullying:
Bullying is when one or more
people repeatedly harm, harass,
intimidate, or exclude others.
Bullying is unfair and one-side
Broken Friendship
www.NetSmartz.org
Discussion points
• What can you do when you are being
bullied by a friend or group of friends?
• Assertively telling a friend to stop is not
always easy. What are some feelings you
might have that would make it complicated
to tell a friend to stop?
Finding the courage
www.cfchildren.org/programs/ssp/ms/msvideo
Bystander:
A bystander is anyone who is
aware that bullying is
happening.
Group exchange
What do bystanders sometimes
do that makes them part of the
problem?
Why can it be hard to stand
up to bullying?
Be part of the solution:
 Don’t take part in bullying.
 Offer support.
Be an ally to someone being bullied.
 Take action against bullying.
You can make a difference!
 2008 Committee for Children
Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention
I want you to go home and
think of an example in your
life where you could have
been part of the solution.
Take a Stand
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWJut7KQhI4&featur
e=related