Moral and Character Education
William G. Huitt, Ph.D.
Valdosta State
University
Last revised: August 2000
Moral and Character Education
Three major issues in the education of
young people today
Vision
Identification of what is
possible for both self and
society; includes the
discovery and/or defining
of one's life mission and
desired lifestyle
Moral and Character Education
Three major issues in the education of
young people today
Competence
Development of the
knowledge, values,
attitudes, and skills
necessary for success in a
given society or culture
Moral and Character Education
Three major issues in the education of
young people today
Character
The moral quality and
direction of one’s
decisions and behavior
Definitions of Character
The following two definitions provide
examples of a normative view of character:
“engaging in morally relevant conduct
or words, or refraining from certain
conduct or words”
Wynne, E., & Walberg, H. (Eds.). (1984). Developing character:
Transmitting knowledge. Posen, IL: ARL.
Definitions of Character
The following two definitions provide
examples of a normative view of character:
“a complex set of relatively persistent
qualities of the individual person, and
generally has a positive connotation when
used in discussions of moral education”
Pritchard, I. (1988). Character education: Research prospects
and problems. American Journal of Education, 96(4), 469-495.
Importance of Character
Scholarly debate on moral development and
character formation extends to ancient times
• Aristotle's Nichomacean Ethics
• Socrates' Meno
Importance of Character
Major thinkers in Western Civilization have been
concerned with moral and character development
• John Locke, 17th century English philosopher
• John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer, 19th
century English philosophers
• John Dewey, 20th century American
philosopher and educator
Importance of Character
Both educators and American public believe
character education should be an important part
of schooling
• Educators -- competence in basic
skills, feelings of self-worth, and moral
development should be priorities in
schools (Spears, 1973)
Spears, H. (1973, September). Kappans ponder the goals of education. Phi Delta
Kappan, 29-32.
Importance of Character
Both educators and American public believe
character education should be an important part
of schooling
• Public -- competence in basic skills and
instruction in schools that would deal with
morals and moral behavior (Gallup, 1980)
Gallup, G. (1980, September). The twelfth annual Gallup Poll of public attitudes
toward public schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 62, 39.
Character versus Competence
Modern educators have placed more emphasis on
competence than character
However, competence and character are not
mutually exclusive (Wynne & Walberg, 1985)
Wynne, E., & Walberg, H. (1985). The complementary goals of character
development and academic excellence. Educational Leadership, 43(4), 15-18.
Character versus Competence
Modern educators have placed more emphasis on
competence than character
Stallings (1978) found a positive impact of
attempts to improve student achievement on
independence, task persistence, cooperation, and
question-asking
Stallings, J. (1978). What teachers do does make a difference. In A. Newman (Ed.),
In defense of the American public school. Berkeley, CA: McCutchan
Character versus Competence
Modern educators have placed more emphasis on
competence than character
Etzioni (1984) and Ginsburg and Hanson (1986)
reported that students who were self-disciplined
or more religious, hard working, or valued
learning scored higher on achievement tests
 Etzioni, A. (1984). Self-discipline, schools, and the business community.
Washington, DC: National Chamber Foundation.
 Ginsburg, A., & Hanson, S. (1986). Gaining ground: Values and high school
success. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Education.
Character versus Competence
Modern educators have placed more emphasis on
competence than character
Kagan (1981) and Wynne and Walberg (1985)
argue that good character ought to be the more
primary focus as it is a goal in reach of more
children than is high academic achievement and
can result in less alienation from the school
 Kagan, J. (1981). The moral function of the school. Daedalus, 110(3), 151-165.
 Wynne, E., & Walberg, H. (1985). The complementary goals of character
development and academic excellence. Educational Leadership, 43(4), 15-18.
Character versus Competence
Emphasis on Character Education has begun to
change
National School Boards Association proposed a
project designed to enhance character development
• heighten national awareness
• encourage establishment and improvement of
character development programs in public schools
National School Boards Association (1987) Building character in the public
schools. Strategies for success. NSBA Leadership Reports, 1987-2. Alexandria,
VA: Author.
Character versus Competence
Emphasis on Character Education has begun to
change
Georgia Department of Education has
implemented program in values and character
education
Georgia Department of Education. (1997). Values and character education
implementation guide. Atlanta, GA: Office of policy and communications.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
Four major questions need to be addressed when
focusing on character development:
1. What is good character?
2. What causes or prevents good character?
3. How can good character be measured ?
4. How can good character best be developed?
Components of Character
Impacting Moral & Character Development
1. What is good character?
Personal
• honest and truthful
• autonomous
• responsible
• self-management and self-discipline
• courageous
• integrity
Impacting Moral & Character Development
1. What is good character?
Social
• sociable
• benevolent
• compassionate
• courteous
• trustworthy
Impacting Moral & Character Development
2. What causes or prevents good character?
1. heredity
2. early childhood experience
3. modeling by important adults & older youth
4. peer influence
5. general physical and social environment
6. communications media
7. content taught in the schools, churches, etc.
8. specific situations and roles
Campbell, V., & Bond, R. (1982). Evaluation of a character education curriculum.
In D. McClelland (ed.), Education for values. New York: Irvington Publishers.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
3. How can good character be measured ?
• Cognitive knowledge
• Age appropriate cognitive and moral
development
• Values expressed
• Commitments expressed
• Written plans
• Personal and social overt behavior
student discipline; student suicide rates;
crimes; pregnancy rates of teenage girls;
academic effort; prosocial activities
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Effective communication and shared values
among families, schools, religious
organizations, and communities
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
1. directed by adults who exercise their
authority toward faculty and students in a
firm, sensitive, and imaginative manner, and
who are committed to both academics and
pupil character development;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
2. staffed by dedicated faculty who make
vigorous demands on pupils and each other;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
3. structured so that pupils are surrounded by
a variety of opportunities for them to practice
helping (prosocial) conduct;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
4. managed to provide pupils--both
individually and collectively--with many
forms of recognition for good conduct;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
5. oriented toward maintaining systems of
symbols, slogans, ceremonies, and songs that
heighten pupils' collective identities;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
6. dedicated to maintaining pupil discipline,
via clear, widely disseminated discipline codes
that are vigorously enforced and backed up
with vital consequences;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
7. committed to academic instruction and
assigned pupils significant homework and
otherwise stressed appropriate academic
rigor;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
8. sensitive to the need to develop collective
pupil loyalties to particular classes, clubs,
athletic groups, and other subentities in the
school;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
9. sympathetic to the values of the external
adult society, and perceive it as largely
supportive and concerned with the problems
of the young;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
10. always able to use more money to improve
their programs, but rarely regard lack of
money as an excuse for serious program
deficiencies;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
11. open to enlisting the help, counsel, and
support of parents and other external adults,
but willing to propose important constructive
changes in the face of (sometimes) illinformed parent resistance;
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Impacting Moral & Character Development
4. How can good character best be developed?
Schools effectively impacting morals and
character are:
12. disposed to define "good character" in
relatively immediate and traditional terms.
Wynne, E. (1989). Transmitting traditional values in contemporary schools. In
L. Nucci, Moral development and character education: A dialogue (pp. 19-36).
Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Exemplary Programs
Child Development Project
1. supportive adult-child relationships
2. exposure to societal values
3. peer interaction and prosocial action
4. think about and discuss moral issues
5. experiences that promote understanding of
others
Solomon, D., Schaps, E. Watson, M, & Battistich, V. (1992). Creating caring
school and classroom communities for all student. In R. Villa, J. Thousand,
W. Stainback, & S. Stainback. From restructuring for caring and effective
education: An administrative guide to creating heterogeneous schools.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Exemplary Programs
Hyde school
1. Comprehensive curriculum for growth in four
areas: (a) intellectual, (b) physical, (c) spiritual,
and (d) emotional
2. Students expected to meet world class standards
3. Students have regular jobs and take
responsibility for growth of other students
4. Students commit to continuous improvement
towards excellence in all endeavors
Gauld, J. (1993). Character first: The Hyde school difference. San Francisco:
ICS Press.
Exemplary Programs
City Montessori School
1. Four building blocks or pillars: universal values,
excellence, global understanding, and service
2. Human being considered as endowed with
spiritual capacities
3. Striving for excellence, especially academic
excellence, is a focus
4. Council for Global Education is diffusing the
program world wide
Cottom, C. (1996). A bold experiment in teaching values. Educational
Leadership, 53(8), 54-58.
Conclusion
It is possible to develop a community consensus
around a relatively small number of moral and
character traits that can be the focus of a K-12
educational program.
These must be integrated into a curriculum that
enjoins young people to strive for excellence in the
attainment of vision, character, and competencies.
The End