The overall aims of the study were first to understand how 16-19 year old students understood the concepts of virtues and values and what they perceived to be the main influences on the formation of their own characters and second to understand how schools can inhibit or facilitate the formation of virtues and values in this age group.
The research project comprised in depth case studies of three Sixth Form centres in one city in the south west of England between 2004 and 2006. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from students with teachers providing qualitative data as well as school documentation. The three Sixth Form centres selected for the study represented different forms of provision; the A Level centre of a General College of Further Education (FE College), a Church School Sixth Form and a Community School Sixth Form. The total number of students in the sampling frame was 551. This represented the whole population of year 12 students in the two schools and an opportunity sample of students in the College.
The research was undertaken in four phases with each phase building cumulatively on the previous one. First, preliminary theory building based on nine student focus groups provided data about how students understood values and virtues, followed by in-depth personal construct interviews with nine individuals, and semi structured interviews with ten teachers responsible for pastoral and academic development. Second, these data informed the construction of an 81-item questionnaire, which was subject to exploratory factor analysis to identify any key themes or patterns, which could be understood as dimensions of character. Third a cross sectional exploration of relationships was conducted relating the character dimensions to achievement and learning dispositions and finally nine students, who were identified as having ‘high levels’ of character, were interviewed for more detailed narrative explanation.
The findings emerging from the studies suggest a relational, dynamic, integral and critical vision for character education. It is relational because it is informed and shaped by the network of relationships, worldviews and traditions in which a student is located, with the most important being the most proximate and personal. It is dynamic, emerging over time and storied in the trajectory of a student’s life, including their hopes and aspirations for the future. It is integral because it is embodied in an ongoing process of reflection on their own values, feelings and actions and those of others. Fourthly, it is critical because there is a tension between ‘good’ relating to human well being and ‘bad’ relating to oppression and violence and it is not always straightforward to distinguish between these, and this is reflected in the ‘gaps’ between espoused and practiced values on a personal, societal and global level.
To summarise, this enquiry offers findings in three crucial areas of character formation:
- How young people today understand their moral identity
- How education contributes towards the formation of character
- What are the key influences on young people’s character formation
How young people today understand their moral identity
Students understand character as ‘who you are’ and have a set of core values that shape their moral identity, the most important of which are trust, fairness, caring and honesty.
Students have a sense of the spiritual and the religious, despite their general unengagement from organised religion.
Students expect to vote, but are unengaged from politics. They have a strong sense of social justice and a desire to act on behalf of the marginalized or oppressed, but many are not engaged with their local communities.
Students have a strong sense of learning and changing over time, ‘becoming a better person’ and taking responsibility for their growth as human beings.
Students have a strong sense of ‘experienced’ and ‘embodied’ values, however, they report a gap between having values and putting them into practice.
There is a marked lack of a formal language through which students can articulate the cognitive concepts of values and virtues.
How education contributes towards the formation of character
The quality of relationships between teachers and students is of central importance for character formation in schools. These relationships are characterised by trust and respect.
The most important pedagogical strategy for character formation in schools is teachers modelling values. Students see schools as places that help to shape their values, but not through assemblies, tutor time or in non-examinable subjects.
There is a positive relationship between character dimensions, achievement and learning dispositions.
What are the key influences on young people’s character formation
Mothers are the most influential people on students’ moral identity. Friends are the second most influential, above fathers at third who themselves are followed by siblings.
Local communities and religious traditions are not major influences on students’ values with contradictory evidence concerning the influence of the media.
This study was undertaken during 2005 and 2006 in three Sixth Form centres, in a city in the south west of England. The overall aim of the study, which developed cumulatively in four phases, was to explore the ways in which young people understand moral values and their character formation, and the ways in which schools can inhibit or facilitate character education. This chapter sets out the background and rationale for the study and a brief historical review of the literature relating to character education.
Downloads
- Character Education – Summary Report
- Character Education – Full Report
- Character Education – University and Character
- Character Education – It’s who you are
Inspire > Aspire Values Poster Programme
Primary Schools Resource
Church Schools Resource14-18yrs
Church Schools Resource9-13yrs
16+ Youth Programme
