Graduates of Character is the product of an empirical enquiry into the values, virtues, dispositions and attitudes of a sample of students and employees who volunteered to be involved. The research team sought host sites which would offer a diverse set of interviewees in gender, ethnicity, religion and aspiration.
In this study we discuss what character is taken to mean by students and employees in their years of higher education and employment. We examine what their values are, what they gain from the university, what they believe employers look for when recruiting, what they hope to give to an employer, and what they expect from their employer. We then explore who or what influenced their values and moral development. We also examined the role of the personal tutor or mentor, and the persons or services to which they might go for personal and/or professional support.
Background
Values and Character: Higher Education and Graduate Employment is the product of an empirical enquiry into the values, virtues, dispositions and attitudes of a sample of students and employees who volunteered to be involved. They came from four major universities and four major national and international companies. It is one of five linked projects which between them cover all phases of education from early years through to Higher Education and into employment. The students and employees in this sample are considered successes in the English education system so that the report is consistent with and follows from the earlier Bristol Report which focused on ‘A’ level students. (Arthur, J., Crick, R.D., Samuel, E., Wilson, K., and McGettrick, B. (2006)). The voices of the interviewees are given particular prominence in the report because of their intrinsic significance. The complex results offer many insights and raise questions for further reflection.
Key Findings
It was generally agreed that good character implied good morals and right behaviour. The interviewees believed themselves to be concerned with their own good character and to regard it as an essential ingredient of all successful relationships. They had a genuine interest in the subject, entered easily into conversation and thought seriously when responding to the issues raised. Topics raised included: ‘What is Good Character?’, ‘Perspectives on Charcter’, ‘Influences on Value Formation’, ‘Reasons for Attending University’, ‘Motivations for Employment’, ‘Character and Employment’ and the ‘Importance of Voluntary Work’.
Research Strategy
As far as possible the research strategy was designed to explore the ways in which young people describe how they think, feel and behave. A large number of concepts arise in this project: values, morality, virtues, duties, and principles. However, there is no consensus either on the meaning of these words or on how these should be fitted into a single system of thought. Moreover, there is little agreement on how education does or should impact on these concepts.
Observations
The evidence collected in this report conveys a sense that the university students and graduate employees surveyed are genuinely interested in the development and formation of character and values, their justifications for attending university, their opinions on what their (potential) employers look for in graduates, and their engagement with the society in which they live. Those interviewed represent the successes in the English education system, and, so, the voices of the interviewees are given particular prominence in the report because of their intrinsic significance. The complex results offer many insights and raise a number of questions for further reflection.
Downloads
- Graduates of Character – Summary Report
- Graduates of Character – Full Report
Inspire > Aspire Values Poster Programme
Primary Schools Resource
Church Schools Resource14-18yrs
Church Schools Resource9-13yrs
16+ Youth Programme
