Moral and Character Development

Gordon Vessels and William Huitt

Last revised: March 2005

Interest in Moral Character

• 1600s to 1935—seen as central issues by parents, school, community

• 1935 to 1970—decline for a variety of complex reasons

• 1980s to present—renewed interest, often ranking ahead of academics

Moral Character Defined

• Evaluative orientation that distinguishes good and bad and prescribes good

• Sense of obligation toward standards of a social collective

• Sense of responsibility for acting out of concern for others

• Concern for the rights of others• Commitment to honesty in interpersonal

relationships• State of mind that causes negative emotional

reactions to immoral acts.

* Damon, W. (1988). Moral child: Nurturing children’s natural moral growth. New York: Free Press.

Components of Moral Character

• Moral behavior (prosocial, sharing, donating to charity, telling the truth)

• Moral values (believe in moral goods)• Moral emotion (guilt, empathy, compassion)• Moral reasoning (about right and wrong)• Moral identity (morality as an aspect self-image)• Moral personality (enduring tendency to act with

honesty, altruism, responsibility• “Metamoral” characteristics meaning they make

morality possible even though they are not inherently moral

Berkowitz, M. (2002). The science of character education. In W. Damon (Ed.), Bringing in a new era in character education (43-63). Stanford, CA: Hoover Institute Press.

Model of Moral Character

Theories of Moral Character Development

• External/Social (behaviorists and sociologists): view morality as a product of external imposition in the form of consequences and/or the intentional transmission of social rules and norms;

• Internal (nativists and sociobiologists): focus on genetic and maturational influences;

• Interactional– Instinctual--psychoanalytic, psychosocial, and socio-analytic

theories that view human nature as instinctual, undeveloped, and in need of control or socialization;

– Maturational--cognitive- and affective-developmental theories and social-learning theories that view human nature as good;

• Personality/Identity: includes theories that find virtue rooted in personality and personal identity.

Impacting Moral Character

• Attempt to impact both individual and context

• Individual– Knowledge and reasoning– Empathy and values– Intentions, commitments and choices– Behavior

Impacting Moral Character

• Attempt to impact both individual and context

• Context– Classroom, school, family, community– Caring, compassionate, empathetic

environment– Strong, intimate relationships with others

Impacting Moral Character

• Any effort works best when implemented at the school level

• General approaches– Character Quotes—thought of the day– Virtue, Value of the Week or Month– Lesson plans with embedded moral character

issues– Modify lesson format to emphasize selected

virtues, values, or attributes– Service learning

• Have parents and teachers (and possibly students) complete survey– http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/brilstar/

valuessurvey2.doc

• Select 3 to 5 on which to focus

Selecting Values, Virtues & Attributes

Thought For The Day

Read a quotation and reflect on it in terms of• What does it mean (what is the main concept

or principle)?• Why is this concept or principle important?• How would this concept or principle be

implemented (how would it impact behavior)?• How will you know if you have been

successful or unsuccessful in implementing the concept or principle?

Thought For The Day

Sources of quotations• http://www.quoteland.com/• http://www.cyber-nation.com/victory/quotations/• http://www.bartleby.com/100/• http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/brilstar/quotes.html

Thought For The Day• The respect for the rights of others is

peace.– Benito Juárez (President of Mexico)

• You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.– Abraham Lincoln (U. S. President)

• A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.– Nelson Mandela (South African Prime

Minister)

Embedding Character In Academic Lessons

• Georgia Learning Connections– http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/

• Becoming A Brilliant Star– http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/brilstar/

Character/chared_index.html

• Character Education (Jerrie Cheek, KSU)– http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/

chared.htm

Modify Lesson Plan Format

• Bernstein’s Artful Learning– http://www.characterthroughthearts.org/

• Active Learning Practices for Schools– http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/

• 4MAT– http://www.aboutlearning.com/

Service Learning

• Process whereby students learn and develop academic and social skills as well as moral character through active participation in organized service experiences that actually meet community needs*

• Learn and Serve provides resource to implement service learning projects– http://www.learnandserve.org/

* Champion, F. (1999). Service learning. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved May 2004, from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/files/Service_Learning.html

Service Learning

Essential phases 1. Preparation

• Assess community needs• Identify academic and character objectives

2. Action• Develop academic and character skills• Implement service learning program

3. Reflection• Done continuously throughout program both independently

(thinking, writing) and in groups (discussing, presenting)• Students must be involved in assessment and evaluation

4. Demonstration/recognition• Share learning with others• Receive recognition from other students, teachers, parents and

community

* Burns, L. (1998). Make sure it's service learning, not just community service. Education Digest, 64(2), 38-41.

Service Learning

Definition of Community• In early childhood and early elementary,

community may be classroom or family• In later elementary, community could

additionally be school or neighborhood• In middle and high school, can expand

notion of community to city, state, world

Increased Responsibility• Moves from adult to student as child

becomes a pre-youth and then a youth

Principles of Effective Character Education*

1. Promote core ethical values as the basis of good character.

2. Define character comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.

3. Use a comprehensive, intentional, proactive, and effective approach to character development.

4. Create a caring school community.5. Provide students opportunities for moral

action.

* Lickona, T., Schaps, E., & Lewis, C. (2000). Eleven principles of effective character education. Washington, DC: Character Education Partnership (CEP). Retrieved May 2004, from http://www.character.org/principles/index.cgi.

Principles of Effective Character Education*

6. Have meaningful and challenging academic curricula that respects learners, develops moral character, and helps them to succeed.

7. Develop students’ intrinsic motivation.8. Have educational professionals who exemplify

core values and maintain a moral community.9. Foster shared moral leadership for educators

and students.10. Engage parents and community members as

full partners. 11. Evaluate school character, student character,

and adults as character educators.

Questions

And

Discussion