Background: The long-held assumption of character development through outdoor adventure education (OAE) maintains some adherents; however, growing criticism calls into question its efficacy. Yet, current social/environmental crises signal the immediate importance of moral education. Purpose: This article highlights the importance of character in…

The following describes the philosophies of Confucius (Confucianism) and John Dewey (pragmatism/instrumentalism/experimentalism) and their views toward vocational, technical, general academic instruction, and the development of morals and values as espoused throughout Asia and America during a span of history from 551 BCE to 1949 CE. This is not…

This paper focuses on the process, approaches and teacher roles in values education and offers recommendations for teachers. It uses print materials and Internet sources on values education. These sources were analyzed and synthesized to reveal certain cases and/or opinions. In addition to contemporary sources, older reference materials were also…

While John Dewey's learning theory has been widely credited as the essential theoretical underpinnings of service learning, lesser attention has been paid to his concept of moral imagination regarding its immense potentials in nurturing college students' moral growth in service learning. This article explores Dewey's framework of moral imagination…

4-H Youth Development is an educational movement founded to create opportunities for youth to understand their dependence on nature's resources and to value the fullest development of hand, head, and heart. It originated in the 1900s as "four-square education": educational development, fellowship development, physical development, and moral…

Illustrates how principle and virtue ethics can be applied to decision-making processes in experience-based training and development programs. Principle ethics is guided by predetermined rules and assumes that issues being examined are somewhat similar in context, whereas virtue ethics assumes that "correct behavior" is determined from…

A "speak-out tour" of five New York City high schools allowed refugee and inner-city young people to share their experiences of war, violence, and mistreatment. Their stories taught their teacher and their audiences about empathy and moral knowledge. (KS)

Discusses the work and philosophy of Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. Examines her belief in students' need to exercise correct thinking through sensory experience. Describes Montessori's views on the development of children's moral values through interaction. Identifies the upbringer's role as the active supervisor of children's…

Discusses problem-based learning (PBL) and its effects on the development of sociomorality, based on a case study of first graders in a Korean elementary school. Discusses constructivism and the four principles of PBL environments, including experiential learning, collaborative learning, authentic learning, and the role of the teacher. (Contains…

GoodSport is an after-school program for grades 3-6 that uses traditional and nontraditional sports, adventure activities, reading, writing, and group discussion to promote character development in the areas of teamwork, perseverance, responsibility, respect, and fair play. Two sample activities involving group discussion and problem solving are…

Describes the conventional-behaviorist and the developmental-cognitive schools of thought concerning moral education. Suggests a third perspective using a perceptual-experiential model. Recommends the construction of moral reality through a curriculum of stage-appropriate sensory challenges. Argues that when moral concerns are experienced and…

Discusses developmental, values clarification, actionist, and rationalist strategies in moral education and the problems associated with each strategy. Explores the question of whether schools should offer moral instruction. Outlines criteria for selecting a moral education program and emphasizes that moral issues raised in the classroom are…

Outdoor adventure education is an experiential method of learning which takes place primarily through sensory involvement with the outdoors. Characteristics of adventure education include uncertain outcomes, risk, inescapable consequences, energetic action, and willingness to participate. Adventure education occurs in a diversity of venues,…

The Lisle Fellowship program in 14 countries focuses on human relations in an intercultural group and integrates interaction within the group to interaction within the host community, attempting to broaden personal perspectives about values and attitudes. A time is provided to risk new behaviors or test new responses. (MSE)

A number of issues concerning the evaluation of moral and civic education programs are discussed. Four program types are described: (1) rationalist, which involves a high cognitive knowledge of the law and legal processes; (2) actionist, in which students participate in out-of-class projects; (3) values clarification, in which students study,…