This article identifies theoretical and practical resources for practitioners and researchers working toward cultivating character and moral judgment in youth. In doing this, the article draws on a 3-year study on character education in U.K. schools completed by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham and…

In this article, we introduce the four component model (FCM), which describes both the internal processes that play distinct roles in the production of moral behavior and their associated sets of relevant, teachable skills. We use this model as an analytic framework to examine college students' moral character experiences reported in the Wabash…

This article examines a Confucian conception of competence and its corresponding response to the competencies agenda that underpins international large-scale assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). It is argued that standardised transnational assessments are undergirded by a technical rationality that…

Introduction: The presented paper deals with the issues of the work of class teachers and their further education in the field of personal and social training. The main goal of the research was to find out about changes in personal and social development after the realization of social-pedagogical training. Methods: On the level of personal…

Observes that the Kohlbergian model of morality does not give a good account of the ways in which people make moral decisions in their everyday lives. Argues that a functional model of moral judgment and moral behavior derived from evolutionary theory may supply a better account of real-life morality. (DSK)

The development of values clarification in education can open the door to growth and self-fulfillment for the individual. (JD)

The president of the American Association on Mental Retardation looks at recent trends in the field in the context of moral values. The paper notes positive trends toward more inclusionary programs and policies and emphasis on consumer empowerment and urges professionals to support and assist clients as they exercise their right to…

Assessed the relationship between a measure of consolidation and transition in moral-judgment development and utility of moral concepts in sociomoral decision making in multiple cross-sectional and longitudinal samples. Found that participants' reliance on a Kohlbergian moral framework was highest during periods of consolidation and lowest during…

A program at Brandeis University uses literature to help professionals confront career dilemmas and work-related moral issues. Program participants say literature provides a "non-threatening" way to discuss difficult subjects. Doctors, legislators, corporate executives, public-school teachers, etc. have participated. (MLW)

In order to better understand contributing factors of moral judgment development, gifted youth and college students were compared. Moral judgment development, ACT scores, attributional complexity, and descriptors of personality were assessed among 140 college students and 97 gifted youth. Important distinctions favoring the gifted sample were seen…

Teaching moral behavior in schools is particularly difficult today because there is a diversity of standards reflecting the diverse elements of the culture. Even if consensus on morality could be assumed, however, past experience suggests that students would reject much of it, and neither arguing with them nor joining their rebellion is…

No Child Left Behind legislation makes it clear that outside evaluators determine what gets taught in the classroom. It is important to ensure they measure what truly counts in school. This fact is poignantly and sadly true for the under funded, poorly resourced, "low performing" schools that may be hammered by administration accountants…

Recently developed multidimensional-scaling methodology was used to explore the underlying structure of moral reasoning responses to 12 moral dilemmas by 111 graduate students in law and social work and to relate that structure to individual differences. Results indicate that moral reasoning must be viewed from multidimensional and interactional…