Due to the eroding family composition of American families today and other important variables contributing to children's lack of social skills and inappropriate behaviors, the implementation of a Character Education curriculum is a greater need in schools today. This need is much more pressing than during the middle of the last century. Some…

Presents the National Council for the Social Studies' position paper on character education. Calls for a renewed effort by social studies educators, schools, and communities to teach character and civic virtue. Argues that students must be offered a combination of instruction and guidance on civic virtue to counter increasing indifference. (MJP)

The author proposes that schools should do more to develop a sense of personal autonomy in their pupils. They should do more to identify and develop the full potential and varied abilities of pupils and should pay more attention to cooperative rather than competitive values. (CT)

Qualities of human character developed through outdoor education programs include self-image, self-esteem, and personal enhancement. The primary goal of adventure education programs is to develop communication and human relations skills through the experiences of stress, group living, a new environment, and independence. (JN)

Identifies strategies early childhood educators can use to create an environment that encourages character development in young children. Provides reflective checklists for specific areas of character development and character education addressed: (1) content; (2) communication; (3) clarification; (4) community; (5) critical thinking; (6) context;…

Discusses research results indicating that teachers, students, parents, and employers in the United Kingdom agree that the primary goal of education is to develop student character and self-motivation. The author contends that secondary schools neglect this function because they have no objective way to measure their effectiveness. (AM)

Most criticisms of American schools are too broad and are off-base. The first criterion in evaluating education should be its contribution to character formation. Students cannot cope with authority figures, rules, and routines; a school structure that teaches them to regulate themselves is needed. (PP)

Discusses three different approaches to child rearing: autocratic, anarchic, and democratic. Maintains that the use of each approach results in the development of a particular kind of character and behavior in the child. Also discusses John Dewey's efforts to define democratic character and his experiments with teacher attempts to develop this…

Highlighting the importance of teaching practice grounded in a consciously held, critically examined philosophical framework, this book examines the contribution of John Dewey's philosophy to the early childhood teacher's theoretical base for practical direction and decision making. A detailed account of how Dewey's educational philosophy may be…

A humanistic education curriculum program is described. The major objective of the project is to enhance the self-concept of each student. The interdisciplinary humanistic curriculum contains six components. The first component describes Unified Studies departmental ideas, beliefs, and goals which will further humanistic objectives, including…