This study investigated how two aspects of the classroom environment (teachers' emphasis on mastery goals and descriptive norms (i.e., the average student disruptive, prosocial, and achievement-related behavior in a classroom), moderated the relationship between student behaviors and coolness. The sample included 976 students nested in 54 fifth-…

Introduction: This longitudinal study designed and tested the validity of a new measure of pro-social risk taking -- risks that individuals take in order to help others. Methods: The sample was racially and ethnically diverse adolescents in the rural Southeastern United States (N = 867; Mage = 12.82 years, 10-14 years at Wave 1; 50% Girls, 33%…

The present study examined how school-age children's communicative decisions are influenced by the situation, their social partner, and their own characteristics (gender, shyness levels, and history of peer relationships). Children (8-12 years old, N=246) imagined themselves in social scenarios (depicted through comics) and indicated the…

The current study aimed to investigate the cultural differences in the developmental origins of children's intent-based moral judgment and moral behavior in the context of indirect reciprocity. To this end, we compared how German and Chinese children interpret and react to antisocial and prosocial interactions between puppets. An actor puppet…

The objective of this study was to analyse the relations between the function of openness to the world, family functioning and child behaviour. In order to do that, a quantitative research was conducted with 171 biparental families from the South Region of Brazil, with children from four to six years of age. Two association hypotheses were…

The study aimed to provide insights into the moral integrity of children in one Jordanian school in Amman. In the absence of values, the situation in Jordanian schools continue to deteriorate ethically, there is an increase in cheating, bullying, and vandalism. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the effectiveness of a character education…

Using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (n = 1364), we examined how experiences in early childcare (ECE) and in families from 6 to 54 months predicted the development of first-grade prosocial behaviour (PSB), a core component of social and emotional success. SEM analyses revealed several key pathways: (1) both ECE process quality and…

Universities worldwide strive to nurture socially responsible graduates to create a better society. Since ethical behavior of role models can stimulate followers' professional standards and ethical values, it is crucial to focus on an appropriate path through which ethical values can be conveyed and learned by individuals. The current study seeks…

Character education specialists seem to know it when they see it, but what it means to call something a character education program remains unclear. One possible source for this uncertainty is the manner in which character education has been defined. By identifying certain features as necessary, existing definitions fail to encompass the universe…

Robert McGrath's article has the great virtue of asking an important question: "What is character education?" He argues that currently "what it means to call something a character education program remains unclear." Without a clear definition, McGrath says, one cannot differentiate character education from other programs…

In Executive Editor Frank Shushok's final interview, Freeman Hrabowski shares some of what he has learned in his long tenure as the President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He stresses the importance of attending to our values, and one that he considers especially significant is humility. Being humble has helped him rebound and learn…

Explicit and reflective teaching of communal goals forms connections between STEM content and practices, providing in- and out-of-class opportunities to reflect on how communal goals relate to class activities. This lesson integrates the concepts of "prosociality" (science helps others and gives back to the community) and…

The "Psychological Sense of School Membership" (PSSM) scale has been used for more than 20 years to measure students' sense of school belonging, yet its psychometric properties have had limited examination with pre-adolescent children. This study investigated the utility and psychometrics of the PSSM in three primary school samples from…

Students who have been found eligible for special education services based on an emotional disturbance can have difficulties fostering relationships with their peers and experiencing feelings of connectedness to their school. One way to increase feelings of school connectedness is through a social-emotional learning curriculum, such as Positive…

Research suggests that participation in long term adult education programs strengthens both ties among participants and the social capital of the broader community. This study investigates the presence and indicators of social capital relating to participation in the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning hosted by the Kansas City Jewish…