Introduces an interpretation of intrinsic moral value, drawing from Mahayana Buddhist teachings to forestall anticipated objections to that interpretation and indicating some implications of that interpretation for the practice of moral education. The paper draws from Alasdair MacIntyre's meta-ethics in its discussion of the debate on moral…

Examined 6-, 8-, and 10-year olds' conceptions of flags as social conventions and their understandings of the symbolic and psychological consequences associated with transgressions toward flags. Found that despite age-related increases in understanding of flags as meaningful collective symbols, children at all ages considered transgressions to be…

North American society insulates itself from suffering by encouraging rational detachment, but empathy is a basic human quality that enables a richer, fuller view of life. Living with empathy means drawing forward the living things we usually reduce to a backdrop, and listening to the experiences of other. The accompanying sadness brings balance…

Examines the constructs that define moral development and the effect that college has on both moral development and the subsequent development of such attitudes as tolerance. Presents implications for institutional practice, especially with regard to the influence of college environment and the role of higher education in developing students.…

Social and moral development, like intellectual development, is a process by which learners actively construct meaning. Conventional character education, based on behaviorism, conservatism, and religious dogma, assumes that values can be asserted into passive receptacles. To help children develop the capacity for moral deliberation when called…

Presents a proactive, nonjudgmental strategy for encouraging students to reflect on the development of moral character by developing physical education skills. The strategy involves a working conception of character as habit; good habits for moral behavior; understanding why doing good can seem so difficult; and developing personal character that…

In the ethical arena, our society offers the choice of an ethics of emotion versus an ethics of rules, inadequate choices when compared to ethics based in strong moral character. Moral education and character development are basic elements of adventure and experiential education, and practitioners achieve excellence in practice only when they…

Distinguishes between character/morals and ethics/professionalism. Describes techniques for teaching professional ethics to prospective teachers, including a systematic reflective case-debriefing method. (SK)

Nicholas Tate is chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England, set up by Parliament, in October 1997, to oversee the national curriculum. In this interview, Tate describes the British National Curriculum, national tests, and the promotion of moral education. The national papers publish massive supplements showing…

Stresses the importance of outdoor ethics education and describes educational strategies such as public awareness campaigns, codes of ethics, dilemma discussions, role plays and simulations, "trigger" films, guided ethics observations, recognizing and rewarding ethical behavior, using role models, guiding students in developing personal…

Traces the Montessori view of adolescent social development and provides illustrations in short-term rural life with 12- to 14-year olds. Provides clear signs pointing to Erdkinder based on the theory that adolescents are in the midst of a social transformation and they want to be treated with respect. (MOK)

Replicating a United Kingdom study, survey responses from 11 of 12 Canadian occupational therapy programs indicated that they teach ethics based on standards, rules, and regulations. Moral theory and reasoning are less evident. Today's diverse values and moral perspectives make such an approach inadequate in training therapists. (SK)

Makes a case for rereading the fact-value dichotomy that currently divides the contemporaneous literatures dealing with children's moral reasoning development and their evolving theories of mind. Presents findings from two research programs, in which children's beliefs about truth and rightness are combined, to illustrate the natural…

Discusses character education in public schools, focusing on Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland. States that MCPS has established a policy that requires all schools to implement a character education program, and reviews the implementation of this program--dubbed Building Esteem in Students Today--at one of MCPS's schools,…

Investigated 4-, 8-, and 11-year-olds' ability to categorize intentionally false and true statements as lies and truths. Found that older children were more likely to categorize false statements as lies and true statements as truths than were 4-year-olds. Antisocial lies were rated as most serious, and "white lies" as least serious.…