Questions of Character Survey Results
- 1. QUESTIONS OF CHARACTER 27th January 2015: Survey results
- 5. What were the concerns? • Victorian • Value laden • Preconceptions of Character Education • Time spent ‘away’ from curriculum study • There is a specific focus on Character Education built into Curriculum for Excellence • Character Education should be informed by underlying philosophy or values approach
- 10. Which values should we focus on? 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Moral Performance Civic Intellectual Series 1 Column1 Column2
- 11. Workings • Moral (46): Kindness x 2, empathy x 12, honesty x 6, courage/strength x 2, fairness, integrity x 8, personal responsibility x 6, compassion x 5, trust x 2, grace, morality • Performance (27): resilience x 6, confidence x 3, perseverance x 3, targets/goals x 2, resourcefulness, self-reliance, solution-focussed, ambition, motivation, commitment x 2, enthusiasm, initiative, fulfil potential, communication x 2, flexibility • Civic (49): Mutually supportive x 2, cooperation, committed to greater good, respect x 8, tolerance x 2, freedom to express opinions, acceptance x 2/treatment/celebration of others, diversity x 3, equality, harmony, agreement, dialogue, opportunities to do good, reciprocity, shared/mutual responsibility x 2, caring x 2, inclusive, supportive, positive interdependence, selflessness, person- centered, giving x 2, ownership, service, outgoing, family x 2, shared values, participation, wider world, community, fairness (others) • Intellectual (21): Reflection x 6, love of learning, intellectual rigour, curiosity x 2, scepticism, open-mindedness, debate, constructive criticism, learning/thinking dispositions, understanding x 2, forthcoming, ethical judgement, fairness (self)
- 12. Character Education as pedagogy Boyd’s report A Common Weal Education (2014) asks us to examine “…the role of schooling in creating a civilised society. It looks at the aims of education and emphasises the importance of ‘the New Basics’ like the ability to think – critically and creatively - empathy, working with others, problem-solving and resilience in a modern economy and society.” Kelly (2004) argues that a ‘process curriculum’ starts from “…a concern with the nature of the child and with his or her development as a human being” and should be “an overtly value-laden and ideological model”.
- 13. Questions & Issues raised from pre-event survey Terminology • What is a ‘positive moral ethos’? Community approach • Links with other influences in young people’s lives • Teachers being asked to do work previously done by families, communities, churches etc • Schools should support this work and expect wider communities to do the same • Responsibility lies with many people • Diversity of belief • Schools adding value to communities – young people having pride in school because of this – data linking this with improved behaviours • Shared understanding of how we live and work together Professionalism • CE and values provide a key lever for school improvement • Tension between engaging in areas of ‘right and wrong’ and teachers putting across own moral position
- 14. Questions & Issues Character Education principles • What is the ultimate good? • ‘Good character’ – who decides? • Focus on the moral is simplistic • Character Education is about the capacity to make choices of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ • How do we account for cultural bias? • What is Character Education? Is it a subject or an approach to curriculum? • What to do in terms of assessment and measurement? • How prescriptive should it be? How much emphasis? • Partnership working e.g. CLD – schools shaping communities – we are missing this opportunity • Values-based or principle centred? • Recognition of Wider Achievement • Keep integrity of RME intact • Danger of assuming moral superiority • Values approach shouldn’t be separated from morality • Character Education as development, not a new ‘initiative’ • Approaches to character & ethics without didactic/proselytising approach • In what ways can CE be an academic enabler AS WELL AS building character? Is that a false distinction? • Character of organisation vs character of individuals • Nature vs nurture • CE as another blot on or passing fad with short shelf life • What are schools currently doing? Existing models from other countries? • CE given a ‘Scottish’ slant? • “There are so many approaches to achieve the same ends- is it useful to have another one and if so what is it's particular contribution?” • Inspiration AND aspiration • Get values ‘off the wall’
- 15. Challenges in schools where character & values could play a role Pupils & teachers • Lack of confidence: perseverance, confidence, courage • Senior School students do not feel their views are taken into account, they don’t feel valued • Pupils under huge pressure of exams, tend to be critical about everything • Learned helplessness, working with others, lack of ambition & intrinsic motivation, pupils ‘trained out of creativity’ • Number and scale of competing challenges facing teachers • Acting with integrity, ‘doing the right thing’ rather than ‘doing things right’ • Self-regulation in education and work settings • Respect, integrity, giving people a chance, putting personal opinions to one side, gratitude, equality • Low aspirations, limiting beliefs • Enthusiasm, moral background, integrity • Development mindset, seeing mistakes as learning opportunity, conflict resolution • Encouraging commitment & consistency with young volunteers • Exploring own values vs agreeing school values? Shared values/conduct between staff and pupils? Pupil ownership? • YP desperate to do good? Unconditional positive regard?
- 16. Challenges Health & Wellbeing • Developing wellbeing curriculum – resilience model – can this be linked with CE? • Behaviour: ‘foul’ language, litter, bullying, lack of empathy for diversity • Stress Culture • We live in a compliance culture, more concern about what we are seen to do than what we actually do • Achievement: Extrinsic motivation ‘winning’ over intrinsic • Growth mindset vs fixed ‘cultural’ mindset • Financial constraints • Opportunities for challenge • Ethics to negotiate the moral/social questions of modern world • Moving from vision to measurable steps towards it • Engagement of those who feel let down by the system • Home environment not encouraging good character vs doing good as part of school curriculum • Getting parents on board • Competing priorities, CE seen as another pressure, convincing headteachers • Role of parents/families?