Character Education is a combined lifelong informal and formal process about knowing, valuing, and doing the right, which culminates in moral character.

(A) ENVIRONMENT: Our environment contains all of life's experiences, which begins with our immediate families, family traditions, family values, religious training, and family history. Environment experience also comes from school, work, and play. We learn from what our peer group practices, values, and how they act. We are also highly affected by media presentation, i.e., television, sports, movies, and news print.

 

(B) MODELING: Significant people in our lives serve as role models. We learn by not only hearing what these important people say but also through their nonverbal instruction, their gestures, facial expressions and body language. These models can be parents, peers, teachers, coaches, co-workers, bosses, or even entertainers.

The FORMAL PROCESS of Character Education is a direct and purposeful intent to affect character development. Formal character education can occur in the home, the school, or the church. The formal process may be more advanced and more consistent for some and less for others; however, the most effective process to improve cognitive moral knowing is a specific process which causes a dissonance or questioning. Known as cognitive dissonance, this pedagogical practice inspires a higher level of moral reasoning which then can positively affect character development. Cognitive dissonance is the key to positive moral reasoning.

The reasoning process is a systematic process of evaluating personal values and developing a consistent and impartial set of moral principles to live by. The process has been scientifically shown to be highly beneficial to the development of character - but it is not the total requisite for character development. Research is conclusive that significant positive cognitive moral growth for all ages can occur through specifically designed programs or classes. The reasoning process is not ideology, or theology, or some mystical practice of making people become good. Rather, as reasoning individuals, each of us can, through self-examination, cognitive dissonance, and a specific methodology, grow cognitively about our moral decision making process. Moral reasoning does not promise behavioral change, but it does promise individual soul searching and reflection on personal beliefs, values, and principles. Without this process, dissonance is impossible and cognitive moral growth will not increase nor potentially behavioral change to occur.  At the Center for ETHICS* we are only involved in the cognitive moral growth of character education.  For a good discussion of this process, see:  Lickona, T. (1993).  Educating for Character. New York:  Bantam Books, pp. 40-60.

For more information or to order CEP, contact: Dr. Sharon Kay Stoll