NCJ Number
199140
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2003 Pages: 5-16
Editor(s)
Daniel Offer
Date Published
February 2003
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article describes a study of high school students' beliefs and interests concerning what constitutes good character and discusses the implications of these findings.
Abstract
For this study, focus group discussions were held with 459 students from 20 high schools in Michigan. The topics of discussion were centered around the Values in Action Classification. It was found that the students were interested in the subject of good character though reported that they had virtually no contemporary role models exemplifying these qualities. Traits the students identified as a part of good character included leadership, practical intelligence, wisdom, social intelligence, love of learning, spirituality, and the capacity to love and be loved. The students believed that these traits were acquired through life experience rather than by formal teaching, though group discussion was found to foster peer influence and consensus around these issues. The implications for designing character education programs for adolescents are discussed and it is noted that evaluation is critical to keeping this process meaningful and relevant. In conclusion, it is suggested that adolescents can be an especially important force in influencing their peers in developing and acting upon good character traits, but conflicting moral messages provided by teachers can inhibit this development. A list of references is included.