1. Character Education: The virtue at the centre of adolescent's life.
Professor James Arthur
Director : Jubilee Centre

2. OUR GOAL
To promote through rigorous research the importance of teaching character in schools and society

3. Our Key Message
Good character matters to individuals and society. The qualities which make up character can be learnt and taught – and we need a new emphasis on their importance in schools and professional education

4. Substantive and transformative change
Making a difference
Substantive and transformative change
Research
Policy
Practice

5. Centre Reports:

6. What is Character Education?
Character is a set of personal traits or dispositions that evoke specific emotions, inform motivation and guide conduct.
Character education is an umbrella term for all explicit and implicit educational activities that helps young people develop positive personal traits called virtues.

7. Domains of Virtue
Moral
Intellectual
Civic
Performance

8. THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF CHARACTER

13. The Key Virtue
Moderating Virtue: Good Sense (Practical Wisdom)

18. A Virtue Ethics Approach to Character
What kind of person do I want to become, when confronting situations that call for an ethical response? How do I balance out the competing demands of the moral life? How do I flourish as a person? Aristotle, Anscombe, MacIntyre, Hursthouse, Nussbaum

19. Good character has multiple benefits for individuals and society
Defining Arguments
Good character has multiple benefits for individuals and society
Character can be taught and learnt and reinforced – it should be put at the heart of education

20. Good Character has Multiple Benefits
The virtues which make up character enable us to enjoy rewarding and productive lives The more people with good character the healthier our society People live and learn better with character Integrity, as well as knowledge, are vital to our professions Virtues are Universal – they are found in all great faiths but not restricted to religions.

21. Common Myths about Character Education:
Indoctrination?
Mindless conditioning?
Conservative?
Paternalistic?
Necessarily religious?
About promoting the ideals of a particular moral system?
Either character or attainment, but not both?

22. Virtue Literacy
Virtue Knowledge Virtue Reasoning Virtue Practice

23. What is Virtue Knowledge About?
It is about acquiring and understanding the sometimes technical language and concepts associated with virtue. But knowing about virtue is not sufficient for being virtuous – in other words, it may not necessarily change our behaviour for the better.

24. What is Virtue Reasoning About?
It is about making reasoned judgements about when and how to act well. This includes the ability to explain different moral situations, such as moral dilemmas. This emphasis on acquiring judgement is reflective, and allows for each individual to make their own decisions about how best to give expression to the virtues in situations that are pertinent to them.

25. What is Virtue Practice About?
Both the previous components; virtue knowledge and virtue reasoning are linked to the promotion of virtue practice. Virtue practice enables us to give expression to virtue in desirable, recognisable and observable attitudes, behaviours and action.

26. University of Birmingham School

27. Virtuous Digital Lifestyles
Polemic… are young people?
Truthful
Compassionate
Selfless
Altruistic
Courageous
Modest
Dishonest
Callous
Selfish
Egotistical
Cowardly
Vain

28. An old theory for a new age problem
Virtue Ethics Doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right amount (when nobody is watching)

29. Cyber-dilemmas Cyber-bullying Plagiarism Piracy Extremism
Digital legacy

30. Perfumes
Overdose
Envy
Covet
Guilty
Poison
Bondage
Savage
Opium

32. Children’s Literature
Kesebir, P. & Kesebir, S. (2012) The cultural salience of moral character and virtue declined in twentieth century America, Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(6), pp. 471–480.

33. Anthropocentric – natural virtues
The Horizontal
Anthropocentric – natural virtues
Humility
Service
Honesty

34. The Vertical Theocentric Faith Supernatural Virtues Hope Infused Grace
Love

35. Theocentric
Faith
Hope
Love
Anthropocentric
Humility
Service
Honesty

36. The Vertical and Horizontal
The practice of the specifically Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love has a powerful impact on leadership. They elevate, reinforce, and transfigure the natural virtues of humility and service which are the essence of leadership, and the natural virtues of prudence, courage, self-control, and justice, which constitute its foundations.