Wolfgang Althof

Moral education and character education: their relationship and roles in citizenship education

Any democratic society must concern itself with the socialization of its citizens. This begins in childhood, and schools are critical to this process. The interrelations and roles of educating for character (character education, moral education) and educating for citizenship (citizenship education, civic education) are explored, largely in a North American context. It is argued that citizenship education necessarily entails character and moral formation, but this integration is hindered by negative stereotyping between the two fields. In addition, negative stereotyping between the fields of moral education and character education further complicates attempts at synthesis. Through explorations of each of these domains and their similarities and differences, it is concluded that the role of schools in fostering the development of moral citizens in democratic societies necessitates focus on moral development, broader moral and related character development, teaching of civics and development of citizenship skills and dispositions. Moreover, these outcomes overlap and cut across the fields of moral, character and citizenship education.

Trust in Advance: on the professional morality of teachers

Abstract This article introduces an understanding of professional morality that evolves around the notions of discourse and discursive conflict solutions. After a sketch of the basic ideas, a typology of decision‐making strategies is described and particular elements of discursive procedures in conflict solving are highlighted. In the second part of the paper, major goals and results of a series of empirical studies are delineated. The question whether the fundamental ethical orientations of teachers can be influenced and changed was addressed in an intervention study of which the design and selected results are reported.

The Just Community approach to moral education: system change or individual change?

This article focuses on the development of, and new theorising about, a strong democracy education intervention, the Just Community approach. Three questions frame the discussion: (1) Does democracy education change children and adolescents or do students in these programs change their schools, or is there a dynamic interaction over time? (2) How can democracy be ‘learned’? How can the concept of democracy be most thoroughly learned and how can democratic problem‐solving skills best be acquired? (3) How can we optimise the chances that the knowledge and skills learned will motivate future active citizenship? The article begins with a brief history of the Just Community approach, a description of the original developmental model created by Lawrence Kohlberg and collaborators and some variation in more recent European Just Community programs. In a discussion of controversial and difficult issues democracy education may face, the second question takes centre stage and several structural aspects are offered that should be included in such efforts to maximise their effectiveness. In the remainder of the article new perspectives coming from Europe are introduced. Some additional pathways to the Just Community approach and their justifications, which have not played a significant role in the theory and practice of the ‘traditional’ model but can add to its strengths, are identified. Finally, the idea of ‘trusting in advance’ is introduced as critical for well‐functioning educational democracies.

Just Community Sources and Transformations

The circle of people is getting smaller who were involved in or at least familiar with the Just Community Approach to Moral Education and Democratic Schooling, initiated by Lawrence Kohlberg and implemented in a limited number of high schools in the United States in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Character and Civic Education as a Source of Moral Motivation

Character education, civic education, or any education aimed at the development of moral or pro-social characteristics, must consider the nature of a moral agent; i.e., what psychologically comprises an individual who is both motivated and capable of acting in morally justifiable ways.