Examines the planning, implementation, and mission of the Clearinghouse for Character Education at California State University, Fresno. Materials collected at the Clearinghouse include samples of model programs, research, contacts for program development, and instructional resources for teachers, schools, and districts interested in character…

Reports on the background and philosophical base of the Community of Caring program. Originally started as a teen pregnancy prevention effort, the program has grown to include teacher training, values discussion, student forums, parent involvement, and community service learning. The program is sponsored through the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation.…

Formulates a pedagogical position that articulates religious experience as complementary to formal-rational thought. Recent postmodernist criticism has located secular thinking as a coequal position to subjective religious experience on the now-leveled philosophical playing field. Explores what this newfound (academic) respectability means for…

Traces the origins of Protestant and Jewish religious educators' ideas about the role of religious education in building a multicultural democracy. Maintains that Protestant and Jewish educators were brought together by common interests in transforming religious education, along progressive lines, into character education. (MJP)

Provides a brief history of character education and categorizes current efforts. Recommends combining civic participation programs with character education in an attempt to provide consistency, depth, and support. Notes that civic participation programs teach a recognized set of values, use interactive teaching strategies, and promote critical…

Presents a strategically designed plan of moral education that was incorporated into a physical education curriculum. The plan enhanced the social skill development of elementary school students identified as at risk for dysfunctional behavior. The program helped improve communication skills and increase cooperation and sharing among students. (SM)

Discusses a euthanasia incident in which a doctor claimed, in a letter to the "Journal of the American Medical Association," to have given a fatal dose of morphine to a dying cancer patient. Debates the ethical issues involved in the journal's decision to print the letter, withholding the author's name. (DB)

Maintains that experiential methods that rely on students' own life experiences and involve self-disclosure are becoming increasingly common in sociology courses that deal with difficult subjects. Discusses benefits and risks involved in using such methods in a student-instructor dialog. (CFR)

Critiques 20 years of moral education research, briefly commenting on major developments and theories. Discusses the link between cognitive distortion and antisocial behavior in adolescents. Includes a list of theoretical suggestions for future research. (MJP)

Questions whether the transmission of norms and values is an appropriate function of liberal education as envisioned in a liberal constitutional state (The Netherlands). Draws a distinction between the inculcation of intellectual virtues and indoctrination. Presents a cogent analysis of the concepts and objectives of liberal education for…

Attempts to determine differentiation in the moral reasoning of Flemish high school students taking a nondenominational ethics course compared to those receiving Catholic instruction. A total of 631 students completed the Defining Issues Test, a multiple choice examination. Discovered very little difference between the two groups and discusses…

Recommends using literature, Supreme Court cases, and moral dilemmas in a debate format as means of instruction for character education. Includes a rationale and examples for each approach. Explains several guiding values (respect for persons, justice, telling the truth) and their relevance to character education. (MJP)

Funded by the Generalist Physician Initiative, the Medical College of Georgia has implemented a longitudinal experience in clinical ethics spanning the four-year undergraduate curriculum. Curriculum structure and content are outlined, and course themes and student activities during the four years are described. Early evaluation findings and plans…

This essay focuses on teachers as peacemakers. Peace education is discussed as multifaceted and cross-disciplinary, emphasizing the teaching of peace, nonviolence, conflict resolution, social justice, economic well-being, political participation, and environmental concern. The report asserts that any curriculum for young children should stress a…

Even elementary school children can build positive character traits like caring, citizenship, cooperation, courage, fairness, honesty, respect, and responsibility. The true stories, inspiring quotations, thought-provoking dilemmas, and activities in this book help kids grow into capable, moral teens and adults. This guide includes: (1)…