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Patriotism is controversial in moral education across contexts. In China, patriotism is highly politicised by the government and heavily promoted in education. In the last few decades, the moralisation of patriotism, which refers here to the framing of patriotism as a virtue, has become the focus of teaching patriotism in China. This paper demonstrates how patriotism is moralised and promoted in Chinese moral education textbooks. The paper begins by providing a theoretical introduction to patriotism in moral education and defending a rational approach to teaching patriotism given its controversial nature. Then it elaborates on the Chinese context of teaching patriotism and analyses patriotism as part of moral education in Chinese textbooks. Our findings indicate various ways in which patriotism is promoted in Chinese education as a non-controversial virtue and moral duty. Finally, the paper discusses the limitations of this way of teaching patriotism and argues for the adoption of the rational approach as an alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to explore arguments about the moral (in)appropriateness of counter-contempt as a justified moral and pedagogical response to racist contempt. Drawing on debates for and against contempt in moral philosophy, the paper suggests a contextual approach to contempt that pays attention to both the specifics of the concrete situation that agents are in when they are experiencing racist contempt and the context of the agents themselves, understood as the conceptual and affective tools that are available to them in order to discern and challenge the meaning of racist contempt. The paper discusses the moral and pedagogical dilemmas entailed in efforts to cultivate in the classroom (and beyond) the right kind of contempt—both as a pedagogical stance and as a political message—which does not backfire but instead inspires a productive engagement with racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Anthropocene epoch, human activity is ubiquitous on Earth. However, this does not imply that nature is entirely under human control. The growing number of natural disasters that afflict human beings demonstrates the limitations of human abilities. Unfortunately, many of these catastrophes are caused by humans themselves. The adversity caused by human activity indicates that the current approach to education, which prioritises humanity above all other living beings and exerts control over nature through technology, is problematic. This calls for a reconsideration and re-examination of the underlying anthropocentrism. It is important to avoid prioritising humanity exclusively and instead to consider the impact of our actions on the planet and all its inhabitants. To deconstruct the anthropocentric ethos implied in current education, this paper draws inspiration from Michael Bonnett, Michel Serres, Martin Heidegger, and Daoism to draw on intercultural wisdom in addressing the global ecological problem—the Anthropocene predicament—and the related need to ecologise moral education. It argues that reconceiving the human subject as non-self holds the key to thwarting the anthropocentric crisis. The new conceptualisation of the human subject paves the way for ecologising moral education in the Anthropocene. This paper proposes that ecologising moral education can attune individuals to the ecological world by integrating Heideggerian meditative thinking as Gelassenheit and Daoist Wú-practice. This can lead to the construction of a new partnership between humans and nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to extend research on children's Theory of Mind (ToM) within moral development, researchers have proposed a novel area of research, Morally Relevant ToM. It has been argued to better account for the moral and social considerations that children are required to make when using their ToM abilities in real life situations. To further the research in this area, the Social Domain Theory can be used to provide a theoretical framework and new insight into children's developing Morally Relevant ToM. The current paper reviews the existing literature on Morally Relevant ToM, and applies the Social Domain Theory to this literature in order to conceptualize current findings. Finally, the current paper presents how the Social Domain Theory can be used to extend the current research through future studies. Considering this new and innovative research within a Social Domain framework will expand upon our understanding of Theory of Mind development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adequate response to the environmental and sustainability issues we now face cannot be limited to single perspectives, disciplines, or ways of knowing, and instead requires an interdisciplinary approach. Despite the connections between the fields of citizenship-, character- and sustainability education, they have thus far run parallel to each other, without any substantial convergence. This paper focuses on the conceptual and historical reasons for this lack of integration, exploring the tensions among them perceived by many scholars and practitioners, such as an individual vs. a social vs. a global focus, a deliberative vs. fact based pedagogic approach, and an individual vs. socio-political educational context. The paper ends by exploring different ways in which these three fields of education might be integrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how children (aged 7–11) in the UK are educated about sustainability and climate change, through exploring a sample of 155 learning resources from public, private and third sector organisations. Using qualitative content analysis, key codes captured a) how sustainability was represented; b) how responsibilities for sustainability are imagined and allocated within society; and c) how children are encouraged to act for sustainability. The paper shows how sustainability resources represent children as powerful agents of social change charged with the responsibility and means to change their (and their close relatives') behaviour within the household and school. Drawing on critical debates about sustainability education, I argue these representations are problematic because they do not equip children with an understanding of the political and moral economies that shape their actions (or inactions) as citizens, nor provide them with opportunities to develop collaborative competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents two leadership training programs focused on redesigning schools to promote student character development and advocates for their suitability to promote character education in diverse cultural contexts. This is especially relevant for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers who are searching for replicable interventions to promote character development in schools, particularly in those countries where the character education movement has not arrived yet. It begins with the theoretical framework that lays the groundwork for these kinds of leadership programs. Second, it describes the PRIMED Institute in Character Education (PICE) and the virtual/video-based Leadership Academy in Character Education (vLACE) programs. Finally, it presents seven arguments in favor of these programs responding to the needs of schools in many different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construct of moral injury is usually utilized to understand cases in which individuals perform or witness actions they consider morally wrong. In this paper, we suggest the construct of moral trap, which entails circumstances in which teachers face pressure to act but are unable to simultaneously meet the demands of care, justice, and truthfulness because of systemic conditions. Using grounded theory, we present the analysis of ten semi-structured interviews with teachers from four U.S. states. We found three different types of entrapment: teachers attempting to enact and/or advocate for social justice, attempting to care for their families, and attempting to care for their professional identities. Implications for teacher education include a need to prepare teachers for navigating multiple moral demands and for coordinating with other teachers to advocate for social change. Implications for policy include a need to provide greater wrap-around supports for educational equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between the concepts of humility and competition in Confucianism and Daoism, and discusses their relevance to contemporary education. It argues that while both philosophical traditions value humility and caution against excessive competition, they do not outrightly reject competition; instead, they advocate for a harmonious balance between humility and competition through yielding (rang) and showing reverence (gong) or acting through non-action (wei-wu-wei) to resolve conflicts and promote healthy competition. The insights gleaned from this exploration carry significant implications for the moral development and mental well-being of students, particularly in the context of high-stakes testing cultures in China and other countries. They also offer valuable support in nurturing students' qualities such as openness to learning, humble leadership, and appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism essential for success in a diverse and interconnected world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philosophers and moral educators have examined the potential for narrative media (e.g., novels or films) to influence the development of practical wisdom (the forms of perception and reasoning necessary for virtuous living). Interest in studying this relationship using social scientific methodology is growing. One social science discipline with relevant insights that have not yet been explored is media psychology, a subdiscipline in communication that empirically studies the effects of narrative media. Drawing on media psychology research, this paper proposes a model of one process by which narratives can help us develop practical wisdom. Developing certain functions of practical wisdom involves increasing our sensitivity to types of morally relevant features (MRFs) that we normally miss (i.e., increasing the accessibility of those features). The proposed model explains how, under the right conditions, narratives can influence the accessibility of a given type of MRF. Implications for operationalizing narrative effects on practical wisdom are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper expands the political liberal case for ‘education for justice’ to include climate justice education. It begins with the case for empowering and motivating learners to promote institutions for basic global and institutional justice. Beyond this, three challenges emerge. Firstly, the political liberal model is premised on free and equal citizens cooperating for mutual advantage. In fact, the flourishing of some has long been enabled by systematic disadvantaging of others, along race, gender, class and other lines. Thus, climate education must include critical, historically informed climate justice. Secondly, philosophers increasingly include duties to non-humans within climate justice. This poses a dilemma: must any ‘reasonable’ citizen accept this expanded view? Two ways forward are outlined, though the practical difference between them may be comparatively small. Finally, climate justice education, as outlined here, necessitates motivating learners to challenge political institutions. This makes it implausible that the current school system will provide it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen increased interest in school-based whole-child development in the Austrian education system. Engaging with this context, the paper provides insights from a quantitative phase of analysis within a broader mixed-methods project that sought to ascertain teachers’ beliefs around character education in schools. An emphatic majority of respondents (94.6%) working in lower secondary schools believe that character education is more important for 10- to 14-year-olds in schools than good exam results. This confidence of educators in character education notwithstanding, the current education system in Austria presents numerous obstacles to the realization of holistic approaches to education which incorporate character development. In the Austrian context, a paradigm shift in education commencing in 2008 entailed a greater emphasis on evidence-based monitoring of learning outcomes, which many of our surveyed teachers see as detrimental to a holistic form of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For researchers interested in how pedagogy within schools can be used as a catalyst for adolescent moral development, investigating practitioner-based studies of classroom practices that support the growth of prosocial behaviors is crucial. This paper delineates a qualitative study conducted in an ethnically diverse high school language arts classroom where texts were being utilized to promote moral development across multiple domains. Authors describe how the critical reading and discussion of the comic Yummy led students to express emotional responses to the text centered in feelings of empathy, gratitude, and community awareness. Findings suggest that these specific emotional reactions demonstrate potential for critical, social consciousness and the development of empathic and prosocial behaviors. Fundamentally, this paper seeks to enrich scholarship in the field of adolescent moral development by arguing that pedagogy within schools can be utilized to promote emotions and cognitions that lead to community action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes the case for including critical harmony as a complement to justice within civic education. The concept of harmony is significant for civic education because it acknowledges the crucial role that relationships play in society—an important moral, ethical, and social ideal in many cultures around the world. Harmony must also incorporate a critical dimension, however, by embracing conflict and tension, valuing difference and diversity, and striving for balance among divergent voices. By using examples of public issues such as housing and gender identity to illustrate the relational dimension of public policy, this paper argues that the concept of critical harmony can contribute to a more comprehensive foundation for students' deliberation of civic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing divisiveness and prejudicial conflict in Western societies has accelerated interest in convincing moral knowledge. Although social science is a natural place to seek answers, these sciences are hindered by academic siloing. Moral education has also been distant from most research on morality, limiting both groups' contributions. The new Network for Research on Morality (NRM) addresses these needs by cultivating a cohesive, cumulative body of interdisciplinary research and pursuing a natural partnership with the Association for Moral Education (AME). This special issue explores three emergent NRM themes and begins bridge-building with the AME. The themes are exploring: 1) how morality research can support and inform moral education, 2) how best to promote interdisciplinary research on morality, and 3) the extent to which recognizing researchers' moral commitments requires a revision of research on morality. These papers simply begin the lively discussions for which these topics so strongly call rather than reporting consensual answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that a proper response to the onset of potentially catastrophic human-induced climate change requires an understanding that is both broader and deeper than that which frequently informs current policies and that focusses on technological solutions and some behaviour modification. Such a technologically orientated response is seen as standing in danger of reinforcing what are argued to be the key underlying causes of anthropogenic climate change: immoderate anthropocentrism and conceiving nature essentially as purely a resource. A view of nature that seeks to characterize and respect nature’s intrinsic moral standing that is based on recognizing its inherent integrity, normativity and intrinsic value is developed. The genuinely receptive-responsive relationship with nature that emerges is argued to lie at the heart of the kind of environmental consciousness that can properly address climate change issues and that therefore constitutes a central concern of climate change education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities occupy a contested space regarding their responses to the climate and nature emergencies. They are criticised for their neoliberalism, marketisation and corporatism yet they provide education to the leaders of tomorrow who are essential for the transition to a sustainable world. In this paper, residential education is explored through a three-phase Rites of Passage framework based on teaching to transgress. Dependable and trustworthy literature sources were identified to develop strands of a pedagogical framework. Autoethnographic vignettes added further novel strands based on insights into residential education from the authors’ lived experiences. Thus a residential education pedagogical web emerges to reimagine learning, teaching and research in higher education that deals directly with the climate and nature emergencies. We argue that more residential education centres should be developed to operate as semi-autonomous satellites of their parent universities because they can be more participatory, flexible and dynamic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociological Institutionalists of education suggest that the first quarter of the 21st century has seen a paradigm shift in moral education worldwide toward depicting global citizenship as rooted in social diversity and common humanity, going beyond the locally focused interests of nation-states. Within the context of the ongoing nation building process in the self-governing territory of Taiwan in the past two decades, this study offers a telling example of the dynamics between the cosmopolitan turn in curriculum reforms and the parallel socio-political realities. Drawing on a large group of university students (N = 1,020) from Taiwan, this paper offers an empirical perspective regarding how multiculturalism promotes civic and political participation as a process of global citizenship making. The indirect effects through the mediating variables of political self-efficacy and trust in the democratic system have also shed some light on how the process works on certain individual and social conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensions between character education and citizenship education have existed for a long time. Some argue that character education is harmful to citizenship education; others claim that they are mutually beneficial and that we can and need to organise them synergistically. In this paper, I argue, through an exploration of civic virtue and ethical virtue in Aristotle’s theory, that citizenship education and character education are compatible and mutually supportive within Aristotelian educational frameworks, and that both are beneficial for students’ moral development and overall flourishing. First, the debate between character education and citizenship education is explored. This is followed by identifying the roles of citizenship education and character education in Aristotelian theory. Next, I examine more specifically the role of ethical virtue and civic virtue in Aristotle’s original works, and I argue that they are compatible (and sometimes overlap) to form an ideal educational outcome. In conclusion, synthesising citizenship education and character education based on Aristotle’s theory can effectively guide students toward flourishing lives, both as individuals and members of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There could hardly have been a more influential twentieth-century philosophical essay than Elizabeth Anscombe's 'Modern moral philosophy', in which she condemned the prevailing and competing ethics of duty and utility of her day and urged moral philosophers to abandon the search for any general conception of 'morality' in favour of return to Aristotle's more particular focus on virtue and virtues as powers or qualities of good human character. While moral philosophers have not been slow to rally to this banner—with timely and useful attention to a wide range of character virtues—it was inevitable that moral educationalists would also soon turn towards understanding virtuous character to be a prime if not main concern of moral education. However, without denying that recent moral philosophical attention to virtue and virtues has been worthwhile, it is crucial to appreciate that in and of themselves such qualities mostly fall short of moral status and value and that some independent criterion of the moral cannot, as Anscombe recommended, be renounced. In this spirit, the present paper also attempts to comprehend such moral and educational significance by reference to interlinked concepts of love, knowledge and justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I explore the characteristic reason that motivates a virtuously honest person to perform honest actions. I critically examine previous accounts of honesty's characteristic motivating reason, including Christian Miller's pluralistic account, which allows various virtuous motivating reasons to count as honesty's motivation. I then introduce the respect for the right not to be deceived as the moral ground that characteristically motivates a virtuously honest person's honest action. After addressing possible objections, I conclude by discussing its educational implications on cultivating the virtue of honesty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes inspiration from Books III and IV of the Nicomachean Ethics, which discuss the ways in which the student of virtue can go wrong with respect to different vices. It uses this discussion to draw some conclusions about Aristotelian habituation. I will argue that habituation is an appropriate learning strategy for many kinds of students of virtue, not just children; that habituation is multi-faceted and involves habits of emotions, habits of reason and habits of action; and that habituation is messy because it reflects a messy subject matter. I will conclude with some thoughts on how educators can best respond to this messiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article suggests three orientations within sociology toward issues of morality and character development. The first stems from Durkheim, one where sociological tools diagnose the operation of any society and its constituent parts, including typifications of the individual. This tradition holds that sociologists can help diagnose society-specific problems and failings and participate in addressing them. The second is Weberian, the notion that sociologists need to be value-neutral in their science. This approach is more agnostic in terms of prescribing fixes to social structures and attempts a more dispassionate analysis of social systems. The third traces to some origins of the field highlighting moral injustices in contemporary society, holding that there is, in fact, a ‘right’ way to understand human character and potential. Some adherents of this echo ancient gnostic proclamations of holding true insight into the nature of natural and social life, while other, more DuBois-ian strands represent fundamental challenges to existing power structures. Ultimately, the paper concludes that sociological insight is vital for fully contextualizing the forces shaping the teaching, enactment, and consequences of moral character, but the author is less clear about which Ideal Type best captures the discipline’s potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost 80 years, post-war Japanese moral education has adopted a dual-process structure, which states morality is taught through two processes: one through all aspects of school education and the other through a special moral education class. The necessity and effectiveness of this structure were theorised by Eijiro Inatomi. However, it has been almost neglected that his theory is largely based on Aristotle’s theory of virtue. This paper examines Inatomi’s Aristotle-inspired theory and its significance. After reviewing the social and historical background of his theory, I argue that Inatomi successfully adopted Aristotle’s theory of virtue in three respects: human definition, intellectual virtue, and ethical virtue. Finally, I suggest that post-war Japanese moral education can be understood as a nationwide social implementation experiment on the efficacy of Aristotelian virtue ethics and that Inatomi’s notion of cosmos can serve as a conceptual device to enhance the social feasibility of Aristotle’s virtue ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational institutions exist in reciprocal relations with broader social and moral ecologies. These ecologies involve interactions of networks of individuals and groups with wider aspects of culture, and are therefore broadly social, and they contain explicit or implicit content with regard to right and wrong, and are therefore moral. There is growing recognition that educational institutions could do more to promote full flourishing for students, teachers, staff, society, and planet, but there has been relatively little attention to the role played by such social and moral ecologies in fostering this desired change. This paper argues that ecosystem stewards can inspire and lead educational institutions in this direction by loving more fully into being a cultural climate that promotes morally good forms of ecosystem-wide flourishing. This includes an exploration of a systems perspective in order to encourage a more intentional and skillful integration of healthy social and moral influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions about the social and moral importance of empathy have garnered much debate in recent years. On the one hand, critics of empathy have pointed out its susceptibility to morally troubling biases and group preferences. On the other hand, proponents of empathy maintain that empathy is a motivated response that can be trained and developed to avoid these so-called empathic failures. Yet, both sides focus on the individual psychological factors that contribute to empathy's success or failure in a range of cases, thereby overlooking the importance of social contexts and institutions in facilitating or inhibiting empathy. The aim of this paper is thus to offer an account of the role that institutionally structured social contexts can and should play in promoting empathy across group divides and helping to overcome empathy's morally troubling tendency to fail in cases where outgroup members are concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing a research gap on the relationship between mindfulness and morality, this paper draws insights from Confucius' notion of jing. I explain how jing essentially refers to maintaining a full, respectful and humanity-centred attention towards others. To illustrate the application of Confucius' conception of mindfulness, I use the current coronavirus pandemic as an example. On the one hand, mindfulness is useful as a coping mechanism to reduce stress for individuals during the crisis. But an amoral and atomistic approach to mindfulness is inadequate in addressing social problems such as selfishness that stems from panic buying and community infection caused by inconsiderate behaviours. In this regard, Confucius' concept of respectful attention has the potential to motivate everyone to go beyond self-interest to demonstrate deference, empathy and love towards others. A Confucian orientation of mindfulness extends the existing literature on the ethical foundations and dimensions of mindfulness for educational institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way we measure values is foundational to their study. This paper explores the empirical findings and theoretical discussions in the literature concerning an essential quality for any measure of values, its validity. We discuss an important debate on validity within the literature concerning the ability of value measures to predict value-related behaviour. We interrogate a key assumption behind the value-behaviour link, namely that a participant's responses on a valid value measure will predict their behaviour. Ultimately, we make the case that a better understanding of the relationship between values and behaviour may be possible if we also consider social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust literature indicates that when people feel that they are expressing and aware of their true selves, they show enhanced psychological health and well-being. This feeling, commonly referred to as authenticity, is therefore a consequential experience. In this paper, we review a program of research focused on the relevance of authenticity for civic engagement. We describe how a virtuous orientation to civic engagement might make civic actions feel more authentic and how the experience of authenticity might help sustain civic behavior. We then discuss the role that education might play in fostering a deeper connection between civic engagement and the subjective experience of authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the civic significance and cultivation of three constructs that involve different ways of having an expansive and virtuous concern for others. Identification with all humanity involves caring for an expansive domain of others, identifying with humanity generally and not just with one's ingroup. Others-centeredness involves caring about others to an expansive extent, putting others' interests ahead of one's own. Last, the virtues of intellectual dependability involve caring for an expansive range of others' goods, including their intellectual goods. Our aims are to explain the nature of these traits in further detail, to present evidence of their relationship to certain kinds of civic engagement, and to identify strategies for cultivating them and educating for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues for a unique role of imagination and mental images in the moral education of students. Imagination is rendered here as a capacity oriented toward realizable and salient goals; mental images are understood as particular future-oriented self-representations (FOSRs) devised by and held in imagination. FOSRs have four moral attributes: they are 1) expressive of us as moral agents, 2) shape our moral identity, 3) serve as moral pointers, and 4) help devise mitigating strategies. FOSRs can be created and utilized in educational settings to further the goals of moral education by i) fostering sensitivity to moral situations among students, ii) motivating learners to act morally, iii) facilitating environments supportive of moral practice and moral habituation, and iv) helping strengthen cross-situational consistency of moral action. The four moral attributes of future-oriented self-representations (FOSRs) (1–4) that are to be engaged in moral education to further its goals (i–iv) are correlated with four elements of moral education, namely: a) moral awareness; b) moral competency; c) moral motivation; and d) moral capacity. To argue for the special role of imagination and mental images in moral education this paper integrates philosophical research and conceptual and empirical studies in psychology and education on the morality of imagination and mental images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to offer a new perspective on role modelling by examining adolescents' own efforts to lead a morally virtuous life. While traditional approaches to moral education emphasize the importance of teachers as role models, this study proposes a shift in focus towards adolescents' own role models. Drawing on the philosophical concept of moral self-cultivation and psychological insights on identity development and social cognitive learning, it is argued that adolescents have the ability to cultivate their moral character by emulating others. However, empirical evidence suggests that adolescents often do not perceive teachers as their role models. Consequently, moral educational theories are advised to demand less of teachers as role models. Teachers could invest more time in understanding students' personal role models and encourage them to compare these role models with their own behavior. By acknowledging and addressing students' role models, teachers can facilitate the moral self-cultivation of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper scrutinizes the nature and scope of deleterious consequences arising from the pursuit of unattainable pedagogical exemplars on social media. We cash out this phenomenon using exemplarist theory to emphasize the fact that social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) are platforms in which the vast majority of users present idealized and curated versions of themselves. We focus specifically on educational practitioners and show that attempting to emulate unattainable pedagogical exemplars has negative impacts on agents' emotional well-being: It can cause burnout and self-conflict, decrease motivation, and also inflict detrimental outcomes on agents' self-esteem. We conclude that attainable, relevant, relatable, and authentic exemplars are key to a successful exemplarist approach and that safeguarding against unattainable pedagogical exemplars is of paramount importance for the wellbeing of pedagogues, and by extension, the success of educational systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linda Zagzebski's exemplarist moral theory has gained traction in recent years as a valid approach to moral education. Insufficient attention has so far been paid to questions about who we should count among exemplary people to be emulated. In this paper, we make the case for considering the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as one moral exemplar for the contemporary world. Since Thunberg is a controversial figure, we not only argue in positive terms why Thunberg would make a good exemplar, but also respond to a number of objections that could be made to her exemplarity based on popular discussions. Our argument is however not limited to showing why Thunberg should be considered a moral exemplar. Through our discussion, we also exemplify the kind of critical discussions that in our view should be part of how exemplarism is utilized as a theory of moral education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A foundational principle of neo-Aristotelian character education is that virtue can be cultivated, in particular through the emulation of moral role models, such as teachers. Yet despite the pedagogical appeal of role modelling, what emulation involves remains methodologically unclear. In this paper, I suggest that part of this ambiguity lies in a category mistake: the misconceptualisation of emulation as a mere emotion, rather than, as I argue, a virtue in its own right. Predominantly composed of virtuous emotion and necessarily entailing virtuous action, I propose a componential account of the virtue of emulation which I synthesise with Aristotle's theory of "four causes". Through doing so, I make visible how emulation operates in different ways depending on one's degree of phronetic development and suggest a new concept—entangled phronesis—as the mechanism underpinning emulation. I then consider what these insights illuminate about role modelling in classroom contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizenship and Citizenship Education are at the centre of curriculum reform in Kenya. Weak implementation processes have previously watered down similar novel curricular reforms due to a need for an elaborate curriculum implementation model. This article reviews existing Citizenship Education models to develop an effective curriculum implementation model. As a result, the paper formulates the ‘Transmission, Transactional and Reflection’ Citizenship Education curriculum instructional model. Unlike existing models that view the three phases as distinctive independent categories, the current model conceptualises it as a continuous process. The model further specifies the resultant transformation and change to include Disciplined, Participatory and Critical Citizenship. The model is similar to the vision of the basic education curriculum framework, which aims to enable every Kenyan to become an Empowered, Engaged and Ethical citizen. If adopted, this model will improve the implementation of Citizenship Education, instilling requisite citizenship values for effective citizenry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper articulates how the teaching of movement, physical activity and sport, through formal education and schooling, and the medium of physical education, affords opportunities for twenty-first-century character education. We begin by outlining our theoretical framework for character education and identify how character-traits developed through teaching morally and morality, can be pigeonholed into one of four categories, including performance, moral, civic and intellectual virtues. We then scaffold five models-based approaches to teaching physical education through memetic, progressive and transformative pedagogy based on their scope for educating the moral person. In doing so, we illuminate how model-based theories play a pivotal role when educating for character and illustrate the importance of physical education as a developmental platform for character, practical wisdom and human flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers two studies that address negative affective states and moral reasoning while taking the Defining Issues Tests (DIT, DIT2). Both studies confirmed earlier findings that the DIT dilemma, 'Heinz and the Drug,' and the DIT2 dilemma, 'Famine,' are related to increased anger and sadness and decreased moral reasoning. Similar findings were observed in the context of a video consideration of a real-life dilemma paralleling these two dilemmas (Study 1). Comparable findings pertaining to Famine were also observed among three samples of different moral judgment developmental levels, further implicating the role of dilemma content where the trends observed are concerned (Study 2). Overall, both studies illustrated similar patterns of affective states and moral reasoning across all considered DIT/DIT2 dilemmas thereby offering further evidence of the joint involvement of rational deliberation and affective states in the consideration of DIT/DIT2 dilemmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss the results of focus-group interviews with teachers and pupils in Iceland who participated in an intervention in visual arts classes aimed at cultivating virtue literacy, critical thinking, and moral deliberation through pupils’ creativity and discussions regarding moral topics. Pupils and teachers generally welcomed the ethical approach of the project, but thematic analysis revealed challenges to implementing moral education in a traditional school setting. The results suggest that although the value of the arts for moral reflection and deliberation is widely recognised, interventions for moral education need to consider the existing national educational framework, general educational aims, local school culture and the diverse characteristics of pupils and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several research studies acknowledge the pedagogical and ethical potential of cinema, as well as its utility for moral education. With this in mind and utilizing a mixed-method approach, this paper presents the qualitative changes in cognitive complexity and moral reasoning observed in a group of Amazonian indigenous adults after their participation in an intercultural moral education program using film discussions. Participants were nine Shipibo-Konibo, Awajún and Asháninka peoples, with formal education, and familiar with cinema, from the Amazonian region of Ucayali, Peru. To assess cognitive complexity, the McDaniel and Lawrence scale was employed, while moral reasoning was evaluated using the Heinz dilemma. Qualitative content analysis revealed a development in cognitive complexity and moral reasoning among certain participants. The results are discussed with an emphasis on aspects of the program that can be replicated when working with Amazonian indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Moral Education (JME) in 2021, this study explores moral education research trends and changes as reflected in JME from 1971 to 2021, with special attention to significant changes in the last decade, a period of rapid digitalization and increasingly complex socio-cultural contexts, both local and global. Moral education trends, as reflected in the 1261 articles published in JME, were investigated using content analysis of disciplinary approaches, keywords, research methodologies, as well as the national and gender backgrounds of the first authors and JME editorial teams and trustees. The main findings point to specific and important issues, central research topics, and neglected areas in moral education and development over the past five decades. The review offers JME and the field of moral education some considerations for the development of moral education, observations on research method paradigms, insights on gender equity, and attention to cultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological research has revealed that there is a strong tendency for people to believe that they have a 'true self', and to believe that this true self is inherently morally good. This would seemingly be very good news for virtue theorists, since this may help to promote virtue development. While there are some obvious benefits to people having morality intrinsically tied to their sense of self, in this paper I want to suggest instead that there may also be some significant drawbacks, especially when it comes to motivating virtue development and moral improvement. In part this stems from people's belief in their own inherent moral goodness being merely assumed (as part of one's core identity), rather than earned (say through reliably good moral behavior). This disconnection between identity and behavior can result in attempts to reinforce one's identity as morally good, at the expense of virtuous behavior or self-improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When opposing injustice, the failure to recognise wrong or translate knowledge into action are two problems with which moral education has to contend. The notion of 'social restitution' can be a helpful concept in addressing these challenges because it locates restitution at the level of interpersonal and communal moral responsibility. This is important because restitution is often seen almost exclusively as a government or institutional endeavour. This paper describes a study conducted amongst 72 students from four African universities in Sierra Leone, South Africa, Nigeria and Cameroon that includes dialogues and a self-location activity whose aim was to cultivate moral awareness of injustice. This process of self-location also provided a helpful basis for action based on everyday acts of social restitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My aim in this paper is to examine the epistemic habits that agents develop through frequent social media usage. I point out that extensive social media usage is conducive to the development of closed-mindedness and unreflective thinking and accordingly argue that social media act as inadvertent educators of epistemic vices. I contend that understanding social media as generators of epistemic dispositions is of significant import to intellectual character education. It shows the urgency of incorporating in educational curricula pedagogical methods that eliminate the bad (disvaluable) epistemic habits that agents acquire through frequent social media usage. I propose character building through problem-solving as an effective educational method for efficiently offsetting such habits. Fostering intellectual virtues through problem-solving safeguards against intellectual vices commonly developed through extensive social media usage. At the same time such an educational approach trains students' information-seeking abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science is an ethical community whose practitioners aim to discover information about the natural world and to explain discernible patterns that might be detected. Those who pursue science generally embrace certain epistemic values that help establish the moral boundaries of the community, while the twin pillars of rationality and empiricism serve as the foundations upon which scientists establish their truth claims. Yet however robust the assertions might appear, they nevertheless are the by-products of an exclusively human endeavor directly impacted by those sociological forces that apply throughout the social universe, including the scientist's social location and the importance of enhancing one's reputation. The current paper identifies key sociological factors that help shape scientific bias and the nature of the justifications used to defend truth claims. A case study of one community committed to a sociological paradigm demonstrates the utility of the explanatory framework advanced. A more self-conscious awareness of the forces at play that create such biases can help mitigate their deleterious impacts that subvert the quest for explanatory knowledge and valid truth claims about observable phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to argue that social science is an inherently moral enterprise. There are four reasons to see science as a moral endeavor based on the neo-Aristotelian recognition that morality is centered on human goods (e.g., justice and knowledge), not just right action. First, science is guided by epistemic values (e.g., accuracy, transparency) and underwritten by pro-science traits (e.g., honesty, patience). Second, the outcomes of applied science (e.g., disease cures, pedagogy improvements) are valued by scientists and others. Third, attempting to eliminate values from science is counterproductive because it leads to smuggling in moral commitments that are very difficult to critically evaluate, particularly in the social sciences. Finally, the goal of science is knowledge, which is a vital human good. Therefore, science is a thoroughly moral enterprise because human goods are moral aims. I conclude with three implications of this argument for science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in school discipline suggests that punitive and exclusionary sanctions have adverse effects on students and are disproportionately administered to students of color and low-income students. School-based restorative justice practices have recently gained attention as an alternative disciplinary approach that emphasizes the reparation of harm and reconciliation among students involved in conflict. These non-exclusionary practices have been increasingly considered as strategies to alleviate racial/ethnic disparities in discipline and academic achievement, particularly between Black and Latinx students and their White counterparts. In the current paper, we emphasize the unique potential of RP to achieve educational equity and discuss specific pathways by which RP implementation may lead to more equitable student outcomes, highlighting the importance of reduced reliance on exclusion, improved teacher–student relationships, and improved shame management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an age of hyper-globalization, ethical criticism has become vital in tackling the bombardment of information across networked societies. This paper begins by exploring the historical emergence of ethical criticism, its dominant approaches (relational, analytical and historical), and potential for character education. Next, we focus on character education in Singapore. Utilizing a comparative case study analysis, we compared older and recent character education syllabi and applied ethical criticism as an analytical lens. Findings show a discernible shift from moral adaptation to some evidence of ethical criticism where more emphasis is placed on the relational and less on analytical and historical aspects. We then examine the opportunities and tensions for ethical criticism in Singapore’s character education programme. These tensions arise from the simultaneous objectives of empowering citizens to handle the challenges of multicultural engagements alongside the limits placed on critical-ethical thinking when applied to analyzing politics and systemic structures of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to extend research on children's Theory of Mind (ToM) within moral development, researchers have proposed a novel area of research, Morally Relevant ToM. It has been argued to better account for the moral and social considerations that children are required to make when using their ToM abilities in real life situations. To further the research in this area, the Social Domain Theory can be used to provide a theoretical framework and new insight into children's developing Morally Relevant ToM. The current paper reviews the existing literature on Morally Relevant ToM, and applies the Social Domain Theory to this literature in order to conceptualize current findings. Finally, the current paper presents how the Social Domain Theory can be used to extend the current research through future studies. Considering this new and innovative research within a Social Domain framework will expand upon our understanding of Theory of Mind development.

An adequate response to the environmental and sustainability issues we now face cannot be limited to single perspectives, disciplines, or ways of knowing, and instead requires an interdisciplinary approach. Despite the connections between the fields of citizenship-, character- and sustainability education, they have thus far run parallel to each other, without any substantial convergence. This paper focuses on the conceptual and historical reasons for this lack of integration, exploring the tensions among them perceived by many scholars and practitioners, such as an individual vs. a social vs. a global focus, a deliberative vs. fact based pedagogic approach, and an individual vs. socio-political educational context. The paper ends by exploring different ways in which these three fields of education might be integrated.