Graduate Program

Family and Consumer Studies

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2006

Thesis Director

Kathleen O'Rourke

Thesis Committee Member

Melissa Meadows

Thesis Committee Member

Frances Murphy

Abstract

While instilling values in adolescents is often seen as the parent/guardian's primary respoponsibility, varying circumstances arise in the lives of individuals and families which cave members of society to rise to the challenges and social responsibilities of educating he young. Teaching adolescents to cope with the rising challenges associated with socialization and be individuals of good character who become productive citizens as adults is a social responsibility.

The primary purpose of this study is to explore the impact of character education programs on early adolescents in middle schools and school personnel. Through exploration of 2 middle schools who implemented 2 versions of character education programs, the researcher assessed other components associated with effective character education programs. There were 352 participants in this study, and the participants' responses were grouped by students, personnel, and the 2 different schools. Seventh grade students (n = 141) and personnel (n = 31) at Middle School A use The Virtues Project as their character education program. Seventh grade students (n = 152) and personnel (n = 28) at Middle School B use CHARACTER COUNTS! as their character education program. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were used to analyze the data.

The results of this study indicate the potential value of exploring the impact of character education programs on early adolescents in middle schools and school personnel. The responses from the personnel in Middle School A indicate a significant relationship between the personnel self-reports of personal commitment to The Virtues Project and the help personnel receives from The Virtues Project training staff r = .613; p = .0001). Results from Middle School A indicated that there also significant relationships between students' personal commitment to The Virtues Project and the students' self-reports of receiving help from personnel for understanding the virtue words/ language associated with The Virtues Project from personnel (r = .428; p = .0001) and his/her self-reports of having a better understanding because of classroom discussions (r = .415; p = .0001). The responses from the personnel at Middle School B indicate that a significant relationship exists between the personnel self-reports of personal commitment and her/his self-reports of receiving help understanding from CHARACTER COUNTS! training staff (r = .497; p = .007). Significant relationships exist between students' perceptions of his/her own personal commitment to CHARACTER COUNTS! and his/her self-reports of receiving help from personnel for understanding the content of the Six Pillars of Character (r = .494; p = .0001) and receiving help understanding the content of the Six Pillars of Character because of class discussions (r= .401; p = .0001). Significant relationships existed between many variables associated with the students' and personnel responses for understanding the language of each character education program, implementation procedures, academic achievements, responsible behavior, and civic engagement. Future research on the frequency and consistency of character education programs along with relationships between personnel, students, and academic achievements are recommended.

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