Friday, 19th September 2014

‘Character’ development in formal and non-formal learning environments

Political interest in ‘character’

“Employees need to be self-disciplined, capable of subordinating their own instincts and interests to the needs of the team... A central element of our long-term plan for schools is the cultivation of those virtues [or] character strengths”

Michael Gove

“This is about learning from the rigorous academic discipline that is character education and implementing a holistic approach that goes beyond extra-curricular activities and into the classroom”

Tristram Hunt

What is character?

A set of capabilities that allows people to achieve their potential:

• ApplicationSticking to tasks and seeing things through

• Self-directionTaking one’s life under control; recognising one’s strengths and

weaknesses; recognising responsibilities to others

• Self-regulationKeeping emotions in check

• EmpathyBeing sensitive to the needs and views of others

‘Non-cognitive’ or ‘soft’ skills. Moral dimension –instrumental and/or ethical (personal vs. social outcomes)

Why is character important?

Improving academic performance- Growing evidence that non-cognitive skills are as important as

cognitive skills in determining academic outcomes- Children with better coping strategies (‘resilience’) perform

better at school.- ‘Metacognitive’ strategies add up to 8 months additional

progress (EEF).

Improving employment prospects- Employers want these skills and often complain at their absence.- Higher demand due to transition to ‘service economy’- Especially important for the ‘forgotten half’?

Why is character important?

Reducing the chances of risky behaviour- Ability to delay gratification in context of alcohol and drugs- Correlation between self-regulation and fewer instances of

criminal behaviour

Equality of opportunity- Negative correlation between social disadvantage and

character capabilities. - Austerity and growing inequality: are character skills

becoming harder to acquire?

How is character developed?

Parenting- “Tough love” parenting leads to children twice as likely to display

strong character capability in early years than those with disengaged parents.

Non-formal learning environments- Eg. Scouts, National Citizen Service, Duke of Edinburgh, youth

social action projects.

Schools- SEAL- Curricular vs. extra-curricular

Big issues for character in schools

Is character any of the state’s business? How should character feature in the National Curriculum?

Can character actually be taught?Emphasis on ‘taught’ or ‘caught’?Parenting or schools?

To whom should it be taught?Everyone, or the most disadvantaged?

How will we know when we get there?How do you build an evidence base for character interventions?

Personal experience: Demos ‘Pupil Power’ pilot

Two year pilot running in four secondary schools across the country

Designed to tackle educational disengagement and truancy

Using “coproduction” as a way of developing character skills.

Four Year 7s and four Year 9s in each school, with new cohort in second pilot year (64 pupils in total).

Giving pupils chance to change things about school, and make it happen themselves.

Evaluation by Demos

Demos ‘Pupil Power’ pilot

John Whitgift Academy (Grimsby)Group projects, facilitated by pastoral staffYear 9s have started a sports club at lunchtime, a new

gardening project, and are working with the Year 7s on an ICT project

Year 9s have been asking teachers to change lesson seating plans and teaching style

Demos ‘Pupil Power’ pilot

What some of the pupils say:

“I have more confidence talking to people and bringing my ideas out. If I want to say something, I’ll just say it now.”

“We got the Year 7s to come out of their shells and more people to get involved with things in the school.”

“We came up with ideas and they changed the way they were teaching. [Our Maths teacher] used to just put a load of questions on the board and just work through. But now, we put activities on each table and you go round in your group. You learn a lot more, it’s more active. We all thought of good ways and that’s what we came up with.”

Any questions?