the education of character

Character Education: Enforcing Pro-social and Ethical Motivations

Character education is a discipline that has been around for a while and is still evolving. Its goal is to restructure schools so that students’ pro-social and ethical motivations and competences are enforced (Lewis, Robinson & Hays, 2011).

Core Components of Evidence-based Character Education

Evidence-based character education’s core components are outlined.

Distinctive Qualities of Students with Special Talents

The characteristics of students who possess special talents are then investigated with the aim of assessing the distinctive qualities that offer chances for fully realizing character development and the accessible frameworks.

Character-building Pedagogies and Talented Children

The relationship between the character-building pedagogies and the characteristics of the talented children is then defined.

Complexity and Authenticity: Key Considerations in Character Development for Gifted Students

The considerations to be made on the discussions about character development for gifted students should embrace complexity, should not shy away from subtle and controversial aspects, and must be of full realization (Callahan et al., 2015). They ought to recognize the fact that character is a manifestation of an authentic personality and should allow for the notion of self-actualization.

Complexities in Educational Systems and Character Development

There are a lot of complexities and contradictions that educational systems in their bureaucratic and simplicity tend to outright or deny. Literal and strict goal orientation and the efforts to produce competent citizens undeniably violate individual’s integrity (Callahan et al., 2015). Consequently, many educational programs and approaches tend to put minimal emphasis on the character development for gifted students.

Controversies Surrounding Programs for Gifted Students

Some schools and states believe that there is no necessity of having special programs for character development for gifted students. The availability of such services and plans for the talented students is however dependent on the school and the residential areas of the students. Accordingly, program developers have varying perspectives, which have led to misinformation about the programs for gifted students. They believe that talents and intelligence do not change since they are inherited (Callahan et al., 2015). Gifted students, therefore, do not require any kind of special nurturing.

Stereotypes about Gifted Students

Moreover, there is a stereotype about gifted students that they are all models. The belief that gifted students are well behaved, follow directions to the latter, and are compliant is never right (Callahan et al., 2015). The fact that most of them compliant, inquisitive, and procrastinate does not justify their characters. It is also imperative to note that giftedness cannot be measured by achievements and intelligence, as most people believe. Tests are culturally biased and tend to reflect exposure, socioeconomic status, experience, and ethnicity. A student may be gifted but still be weak at taking tests.

Non-intellective Qualities in Giftedness

In as much as non-intellective qualities play a fundamental role in the realization of individual talents, it is essential to identify, operationalize, and study these variables in giftedness’ context. There are important characters in the gifted students that need particular attention. One of the most important traits that need to be addressed is the peer relations (Callahan et al., 2015). This is important since the gifted students who tend to search for consistency and emphasizes rules, which they apply to others, must understand that they are different from others and ought to be flexible to accommodate their fellows. There is the need to teach on the avoidance of self-criticism and perfectionism.

Opportunities and the Individual’s Character

In sum, irrespective of how talented and good one can be, and the full reservoir of maxims an individual may possess, the reluctance of an individual to take advantage of the available concrete opportunities may make the individual’s character may remain unaffected for the better. The educational programs should, therefore, demonstrate a unique set of programs for the gifted students. The gifted individuals need to break through the ramparts of culture.

References

Callahan, C. M., Moon, T. R., Oh, S., Azano, A. P., & Hailey, E. P. (2015). What Works in Gifted Education: Documenting the Effects of an Integrated Curricular/Instructional Model for Gifted Students. American Educational Research Journal, 52(1), 137–167. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214549448

Lewis, S. V., Robinson, E. H., & Hays, B. G. (2011). Implementing an Authentic Character Education Curriculum. Childhood Education, 87(4), 227–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2011.10523183