There is no agreed definition for character (e.g. compare Jerome and Kisby 2019 with Kristjansson 2015), which is but one reason why numerous character education programmes exist (Arthur, 2003). There is general agreement however, that character refers to the individual dispositions, strengths or traits that we possess, called virtues. Examples of virtues include, amongst others: confidence, curiosity, determination and service. Virtues tend to be grouped in clusters (Kristjansson, 2015), and there are several frameworks which attempt to group the virtues (see Lucas, 2019). Love-of-learning, one of 24 character strengths identified by Peterson and Seligman (2004), is incorporated into one of these frameworks; the Values in Action (VIA) Institute on Character Inventory of Strengths (Lucas, 2019).
Character education is not a new idea (Department for Education (DFE) 2019a), but references to character in the recent Ofsted Inspection Handbook highlight that the idea is receiving seriou
Join us or sign in now to view the rest of this page
You're viewing this site as a guest, which only allows you to view a limited amount of content.
To view this page and get access to all our resources, join the Chartered College of Teaching (it's free for trainee teachers and half price for ECTs) or log in if you're already a member.