MOVING TOWARDS A HOLISTIC

CHARACTER EDUCATION
LESSON 1-A

The Moral Development of

Learners
Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:

• Demontrate concern for truth and skills in questioning and

probing into issues;

• Describe critical activities, attitudes and self-reflective practices

and
• Practice thinking skills, organizes ideas and moral judgment.
“THINK CRITICALLY”

To silence criticisms to silence

freedom.

-Sidney Hook, American philosopher

Morality

-Is a system of beliefs about what is right and good compared to

what is wrong and bad.

Moral development

-Refers to changes in moral beliefs as a person grows older and

gain maturity. However Moral beliefs are related to, but not
identical with, moral behavior: it is possible to know the right
thing to, but not actually do it.
Understanding the concept

Critical thinking
- is a basic function of human intelligence primarily
necessary to distinguish truth from falsehood.
This faculty of our intelligence helps us to choose the
right course of action in every sphere of life. Primarily,
critical thinking along with creativity is geared to the
advancement of our civilization.
Critical Activities
The most important activities are briefly below.

Doubting is the first step in critical thinking.

It is healthy for any thinking person to feel uncertain

about a supposition presented to him. The state of
uncertainly activates the intelligence to inquire the
truth of the matter.
Inquiring

Is proceeding ahead searching for information

and evidence for and against the case. Inquiring
is basically questioning the truth of the premises
on which the conclusion is built.
Analyzing

Is the process of breaking down an issue into its basic

units and in order to find out the truth of each unit.
Analyzing a supposition can be done in many ways.
Looking at it through various perspectives or points of
view, tracing the development of the idea, comparing and
contradicting it with other suppositions, categorizing and
identifying consequences are some of methods used for
analysis.
Reality Testing

 is attempting to judge its usefulness, or truth by applying

it to existing situations or problems in the real world.

Whether verifying

Is finding out evidence is valid and consistent.

Concluding

Is arriving at a judgment whether the supposition is true or

false, valid or not valid, right or wrong.
Critical Attitudes

 A good critic needs a set of correct attitudes to healthy exercising of

his capacity. Unbiased attitude is the foundation.

 The second attitude is that of fairness and impartiality to all aspects of

the issue.

 Thirdly, one needs to be concerned with the constructiveness of

criticism.

A criticism should be useful to those who are concerned and affected by

Decision Making

- We tend to think that decision-making is a simple act. But on a

closer look, it may reveal itself to be a complex act, involving
many organizational many dimensions such as ethical, social,
organizational, legal, and political and so on. Our decision affect
our families, organizations and those people who are involves
with the issue. Obviously, it is a highly intellectual, personal and
socially responsible act. Education should help students to be
skillful decision-maker.
Instructions for decision-making:
Identify the issue

Collect information on all aspects and sides of the issue

Consult people. Test your assumptions with them.

Do not go by other’s pressures.

Do not go by your own emotional tendencies, likes and

deslikes, prejudice, and preconceived notions.

Be foresighted.
Our Decisions fall into three types.

 Routine Decisions

-are made mechanically by habit.

 Impulsive decisions

-are made by pressure of emotions such as desire,

anger, attraction, contempt and so on.
 Responsible decisions

-undergoes six stages

Recognize, analyze and define the problem

Collect information as much as possible

Generate alternatives

Evaluate each alternative considering its viability, benefits

and consequences.
Select the best alternative and implement

Appraise the success.

Different conditions under which we have to make
decisions are also important to know. There are three
basic conditions.

Certainly

Uncertainly

Conflict
Lesson 1-B learn to live together
Morality of Justice: This aspect revolves around human
rights, particularly the principles of fairness,
impartiality, equality, and individual independence.

Morality of Care: This theme highlights human

responsibilities, including caring for others, considering
individuals' needs, and recognizing the
interdependence among individuals.
Working in groups

A large part of our life is spent in groups Inability to work in

groups can make one's life a failure at every level. Harmonious
working in a good group is satisfying. empowering and leading
to growth, not only to the individual but also to the others- in the
group Effective groups do not just happen. They are products of
many internal factors Understanding how effective groups draw
their strengths from internal dynamics such as democratic
process, co operation and morale is interesting and also helpful
How groups are formed

Mere coming together of individuals do not make a group. For a

group to emerge, the individuals should have a common goal.
Then they should link together in such a way as to achieve the
goals. When a number of individuals gather and form a group,
they usually undergo a phase of uneasiness, until they establish
who should do what.
This phase is called the storming However as they slowly
establish norms, structures and procedures the storming
subsides and they start performing A group is bound by three
basic forces. They are the goals and the task. The process
includes the way of decision-making, organizing L.e. assigning
roles and structuring communication. The task is the challenge of
the group. In fact, a group is a tool, a set of individuals have
formed by linking together to perform a task.
Characteristics of effective groups

It is useful to know the characteristics of effective groups.They

are

* Cohesiveness * Regulation
* Goal orientation * Climate
* Standards and forms * Leadership
* Affirmation * Pressure
* Demarcate process
Group Builders
As the group is gradually formed various role emerge by natural
demands of circumstances. Then the members tend to take up
roles that suit them most. Such roles are given below

* Encourager
* Tense Releaser
* Compromiser
* Evaluator
Learning Cooperation

Learning cooperation is gaining significance in the world of today

for several reasons. There is growing individualistic, ethnocentric
and other divisive forces, which threaten the solidarity of
mankind. Peace is living together. Teachers are increasingly
complaining of students' selfish tendencies. Selfishness is to be
concerned exclusively with oneself by depriving others of their
rights.
An act of a student who borrows the only available book
recommended by the teacher from the school library and
keeping it extended for his exclusive reference typically exhibits
selfishness. Because in doing this he deprives the other students
from using the book. Unhealthy individualistic behaviors are
increasing in school as a result of social influence. Name-calling,
put down, and bullying are examples of such behaviors.
As we learn cooperation a warm and friendly climate emerges in
the classroom. Conflict and quarreling Cooperation in groups are
reduced. leads to greater sense of equality of all.
Lesson 2: Innovative Strategies for Teaching and Learning GMRC
MAJOR VALUES DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES AND STRATEGIES

• Inculcation

• Moral Development

• Clarification

• Analysis

• Action Learning goes beyond thinking and feeling

• Transpersonal Approach
VALUES CLARIFICATION STRATEGIES

1.Values Voting-This strategy is a rapid method to check the

learner's stand in various issues and to affirm it to others.

2.Values Ranking-This strategy challenges the learner to

thoughtfully consider decision among alternatives.

3.Forced Choices-This strategy is a variation of values ranking, but

compels the learner to make decisions between two competing
alternatives.
4.Values Continuum-This strategy provides the learner with a
greater range of choices on certain issues that are not purely
black or white, but with shades of gray.

5.Strongly Agree/Strongly Disagree-This strategy helps the

learner examine the strength of their feelings about a given
value or issue.

6.Value Whips-This strategy poses question and issues for the

learner to consider.
7.Unfinished Sentences-This strategy surface some indicators of
the learner's value as manifested in one's attitudes interests,
convictions, likes, dislikes, goals,etc.

8.Autobiographical Questionnaires- This strategy facilitates

awareness of the learner's life patterns.
9.Pictures Without Caption/Freedom Board- This strategy allows
the learner's freedom of expression and at the same time
explores their current thinking and feeling processes.

10.Coded Papers-This strategy teaches the learners to become

critical in their reading.
THE ACES METHODOLOGY AND PHASES OF VALUE LEARNING

A.Learning Trigger Phase

-Learning is a triggered by a carefully planned activity such as individual
disclosure or self inventory, group discussion, case study, listening to
vignettes, role playing, song analysis, panel discussion, moral dilemma
strategy and others.

B.Values Clarification Phase

-The clarification process takes a more in-depth analysis in the second
phase of value learning.
C.Directive Phase or Inculcation Phase
- In this phase, the teacher becomes directive in his leading
questions or remarks.

D.Action Phase Practical

-Application is done where the learner is expected to transfer his
affective and cognitive learnings into actual situations.
MODEL OF THE VALUITING PROCESS IN THE CONTEXT
OF THE LEARNING CYCLE

Since our emphasis of Values Education is one of a

holistic and integrated approach, all human faculties of
the learners must be tapped and developed. In this
light, the Teaching and Learning Cycle as proposed bt
Quisumbing is most appropriate as both a reference
and a model.
Quisumbing proposes a four-step process:

Step One: Conceptual Level - Knowing.

Valuing does not exist in a vacuum. It has to have a
knowledge base from which values will be explored and
discerned.
Step Two: Conceptual Level - Understanding

In the proposed cycle, distinction is made between

knowledge and wisdom. This is why the conceptual level is
divided as two separate steps. Knowledge could be easily
explained by the educator and in turn quickly memorized by
the learners.
Step Three: Affective Level - Valuing.
As discussed in previous sections, knowing and
understanding are not guarantees that values would be
internalized and integrated.

Step Four: Active Level - Acting.

The value concepts that are valued ultimately lead to
action.