News
Updated Norms for Defining Issues Test (DIT2-2023)
We are pleased to inform DIT users, scholars, and researchers all over the world that the normative information for the DIT2-test has been updated after 14 years.
Moral reasoning development: norms for Defining Issue Test-2 (DIT2)
Author(s): Nahide Gungordu, Ghasim Nabizadehchianeh, Erin O’Connor, Wenchao Ma, and David I. Walker
Access through Journal of Ethics & Behavior
New open-access studies (2023):
1. "Validating the behavioral Defining Issues Test across different genders, political, and religious affiliations" click here to download the paper
Author(s): Hyemin Han
2. "Moral reasoning and moral competence as predictors of cooperative behavior in a social dilemma" click here to download the paper.
Author(s): RubénAndrés Miranda‑Rodríguez, Iwin Leenen, Hyemin Han, Germán Palafox‑Palafox & GeorginaGarcía‑Rodríguez
Position Announcement: PhD Studentship in the Educational Psychology Program, at the University of Alabama – College of Education
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Leadership for Character Professional Learning Units
Leadership for Character Education, funded through the Kern Family Grant, has began offering opportunities for educators to earn professional learning units through the grant. Educators will learn about character education and what it looks like to exhibit this through a leader's lens. Below are two workshops currently being offered. It you're interested in learning more about Leadership for Character click here.
Superintendent's Academy PLU
Theme: Wise Leaders Cultivating the Character of Students
This professional learning opportunity was created for prospective school superintendents. Currently, 35 participants are enrolled in the professional learning. The study focuses on the understanding and development of virtues and the result of a virtue ethics approach to leadership. Participants advance their understanding of how school leaders create a culture of character through an examination of practical wisdom.
CLAS PLU
Theme: Leaders Building Schools of Character
This professional learning opportunity was created for prospective school administrators and current school administrators. Currently, 32 participants are enrolled in the professional learning. The study focuses on the role of the school leader in establishing a school community of character. Additionally, participants explore the interplay of theory and practice as key features of practical wisdom for leaders and use this newfound knowledge and insight to develop their own plan for developing a school of character.
SSA PLU
The State Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) organization will be hosting character education professional development sessions in Fall 2021.This study will focus on the understanding of a virtue ethics approach to leadership. Research supports a positive direct relationship between character and academic success and well-being. Participants will advance their understanding of how school leaders create a community of a character through a virtue ethics approach to leadership. Participants will explore virtue ethics leadership's theory to aid them in developing a plan for creating a community of character in their school district.
Superintendent's Academy PLU
Theme: Wise Leaders Cultivating the Character of Students
This professional learning opportunity was created for prospective school superintendents. Currently, 35 participants are enrolled in the professional learning. The study focuses on the understanding and development of virtues and the result of a virtue ethics approach to leadership. Participants advance their understanding of how school leaders create a culture of character through an examination of practical wisdom.
CLAS PLU
Theme: Leaders Building Schools of Character
This professional learning opportunity was created for prospective school administrators and current school administrators. Currently, 32 participants are enrolled in the professional learning. The study focuses on the role of the school leader in establishing a school community of character. Additionally, participants explore the interplay of theory and practice as key features of practical wisdom for leaders and use this newfound knowledge and insight to develop their own plan for developing a school of character.
SSA PLU
The State Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) organization will be hosting character education professional development sessions in Fall 2021.This study will focus on the understanding of a virtue ethics approach to leadership. Research supports a positive direct relationship between character and academic success and well-being. Participants will advance their understanding of how school leaders create a community of a character through a virtue ethics approach to leadership. Participants will explore virtue ethics leadership's theory to aid them in developing a plan for creating a community of character in their school district.
Funded Opportunities for M.A. in Character Education (through Kern Family Foundation)
The Kern Family Foundation are offering fully funded scholarships for students living and working in America to study on the Masters in Character Education. The Masters is a three year distance learning course run by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham in the UK. The programme is made up of six taught modules and a dissertation focussing on the theory and practice of human flourishing. You can find out more about the programme here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/distance/edu/character-education.aspx.
Please contact Paul Watts via email (P.M.Watts@bham.ac.uk) if you would be interested in finding out more about one of the fully funded places on the Programme starting October 2020.
Please contact Paul Watts via email (P.M.Watts@bham.ac.uk) if you would be interested in finding out more about one of the fully funded places on the Programme starting October 2020.
The Center for the Study of Ethical Development is awarded a grant of $2.5m
from the Kern Family Foundation to develop character through school leadership in Alabama
Core Team: PI - Dr. David Ian Walker (Educational Studies, Educational Psychology)
Co-PI’s - Dr. Brenda Mendiola and Dr. Yvette Bynum (Educational Leadership Department), Felicia Simpson
We are pleased to announce that this project to develop character through school leadership in Alabama started in January of 2020. Through collaboration with the Educational Leadership program and UA’s Superintendent’s Academy (SA), the project will prepare and support new administrators, principals and future educational leaders to apply a virtue-ethics approach to character development in schools, emphasizing the pursuit of student flourishing as the rightful purpose of education. The program will span four and a half years, and is designed to have a long-term positive impact on K 12 character education in Alabama.
Co-PI’s - Dr. Brenda Mendiola and Dr. Yvette Bynum (Educational Leadership Department), Felicia Simpson
We are pleased to announce that this project to develop character through school leadership in Alabama started in January of 2020. Through collaboration with the Educational Leadership program and UA’s Superintendent’s Academy (SA), the project will prepare and support new administrators, principals and future educational leaders to apply a virtue-ethics approach to character development in schools, emphasizing the pursuit of student flourishing as the rightful purpose of education. The program will span four and a half years, and is designed to have a long-term positive impact on K 12 character education in Alabama.
New Network for Research on Morality (NRM) (April 2019)
In April 2019, the steering committee met at Miami University to inaugurate the new network with a symposium on morality and science. This included Director of Center for the Study of Ethical Development – Dr. David Walker. (See photo below.)
Talks are available here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/6086515
What is NRM?
Network for Research in Morality (NRM) is an interdisciplinary organization, with members from many disciplines, including psychology, philosophy, education, sociology, medicine, law, history, and business.
Since its founding in October, 2018, over 140 scholars have already joined the NRM. The purpose of the NRM is to encourage and support interdisciplinary research that can support and enrich moral development, understanding and education.
Further information and requests to join NRM (currently operates as a listserv network) may be made to:
Professor Blaine Fowers (bfowers@miami.edu), Department of Educational and Psychological Studies, Miami University
Photo (from left to right: President Julio Frenk, Barry Schwartz, Blaine Fowers, Catherine Darnell, David Walker , Ken Goodman, Joe Michalski)
Launch in London of 'soldiers of character' research results, using the new Army Intermediate Concept Measure. (October 2018)
Presentation of Army Research at Royal United Services Institute London.