Vernon BallFollow

Date

8-2017

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Steven McDonald

Keywords

Character Education, Family, GPA, Moral Behavior, Parental Responsibility, Student Values

Disciplines

Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Psychology | Other Education

Abstract

The concept of character education is important one for everyone in our society. The issue of character affects business, schools, law enforcement, and even churches. It is particularly important for families who are trying to raise their children the best they can, and schools which are seeking better means to improve student morals and academic performance. This study sought to determine if a character education program taught to parents would affect family dynamics (measured by three subscales of the PCRI) and student academic achievement (measured by grades in the four core subjects). The sample consisted of second through fifth grade parents of a suburban/rural elementary school in a southeastern state (n = 24 in each group). A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was employed. The character education class was taught at the beginning of the third quarter of the school year. Data was analyzed using one-way between-subjects ANOVA for parent relationship sub-scales at the end of quarter three of the school year. The results did not show a statistically significant difference in the means of the three subscales from pre-test to post-test. For grades, one-way within-subjects ANOVAs were used. There was no significant difference in the grades for either the control or the experimental group. Future studies should consider increasing the treatment exposure, using different and larger populations, and basing character education programs explicitly based on Christian ideals.

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