Date
2014
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Chair
Andrea Ray
Keywords
Caldecott Award, character, character education, literature, moral education
Disciplines
Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Elementary Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Wagner, Staci, "Character Traits in Caldecott Award-Winning Literature from 2002-2012: A Content Analysis" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 957.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/957
Abstract
This study examined children's books that were honored with the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book from 2002-2012, in an attempt to analyze examples of character elements in these books. Modeled after two previous dissertations in which Newbery books were analyzed, I used similar methodology to further their research to books honored with the Caldecott Medal. Therefore, content analysis was used to determine the presence of the sample character traits, following the acronym C.H.A.R.A.C.T.E.R., developed by researcher Bryant (2008). These elements included: (a) caring/compassionate, (b) helpfulness, (c) acceptance, (d) respect, (e) ambition, (f) citizenship, (g) trustworthiness, (h) encouragement, and (i) responsibility. A coding system was developed in Bryant's (2008) study and adapted by Bones (2010); I utilized that same system with a team of 5 readers. Through the coding, reading, and discussion of the texts, the readers attempted to develop consensus as to the character traits found in the texts and ultimately the usefulness of the text in incorporating character education into the general curriculum.
