Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid

Character Education (CE) has gained attention as a response to ethical and social challenges in education, aiming to give moral development equal importance to academic achievement. While international models showcase CE’s capacity to cultivate virtues such as honesty and resilience, in Spain it rem...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Fernández-Espinosa, Verónica; Redondo-Corcobado, Paloma; Velázquez Gil, Marta
Format: Article
Publication date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Málaga
Repository:DDFV. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddfv.ufv.es:10641/6783
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10641/6783
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Character education
flourishing
schools
teachers
virtues
General Social Sciences
Yes
yes
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author Fernández-Espinosa, Verónica
author2 Redondo-Corcobado, Paloma
Velázquez Gil, Marta
author2_role author
author
author_browse Fernández-Espinosa, Verónica
Redondo-Corcobado, Paloma
Velázquez Gil, Marta
author_facet Fernández-Espinosa, Verónica
Redondo-Corcobado, Paloma
Velázquez Gil, Marta
author_role author
collection DDFV. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
description Character Education (CE) has gained attention as a response to ethical and social challenges in education, aiming to give moral development equal importance to academic achievement. While international models showcase CE’s capacity to cultivate virtues such as honesty and resilience, in Spain it remains largely limited to civic education. This study explores Spanish teachers’ perspectives on CE, focusing on its perceived relevance, key virtues, and implementation strategies. A total of 569 teachers were surveyed, with 477 from the Community of Madrid forming a representative sample. Using a mixed-methods approach, data was collected through an online questionnaire combining quantitative and qualitative items. Results show that 75.7% of teachers view CE as essential, citing its positive influence on academic outcomes and school coexistence. However, they also identify structural barriers, particularly a lack of teacher training. A key takeaway is the strong consensus on the need for a holistic approach to CE, one that embeds it into the curriculum and school culture and encourages collaboration with families. This aligns with international research that emphasizes whole-school strategies and shared responsibility in fostering character development.
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instname_str Universidad de Málaga
language eng
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
oai_identifier_str oai:ddfv.ufv.es:10641/6783
publishDate 2025
publishDateSort 2025
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spelling Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid Fernández-Espinosa, Verónica Redondo-Corcobado, Paloma Velázquez Gil, Marta Character education flourishing schools teachers virtues General Social Sciences Yes yes Character Education (CE) has gained attention as a response to ethical and social challenges in education, aiming to give moral development equal importance to academic achievement. While international models showcase CE’s capacity to cultivate virtues such as honesty and resilience, in Spain it remains largely limited to civic education. This study explores Spanish teachers’ perspectives on CE, focusing on its perceived relevance, key virtues, and implementation strategies. A total of 569 teachers were surveyed, with 477 from the Community of Madrid forming a representative sample. Using a mixed-methods approach, data was collected through an online questionnaire combining quantitative and qualitative items. Results show that 75.7% of teachers view CE as essential, citing its positive influence on academic outcomes and school coexistence. However, they also identify structural barriers, particularly a lack of teacher training. A key takeaway is the strong consensus on the need for a holistic approach to CE, one that embeds it into the curriculum and school culture and encourages collaboration with families. This aligns with international research that emphasizes whole-school strategies and shared responsibility in fostering character development. https://hdl.handle.net/10641/6783
spellingShingle Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid
Fernández-Espinosa, Verónica
Character education
flourishing
schools
teachers
virtues
General Social Sciences
Yes
yes
title Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid
title_full Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid
title_fullStr Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid
title_full_unstemmed Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid
title_short Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid
title_sort Perspectives and attitudes of teachers on character education in schools in the Community of Madrid
topic Character education
flourishing
schools
teachers
virtues
General Social Sciences
Yes
yes
topic_facet Character education
flourishing
schools
teachers
virtues
General Social Sciences
Yes
yes
url https://hdl.handle.net/10641/6783