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ERIC Number: EJ1158403
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1543-1223
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Hidden Virtues of "Harry Potter": Using J. K. Rowling's Novels to Facilitate Character Education with Juvenile Delinquents
Seroczynski, A. D.; Johnson, Scott P.; Lamb, Kristen; Gustman, Brian
Journal of Research in Character Education, v9 n1 p1-24 2011
Drawing upon philosophical virtue theory (Kreeft, 1986; MacIntyre, 1984; Meilander, 1984; Pieper, 1966), as well as its growing psychological support (Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Vitz, 1990), we designed a pilot intervention for a small group of adolescents in an academic day-treatment program at a juvenile justice center. J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" novels were used to facilitate virtuous character development in group discussions and journaling exercises. Self-report ratings of seven virtues were obtained at pretest and posttest with the Youth Virtues Scale, a modified version of Cawley, Martin, and Johnson's (2000) Virtues Scale. Teachers also provided a global rating of virtuous behavior. Engaged students were significantly more likely to report improvements in charity and fidelity than students who did not invest in the program; fortitude and prudence approached significance. Engaged students also showed more teacher-rated changes in virtuous behavior. We discuss the development of the intervention, qualitative findings around ethical issues, study implications, and recommendations for future research.
IAP - Information Age Publishing, Inc. P.O. Box 79049, Charlotte, NC 28271-7047. Tel: 704-752-9125; Fax: 704-752-9113; e-mail: infoage@infoagepub.com; Web site: http://www.infoagepub.com/research-in-character-education.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 7
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A