Implementing Character Education and Behavior Improvement in Moroccan Secondary Schools

Abstract

Character education has recently become an important area of concern and research among researchers and stakeholders in the field of education worldwide. The emergence of character education as an area of research, theory, and policymaking has been motivated by a generally noted increase of violence and misbehavior among students in educational institutions, which negatively affects the school environment and effectiveness as well as students’ performance, achievement and success. It has also been driven by the increasing awareness of the fundamental role and mission of education and educational institutions in instilling in learners the values and character traits of citizenship. In this context, the objective of this research is to investigate the impact of implementing character education and the improvement of students' behavior in Moroccan secondary schools. To collect data, the questionnaire and the semi-structured interview were used to elicit information from teachers and students on their opinions and perceptions of the impact of implementing character education programs and activities on students’ behavior improvement. The most important findings of this study confirm that character education does not constitute a mainstream practice in the classroom and its institutional context. In this respect, this article presents some suggestions to integrate effective character education programs in policy making, teachers training, and students’ life in the classroom and Moroccan school contexts.