ABSTRACT Malaysia got her independence from Britain in 1957 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has existed since 1967. The ASEAN Vision 2020 affirmed an outward-looking ASEAN to play an important role in the international community. One of ASEAN’s sections is the ASEAN socio-cultural community. This article compares moral and civic education in Malaysia and several countries in ASEAN. A multiple document analysis approach has been used in this research. Its focus is on how civic and moral education has existed and has transformed due to multiple multicultural and globalisation factors. Three research questions have been explored from the Malaysian and ASEAN perspective: how is civic education taking shape; how is moral education taking shape; and what are the opportunities and challenges of these two subjects? Reports, curriculum documents, experiential learning practice and journal articles in civic education and moral education in Malaysia and ASEAN countries were analysed. The inclusion of service-learning as an experiential pedagogy is suggested for the way forward of these two subjects. The article is original in nature and has much textual-social impact.

ABSTRACT The moral purpose of higher education is to help students transmute functional conceptions of a good life to one that is guided by ethical frameworks and to equip students with the metacognitive features of moral wisdom to better cope with the permanent adversities that inescapably haunt human agency. After discussing developmental and ethical aspects of moral formation, and the common themes in psychological and philosophical perspectives on moral self-identity, I take up the first purpose by drawing important distinctions between strong and weak evaluation, and the goal of higher education to encourage students to move from legislative to judicial character and to cultivate the horizon of significance that grounds the life that is good to live. I take up the second purpose by stressing the importance of cultivating in students the capacity to engage in metacognitive processes to combat (without defeating) permanent adversities that threaten a life of ethical character. Helping students articulate ethical frameworks is underscored; and I conclude by stressing the parallel obligation of universities to engage in strong evaluation of the lofty goals of their mission statements and to commit with clarity to the horizon of significance that animates their core institutional values.

ABSTRACT This paper examines recent work on an epiphanic construct that has begun to receive attention in the psychological literature—sacred moments. Sacred moments are brief periods of time in which people experience a sense of transcendence, boundlessness, ultimacy, deep interconnectedness, and spiritual emotions. The paper begins by considering the concept of sacred moments, noting how they overlap with and depart from related constructs, such as self-transcendence, mysticism, and peak experiences. Even though sacred moments are extraordinary experiences, they are relatively commonplace and can be found in many contexts. We review emerging empirical and interpretive research that links sacred moments to life-altering change, including character strength and moral growth. After discussing possible antecedents to sacred moments, the paper explores how sacred moments can be cultivated through mental and spiritual health practices in the contexts of healthcare and education.

ABSTRACT This study explored the longitudinal trajectory patterns of moral self-concept among adolescents, considering various associated factors. Employing latent class growth analysis to examine trajectories of moral self-concept, we analyzed data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (2018–2021). The sample consisted of 2,590 participants (45.8% female, aged 13–16 years). Results identified five distinct trajectories of moral self-concept development: low & slow increasing group (36.9%), high & fast decreasing group (26.5%), low & fast increasing group (7.7%), mid & maintain group (9.2%), and mid & decreasing group (19.7%). Analysis of predictive factors revealed that gender, self-esteem, parental warmth, and teacher-student relationships significantly influenced trajectory class membership. These findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of moral self-concept development and the complex interplay of individual and environmental factors in shaping developmental pathways. Our findings contribute to the understanding of moral development by identifying distinct developmental trajectories of moral self-concept.

ABSTRACT In his article, ‘Epiphanic versus Incremental Routes to Moral Growth,’ Kristján Kristjánsson offers criteria that must be present for an experience to count as epiphanic. Based on these six criteria, Kristjánsson argues that two paradoxes—the ‘psycho-epistemic’ and ‘psycho-moral’ paradox—arise when we attempt to induce epiphanies in the classroom. He considers these paradoxes troubling and perhaps even fatal to the use of epiphanies in the classroom. However, upon closer inspection of the six criteria of epiphanies, it becomes clear that only two yield the supposed paradoxes. In this paper, I will examine these two criteria carefully and show that they do not create the paradoxes Kristjánsson claims they do. Once these paradoxes are shown to be illusory, the difficulties they supposedly cause for epiphanic education no longer arise.

ABSTRACT Self-transcendent emotions (STEs) are a proximal cause of moral behavior, and contribute to individual and collective flourishing. While natural, artistic, and moral beauty have been shown to cause particular STEs, no published research has examined the differential influence among those three forms of beauty on causing a range of STEs. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four video conditions: natural beauty, artistic beauty, moral beauty, or control. A measure of state self-transcendent emotions was given as a pre- and post-measure, and analysis indicated that all three beautiful videos significantly, and with medium effect sizes, increased levels of STEs over the control video; with no significant difference in gain among experimental conditions. A causal mediation analysis affirmed that subjective perceptions of beauty explained the increase in STEs. Additionally, self-reported importance of spirituality significantly predicted STE gain; as did trait engagement with beauty.

ABSTRACT Traditional English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes in Chinese mainland have prioritized language proficiency alongside communicative abilities and critical thinking skills. Recent educational reforms emphasize moral education, presenting new challenges and opportunities for teachers. This study explores how critical moral education can be integrated into English instruction through a globalizing literature pedagogy in Chinese EFL classrooms, specifically in secondary elite school settings. By incorporating global literary texts and fostering discussions on ethical dilemmas, the approach aims to enhance students’ intercultural empathy, moral reasoning, and reflective thinking. The findings suggest that integrating moral education through literature enriches students’ educational experiences, fostering holistic development that extends beyond language acquisition.

ABSTRACT This paper examines whether formal education fosters prosocial behavior in rural Bangladesh, focusing on helping others and charitable giving. While education is widely recognized for its economic returns, less attention has been paid to its role in cultivating prosocial dispositions that underpin social cohesion. Using nationally (rurally) representative data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (2011–2019), we analyze how educational attainment relates to two domains: (1) providing help through illness care, agricultural labor, and childcare, and (2) making charitable donations. Regression results reveal heterogeneous associations: education is positively associated with helping during illness and childcare, but negatively related to agricultural labor assistance, with limited effects on monetary donations. Gender-disaggregated analyses show that women’s education is more consistently linked to prosocial helping, whereas men’s higher education is associated with lower engagement in traditional labor-based support. Situated within human and social capital theories and the Wider Benefits of Learning framework, these findings highlight how education in resource-constrained and culturally embedded contexts can foster certain prosocial behaviors while reconfiguring others. The paper underscores the importance of recognizing education’s non-economic returns and considering how curricula and policies can intentionally promote community-oriented values alongside economic development.

ABSTRACT In response to Kristján Kristjánsson and James Pawelski’s reflections on how best to support moral development in youth, this commentary explores the potential of self-transcendent emotions (STEs)—such as awe, gratitude, and elevation—as powerful, yet underdeveloped, emotional pathways for cultivating moral character in education. In light of recent evidence of declining empathy and heightened narcissism in young people today, we make the case that these emotions help individuals shift focus beyond the self, inspiring prosocial motivation and deeper reflection on values, purpose, and belonging. Drawing from recent research in moral psychology, affective science, and trauma-informed education, we highlight how carefully designed classroom practices can foster these emotions while honoring students’ autonomy and safeguarding their emotional well-being.

ABSTRACT Our era calls for purposeful teachers to reimagine a sustainable and just society. This study investigated the influence of volunteer teaching, a form of service learning, on teachers’ purpose development in the context of teacher education in China. The life purpose of volunteer student teachers was examined and compared with that of their non-volunteer peers using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (N = 601) and two open-ended questions (N = 524). Student teachers also reported how their purpose was connected to their teaching career. The findings revealed that volunteer teachers exhibited a higher sense of purpose, and the nature of this purpose differed from that of non-volunteers. Volunteer teachers were more capable of incorporating their professional purpose into their personal purpose. This study suggests that service learning has the potential to strengthen student teachers’ life purpose and identity as moral teachers with a beyond-the-self orientation in teaching.