13. What do you have to be (sorts of qualities) to be good or bad in this school?
The most cited were Work Hard (16), then Be Focussed (10). Listening (8) and
Cooperating (7) were next, followed by Communication Skills (7). Next were Respecting
Others (6) and then Being Independent (6) and Sociable (5). Students only mentioned
‘good’ qualities.
14. Do you think teachers show you or teach you how to be a good character?
This question was asked in order to understand in what ways students believed that a
teacher demonstrates character or instructs students to develop their characters, if at all.
Many responses were positive. Many students pointed to the example of teachers who
insisted on uniform and self-presentation (13). Others were admired for their capacity to
motivate and encourage a love of what you do (7), to inspire Commitment (6) and
Punctuality (5). Some felt that teachers didn’t address character at all (10). The question
was answered with some enthusiasm and without complication.
15. What are the pressures in the world that might force you to overlook good
values?
This was a direct approach to ascertaining any perceived block to positive character
development. The main pressures are ‘Peer Pressure’ and ‘Exams’. The word ‘Stress’
was used in many instances. Some students confessed to often spending significant
amounts of time on the web or computer games.
16. How secure and happy do you feel in your local environment?
This question was asked to assess the impact of physical security on character. There
were only two positive comments on being happy and two students who said they liked
school. Most responses concerned physical threats (25), distrust of others (18), and
vulnerability of females (9). There was no doubt here answers were not masked or
ambivalent.
The findings from the interviews with the young people led in part to the formulation of
the first questionnaire. Questions were also carried forward from the Bristol report. For
example, the categories used in Question 1 of the phase two questionnaire were partly
derived from responses to Question 1 in the interviews, and siblings, teachers and friends
were included from the Bristol report.
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