2016_01_11_Templeton

The University of Navarra has launched on December 28, 2015 a research program on the Education of character. The initiative will have an applied part in secondary Education schools in Central and South America and will be funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation with a financial aid of nearly 700,000 euros. It is a joint project of the School of Education and Psychology and the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS).

The 3-year program aims to gain a better understanding of how the training of positive character traits - particularly social and moral virtues - can be promoted at Education secondary schools in Central and South America.

The project includes a theoretical research part and an application part internship, focused on Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. There they plan to review Education policies and good practices in schools, consulting with school leaders in each region. In addition, the team will develop six case studies in secondary schools, for which they will conduct surveys, analyze classrooms, organize several focus groups and interview students, teachers and parents.

The research has as purpose to develop how to apply the knowledge collected for promote the Education in social and moral virtues. The results of project are expected to have an impact on Education secondary school students, academic staff, teacher educators, researchers in the field of Education, policy makers and parents.

The research team is led by Concepción Naval, dean of the School of Education and Psychology. Other members of the team are Aurora Bernal and Ángel Sobrino, professors at School; Daniel Moulin, researcher of the ICS; and the assistant of research of Education and Psychology Juan Pablo Dabdoub. Also collaborating on behalf of ICS will be Alex Hansen, as manager, and María Isabel Solana, as manager of Communication.