Perspectives on the formative value of character development curriculum: A qualitative research in Adventist schools in Western Romania

Abstract

The Adventist schools in western Romania use a customized curriculum aimed at developing students' character. The designed curriculum is structured to ensure continuity throughout an entire schooling cycle. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the content of optional subjects focused on character development, taught in Adventist schools in western Romania, can positively influence the formation of students' character traits. The present study is qualitative research that employs the focus group method and content analysis to explore subjective aspects regarding the attitudes and motivations of students attending Adventist institutions, in relation to the character values they learn in school. The results of the qualitative research highlight differences in character attitudes between students in schools where subjects focused on character development are taught and those in schools where they are not. In conclusion, what seems to positively influence students' character-related attitudes is the content of the custom curriculum focused on character development.