Critical Consciousness Merges Moral, Performance, and Civic Character Strengths to Support Positive Youth Development

• In Event: The Past, Present, and Future of Character Education

Abstract

Over the past decade, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) and several other prominent charter school networks have identified character development as a key lever in promoting student success (Tough, 2012). This interest in character development has focused primarily upon performance character— the qualities necessary to achieve one’s potential in endeavors ranging from art to academics to athletics (Lickona & Davidson, 2005)— because of research demonstrating correlations between academic achievement and performance character strengths such as persistence, self-discipline and grit (e.g. Duckworth & Seligman, 2006). However, in previous work, we have sought to demonstrate that moral, performance and civic character strengths make unique contributions to student success (Seider et al., 2013).

Here, we present preliminary findings from a study of adolescents attending six urban charter schools highly similar to those in the KIPP charter network that investigates the role of critical consciousness in fostering positive youth development. Critical consciousness refers to the ability to analyze and navigate systemic factors that contribute to a group’s social or economic marginalization (Diemer & Li, 2011) and has been shown to be predictive of urban students’ academic and social development (e.g. Diemer & Blustein, 2006; Ginwright, 2010). Because critical consciousness combines facets of moral, performance and civic character strengths, we seek through this study to offer additional insight into the role that these respective character dimensions play in supporting student success.

The sample reported on in this paper consists of 450 ninth grade students attending six urban charter high schools located in five northeastern cities during the 2013-2014 school year. More than 90% of these ninth grade students identify as youth of color and more than 70% qualify for free/reduced price lunch (a proxy for low socioeconomic status). These six schools have been included in the research study because they all cite fostering students’ critical consciousness as an explicit goal in their mission or vision statements, but take different pedagogical approaches to achieving this goal.

The 450 urban ninth graders will complete pre-post surveys during the 2013-2014 school year that include previously validated measures associated with critical consciousness (e.g. awareness of racism, beliefs about the causes of poverty, etc.). Additionally, we will observe classes, extracurricular activities and community meetings at each of the participating schools as well as conduct qualitative interviews with ninth grade students and teachers. These data will offer useful insights into a) the effects upon students of attending urban charter schools featuring different pedagogical approaches to cultivating their critical consciousness, and b) how the moral, performance and civic dimensions of critical consciousness contribute to urban students’ positive development. In so doing, this study will inform the work of educators, researchers and policy-makers committed to fostering the success of urban adolescents across a variety of urban school contexts.

Authors

• Scott Clifford Seider, Boston University

• Daren Graves, Simmons College

• Shelby Clark, Boston University

• Madora Soutter, Boston University

• Sherri Robyn Sklarwitz, Boston University