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Mechanisms of wisdom development: A systematic review of intervention evidence and methodological rigor
Published on 4 Nov 2026
by A. Kadir Bahar Atilla Ozdemir Yasemin Sipahi Zülal Melek a Department of Educational Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, USAb Faculty of Education, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Türkiyec School of Education, Iowa State University, Ames, USAA. Kadir Bahar, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on creativity and talent development, specifically mathematical talent and creativity, problem solving, and equity and excellence gaps in advanced academics.Atilla Ozdemir, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at Süleyman Demirel University in Türkiye. His research interests include educational measurement and evaluation, and technology in mathematics education.Yasemin Sipahi is a PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia, where she serves as a research assistant in the Gifted and Creative Education Program. Her research focuses on mathematical giftedness, mathematical creativity, and problem solving.Zülal Melek is a PhD candidate in Educational Technology at Iowa State University, where she is also pursuing a co-major in Human–Computer Interaction. Her research focuses on creative teaching in K–12 mathematics, teacher creativity, and the use of digital technologies to support innovative mathematics instruction.
Rediscovering Comenius’ principles for moral education—A study on national curricula in four European countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Finland and Estonia
Published on 29 Oct 2026
by Elina Kuusisto Barbora Bačíková Blanka Babická Kadi Georg Štefánia Ferková Lucia Hradská Laura Lahti Katrin Poom-Valickis a Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, Finlandb Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University, Finlandc Faculty of Education, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republicd School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estoniae Department of Pedagogy, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakiaf Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandElina Kuusisto works as a senior research fellow at Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, Finland. She is also a university lecturer in diversity and inclusive education at Tampere University and holds the title of Docent (associate professor) at the University of Helsinki. Her main areas of research are school pedagogy, moral education, and purpose studies.Barbora Bačíková is an assistant at the Faculty of Education, Palacký University Olomouc. Her original field is English language and literature. As a doctoral candidate in education her research focuses mainly on character education within teachers’ training and teaching practice. She is a director of the Centre for Character Education in Czechia, where she develops character education programs for teachers at all levels of education.Blanka Babická is an assistant professor of foreign language education, teacher educator, and teaching practice supervisor at the Faculty of Education, Palacký University Olomouc. Her research interests relate to various aspects of foreign language teacher education and enhancing future teachers’ skills and competences, such as self-reflection, assessment techniques, and feedback, or value education. She has participated in ESF and V4+ projects, worked on several projects focused on the development or innovation of teacher education programs and has organized Erasmus+ BIPs and other international blended mobilities and virtual exchanges for future teachers.Kadi Georg is currently a doctoral student and junior lecturer in school pedagogy at the School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University. Her field of research focuses primarily on how to support teacher learning and professional development using video-based reflection discussions.Štefánia Ferková works as a university lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University, Bratislava. Her research focuses on moral and character education in schools and on the moral competencies of pupils. She participates in several Erasmus+ projects and has also led national research projects in Slovakia. She moreover has several years of practical experience working as a biology teacher and school psychologist in a primary school.Lucia Hradská has defended her doctoral thesis in the field of pre-primary and elementary pedagogy at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University, Bratislava, where she graduated in 2022 with a master’s degree in English Language and Literature Teaching and Pedagogy.Laura Lahti is a university lecturer in language education at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her research focuses on language education, with emphasis on teaching and learning foreign languages, language awareness, and multilingualism.Katrin Poom-Valickis is a professor of teacher education at the School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University. Her main research interest is primarily in teachers’ professional development, more specifically how to support future teachers’ learning and development during their studies and first years of work.
Irreplaceable human educators in moral and character education during the era of artificial intelligence
Published on 6 Oct 2026
by Hyemin Han Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USAHyemin Han is a professor of educational psychology and educational neuroscience at the University of Alabama. His research interests include moral development, moral education, social neuroscience, and computational modeling.
Cross-cultural differences in children’s judgments of truth-telling and lying about charitable giving
Published on 28 Sep 2026
by Larbi Benallal Jennifer Lavoie Atiyeh Shohoudi Mojdehi Victoria Talwar a Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canadab Moray House of Sport and Education, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKLarbi Benallal, M.A., earned his master’s degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Human Development from McGill University and currently works as a Psychology Professor at Vanier College. One of his main research interests focuses on social-emotional, cultural, and cognitive development across diverse contexts.Jennifer Lavoie, Ph.D., is a Chancellor’s Fellow in Global Challenges at the Moray House School of Education and Sport at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses broadly on the development of children’s social and moral evaluations and behaviour, as well as children’s disclosures of sensitive information, such as abuse and maltreatment.Atiyeh Shohoudi Mojdehi, Ph.D., received her doctorate in Educational Psychology, Human Development at the Educational & Counselling Psychology department at McGill University. She is an experienced advisor with a demonstrated history of working in the individual and family services industry. Her research interests include cross-cultural differences, cyberbullying, morality and its influential factors.Victoria Talwar, Ph.D., is a Canada Research Chair (Tier I) and Professor at McGill University. Her research focuses on children’s verbal deception, moral development, theory-of-mind understanding, cyberbullying, and expressive display rule knowledge and behaviour. In addition, her work examines how cross-cultural factors and attitudes influence children’s lying behavior.
Character climate scale: Development and multi-site validation of a new tool for measuring the moral ecosystem of a university
Published on 28 Sep 2026
by Brittany M. Tausen Jessica L. Fossum Bethany F. Hoff Thane M. Erickson Julia Flores a Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, USAb Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, USABrittany M. Tausen is an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Baylor UniversityJessica L. Fossum is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Seattle Pacific UniversityBethany F. Hoff is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Seattle Pacific UniversityThane M. Erickson is a professor of clinical psychology at Seattle Pacific University.Julia Flores was a graduate student in the Psychology Department at Seattle Pacific University during the time of this work.
Character in action: Outdoor education, moral practice, and the Czech tradition
Published on 25 Sep 2026
by Ivo Jirásek Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech RepublicIvo Jirásek, Ph.D., professor at the Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic. He focuses on philosophical aspects of movement culture (sport), specialises in outdoor education within the discourse of experiential pedagogy, and the phenomenon of spiritual literacy. With his education and publishing activity, he operates at the intersection of philosophy, pedagogy, and kinanthropology.
The effects of encouragement on children’s evaluation of dishonest individuals
Published on 14 Sep 2026
by Tz-Yu (Leo) Duan Ipek Isik Thera Phillips Angela Crossman Victoria Talwar a Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebecb Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, USATz-Yu Duan is a PhD student in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University. His research interests include lie-telling and academic cheating in school-aged children and adolescents.Ipek Isik is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her research interests include children’s moral development and verbal deception.Thera Phillips is a Master’s student in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Her research focuses on dating violence in adolescents. Specifically, she is interested in the promotion of healthy relationships and dating violence prevention.Angela M. Crossman is the Dean of Faculty and a Professor in the Psychology Department at John Jay College and a member of the Psychology doctoral faculty at the CUNY Graduate Center. Dr. Crossman’s research interests include the accuracy and credibility of children’s memory and testimony and the socialization and development of lying and truth-telling.Victoria Talwar is a Professor, Canada Research Chair (I), and Director of the Gold Centre for Early Childhood Development at McGill University. Her research is in the area of developmental psychology with an emphasis on social-cognitive development and moral development.
Parent-reported socialization of lie-telling within the sibling relationship
Published on 11 Sep 2026
by Tabeer Afzal Daniella Filoso Lindsay C. Malloy Angela D. Evans a Psychology Department, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canadab Faculty of Social Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, CanadaTabeer Afzal, MA is currently a PhD student in School/Applied Child Psychology studying children’s honestyDaniella Filoso completed her MA at Ontario Tech University examining sibling’s lie-telling.Lindsay C. Malloy, PhD is a Professor of Forensic Psychology at Ontario Tech University focusing on children’s and adolescents’ development and the socio-contextual influences on children’s memory and narratives of their experiences.Angela D. Evans, PhD is a Professor of Psychology at Brock University focusing on the development of honesty across the lifespan and methods for encouraging truthful reports.
When ‘is’ is ought: A dynamic, relational developmental systems-based model of moral development—The Kohlberg memorial lecture of 2026
Published on 8 Sep 2026
by Richard M. Lerner Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USARichard M. Lerner is a Professor in the Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University (in Medford, Massachusetts), holds the Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science, and is also the Director of the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development. He has more than 850 publications, including over 90 authored and edited books. A life-span developmental scientist, his work pertains to theories and methods pertinent to describing, explaining, and optimizing the development of diverse youth around the world.
Funnel framing of moral discussion in China’s Morality and Law classrooms
Published on 4 Sep 2026
by Xi Wu School of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, ChinaXi Wu is a Lecturer in the School of Education at Shanghai Normal University. Her research interests focus on moral education, and curriculum development, with a current research project examining the discourse of moral education curricula. She earned her PhD from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she specialized in global citizenship education and critical discourse study.
The moral self of adolescent peer supporters in school: Narrative abilities, emotion regulation, and self-descriptions
Published on 4 Sep 2026
by Kevin van der Meulen Carmen Loureiro Cristina del Barrio Departamento de Psicología evolutiva y de la educación, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, SpainKevin van der Meulen graduated in Psychology from the University of Nijmegen (The Netherlands, 1996) and received his PhD from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2003), where he is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Psychology since 2009. His research concerns peer bullying in schools, emotional and identity development in adolescence as well as intervention programs in secondary education, aimed at improving school climate and promoting adolescents’ personal development.Carmen Loureiro graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in 1987 and received her PhD from the same university in 2024. She is a clinical psychologist and has taught courses in schools and universities. She has also completed research on attachment and emotions, as well as the development of emotional regulation, identity, interpersonal communication and the role of music listening on these aspects.Cristina del Barrio Ph.D., (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, 1987) is emeritus professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Her research concerns children’s and adolescents’ representations of the social world, peer bullying and social exclusion in schools, adolescents’ identity development, as well as whole school approach interventions to improve school climate, including the role of students as agents in promoting the well-being of their peers.
Truth induction and children’s reporting accuracy: Developmental differences and cognitive correlates
Published on 28 Aug 2026
by Seungjin Lee Sanghuh College of General Education, Konkuk University, Seoul, South KoreaSeungjin Lee is a researcher and instructor specializing in developmental psychology, with a focus on children’s memory, suggestibility, and source monitoring. She is currently affiliated with Konkuk University in Seoul, where she teaches psychology and conducts research on cognitive and socio-emotional factors influencing children’s reporting accuracy. Her research examines how truth-induction procedures, interviewer emotional support, and theory of mind shape children’s recall accuracy and resistance to misinformation, particularly within structured interview contexts. Integrating perspectives from developmental science and moral communication, her work explores how explicit normative commitments—such as promises to tell the truth—affect children’s reporting behavior beyond cognitive retrieval processes. Lee’s research integrates experimental, developmental, and applied approaches, with the goal of advancing theoretical understanding of children’s memory and moral communication while informing best practices in forensic interviewing and educational settings.
Taking Aristotle seriously in liberal democracy
Published on 28 Aug 2026
by Benjamin Miller Department of Political Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USABenjamin Miller is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research brings together ancient philosophy, political philosophy, education theory, and empirical political science to study democratic citizenship. He has published in Polis, Education Theory, the Handbook on Politics and Public Opinion, the Oxford Handbook of Ancient Political Thought, and other edited volumes.
Review of Benjamin Miller (2026) Against Aristotelian character education: Practical wisdom, flourishing, and liberal democracy—Routledge
Published on 28 Aug 2026
by Randall Curren Department of Philosophy & Education (Secondary), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USARandall Curren is Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Education (secondary) at the University of Rochester and held a concurrent fellowship in the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (2012–2013) and professorships at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham (UK) and the Royal Institute of Philosophy (London) (2013–2015). His recent works include Patriotic Education in a Global Age (University of Chicago Press, 2018), the Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Education (2023), ‘Philosophy of Education’ (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2025), and the forthcoming Cambridge Handbook of Flourishing-Focused Education.
Spiritual values: Terry McLaughlin on a missing dimension to sex education
Published on 28 Aug 2026
by J. Mark Halstead Michael J. Reiss a School of Business, Education and Law, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UKb Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, Institute of Education, UCL, London, UKJ. Mark Halstead is Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of HuddersfieldMichael J. Reiss is Professor of Science Education at UCL Institute of Education.
On the necessity of an alternative conception of liberal moral education in the Global North
Published on 15 Aug 2026
by Doret de Ruyter Foundations of Education, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, The NetherlandsDoret de Ruyter is professor of Philosophy of Education at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Her research interests circle around human flourishing, ideals in education, moral and citizenship education and professional ethics. For a list of publications, see: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Doret-De-Ruyter/research
Design-based research: Possibilities for practice, theory, and practical wisdom in character education research
Published on 13 Aug 2026
by Mark B. Pacheco Karen Bohlin a School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USAb Abigail Adams Institute in Cambridge, MA, USAMark B. Pacheco is an Associate Professor in the University of Florida’s College of Education.Karen E. Bohlin is the Director of the Practical Wisdom Project at the Abigail Adams Institute and Research Affiliate at the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University.
Hoping wisely: Research and practice
Published on 11 Aug 2026
by Kendra Thomas Department of Psychology, Hope College, Holland, MI, USAKendra Thomas, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at Hope College. Originally from Londrina, Brazil, she has long-standing collaborations with the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Paraná investigating school climate and moral development. She studies the development of virtue and adolescents’ perceptions of justice. For the past 10 years, she has collaborated with the South African non-profit, iThemba Projects, conducting program evaluation on home visitation and educational interventions. She investigates hope, support, and flourishing in a context of adversity and seeks to build sustainable research-community development partnerships.
Social comparison in moral education
Published on 11 Aug 2026
by Wojciech Kaftanski a Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Polandb Human Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USAWojciech Kaftanski, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University and a Research Affiliate with the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. He is the Principal Investigator of ‘The Moral Psychology of Social Comparison: Nature and Normativity,’ a project supported by the National Science Center in Poland (NCN) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Horizon 2020 scheme.
When honesty is discouraged: Understanding parental lies around Santa Claus
Published on 24 Jul 2026
by Thalia R. Goldstein Candice Mills a Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, USAb Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USAThalia R. Goldstein is Associate Professor and Director in the Applied Developmental Psychology program at George Mason University where she directs the Play, Learning, Arts, and Youth Lab. Her work focuses on children’s engagement in imagination, play, and the arts, and her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, The John Templeton Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Caplan Foundation.Candice Mills is a Professor of Psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas where she directs the Think Lab. Her primary research examines children’s learning from others, and her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, The Lewis Foundation, and The John Templeton Foundation.
The path to forgiveness in post-genocide Rwanda: On the roles of other character constructs
Published on 24 Jul 2026
by Roya Abbasi-Asl Jonathan M. Tirrell Elizabeth M. Dowling Natasha Keces Isha P. Deorah Erin I. Kelly John Gasasira Gasana Emmanuel Namurinda Alistair Sim Richard M. Lerner a Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USAb Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USAc Center for Conflict Management, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Butare, Rwandad Compassion International, Kigali, Butare, Rwandae Compassion International, Colorado Spring, CO, USARoya Abbasi-Asl, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. Her research focuses on understanding three key sources of variability—within-person, within-group, and contextual—in the learning and development of children and youth, including moral and character development and social-emotional learning, and how these variabilities affect their health, well-being, and overall thriving. Her goal is to provide child and youth development organizations in LMICs—such as Thanda in South Africa, Compassion International (currently operating in 29 majority world countries), and CoSchool in Colombia—with actionable insights, enabling them to create person-specific interventions that empower every young person to thrive. Tufts University, roya.AbbasiAsl@tufts.edu.Jonathan M. Tirrell, Ph.D., is a Research Associate Professor and Director of Vuslat Foundation Generous Listening and Dialogue Initiative at Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. He studies positive youth development (PYD) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by engaging in research-practitioner partnerships seeking to describe, explain, and optimize PYD and thriving among children and youth living in poverty. His research is particularly focused on the development of character strengths and virtues. Dr. Tirrell serves as Co-Editor for the Journal of Character Education (Emerald Publishing). Tufts University, jonathan.tirrell@tufts.edu.Elizabeth M. Dowling, Ph.D., is a Research Professor at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University, and the Deputy Director of the Institute of Applied Research in Youth Development. She helps to manage both domestic and international studies of positive youth development (PYD) as well as the institute’s capacity building efforts with practitioners and early-stage researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Dr. Dowling’s research interests include PYD, character virtue development, and better understanding how to effectively and sustainably promote the equitable thriving of the world’s young people. Tufts University, elizabeth.dowling@tufts.edu.Natasha Keces is a Ph.D. student at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University and Research Assistant at the Institute of Applied Research in Youth Development. She is interested in understanding the strengths of youth and communities from marginalized backgrounds, both domestically and internationally, and the conditions that support their positive development across diverse contexts. Specifically, she examines how the development of self-regulation and character strengths promote thriving under conditions of stress and adversity as well as the coaction between person and context. To explore these questions, she is interested in using methodological tools that can describe both within-person and between-person developmental trajectories. Tufts University, natasha.keces@tufts.edu.Isha P. Deorah is an undergraduate at Tufts University and a Research Assistant at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, double-majoring in Psychology and Child Studies & Human Development with a minor in Cognitive & Brain Sciences. Her academic interests focus on resilience, narrative meaning-making, and social-emotional development across childhood and emerging adulthood, particularly in contexts of adversity and recovery. She has experience with qualitative research methods, including narrative and thematic analysis, and is interested in how individual and contextual factors shape pathways to resilience. Tufts University, isha.deorah@tufts.edu.Erin I. Kelly, Ph.D., is the Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. Her research areas are in moral and political philosophy and the philosophy of law, with a focus on criminal law and criminal justice. She has written about standards of individual accountability and philosophies of punishment. She also writes about how matters of social justice bear on the normative assessment of criminal justice institutions. She is working to develop alternatives to retributive thinking about criminal justice, including restorative notions of justice. In addition to dozens of academic articles, she is author of The Limits of Blame: Rethinking Punishment and Responsibility (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2018), which criticizes the role of blame in popular theories of criminal justice, and co-author of a memoir by artist Winfred Rembert, Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South (Bloomsbury Press, 2021). Tufts University, erin.kelly@tufts.edu.John Gasasira Gasana, Ph.D., is an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Rwanda in the College of Arts and Social Sciences. John is also affiliated with the Center for Conflict Management at the University of Rwanda. His research focuses on the contribution of access to justice to sustainable peacebuilding in Rwanda. University of Rwanda, gasanajohn@gmail.com.Emmanuel Namurinda is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the Compassion International Rwanda office. He holds a master’s degree in International Development from Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, and another master’s degree in Christian Studies from Wesley Biblical Seminary. Compassion International Rwanda, enamurinda@rw.ci.org.Alistair T. R. Sim, PhD., is the former Principal Scientific Advisor of Compassion International’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) team. He is passionate about excellence in research and its strategic use to serve people living in poverty. For over 10 years, as the Program Effectiveness Research Director and Principal Scientific Advisor (MERL) of Compassion International, Alistair has advocated for the development and use of valid and meaningful measures, data, and rigorous studies of Compassion International’s programs. Prior to joining Compassion, Alistair spent 25 years as a career health-sector academic and is a strong advocate for the integration of academia and practice for effective evidence-based child and youth programming. Compassion International, alsim@us.ci.org.Richard M. Lerner, Ph.D., is the Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University, and the Director of the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development. He is known for his theoretical work on the mutually influential relations between individuals and their settings, as the fundamental basis of life-span human development, and for his use of this approach to developmental theory to describe, explain, and optimize the relations between adolescents and their peers, families, schools, and communities. Among his several honors are the 2013 APA Division 7 Urie Bronfenbrenner Award for Lifetime Contribution to Developmental Psychology in the Service of Science and Society, the 2014 APA Gold Medal for Life Achievement in the Application of Psychology, the 2016 ISSBD Award for the Applications of Behavioral Development Theory and Research, the 2017 SRCD Distinguished Contributions to Public Policy and Practice in Child Development award, the 2020 APS James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award for lifetime outstanding contributions to applied psychological research, and the 2021 SSHD Distinguished Lifetime Career Award. Tufts University, richard.lerner@tufts.edu.
Disengaged boys challenge education for moral purposes – a pilot study from Finland
Published on 24 Jul 2026
by Merja Viljanen Elina Kuusisto Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University, Tampere, FinlandMerja Viljanen is a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education and Culture at Tampere University, Finland. With over 30 years of experience working with young people, she has developed both professional expertise and a genuine curiosity about their everyday lives and how adolescents find purpose and meaning in their lives. Her doctoral research, “Young People Constructing Purposeful Life,” reflects this focus. Her work focuses on understanding young people’s perspectives and supporting their pursuit of a meaningful future. merja.viljanen@tuni.fiElina Kuusisto is a Senior Research Fellow at Tampere Institute for Advanced Study and a University Lecturer (diversity and inclusive education) at the Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University, Finland. She holds the title of Docent (Associate Professor) at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her academic writings deal with teachers’ professional ethics and school pedagogy, with a special interest in purpose in life, moral sensitivities, and a growth mindset.
Educating for forgiveness and agape love across three nations: A phenomenological study of fifth graders’ experiences
Published on 15 Jul 2026
by Hannah Rapp Jiahe Wang Xu Katrina G. Welborn Moon Evans Jacqueline Y. Song Jill Magennis Anita Gracie Laiki Saban Tali Gal Shih-Tseng Tina Huang Tung-En Hsiao Wan-Hsiang Yu Yi-Jen Karen Yu Chuanman Chen Chia-Ling Grace Wu Shu-Li Lin Robert Enright a Graduate School of Education, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, New York, NY, USAb Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI, USAc Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USAd Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USAe International Forgiveness Institute, Inc, Madison, WI, USAf International Doctoral School, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spaing Department of Teacher Education, Stranmillis University College, Belfast, UKh School of Criminology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israeli Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israelj Department of Psychology, National Chung-Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)k Department of Applied Psychology, Hsuan Chuang University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)l Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Resource Development, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)m Victory National Primary School, Tainan City, Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)n Gang-Ping Elementary School, Chiayi City, Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)o Nan-Hsin Elementary School, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)p Shinmei Elementary School, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)Hannah Rapp is a postdoctoral associate at the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention which is housed in the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York.Jiahe Wang Xu is an assistant professor and child developmental psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She served as a co-PI of a three-year project in implementing and investigating the forgiveness and agape love education program in three countries, Northern Ireland, Israel, Taiwan. Dr. Wang Xu’s main research interests are moral virtue development with a focus on forgiveness and agape love, moral virtue-based interventions in youth, social emotional learning in diverse cultures, and youth mental health.Katrina G. Welborn is an LPC at Rogers Behavioral Health, Madison, working in depression recovery. She also works as a consultant with Skillsetter on Facilitative Interpersonal Skills. Ms. Welborn’s main research interests are chronic pain and disability in the context of postsecondary education settings.Moon Evans studies human development as a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the development of forgiveness and agape love, as well as psychological well-being in children, adolescents, and adults.Jacqueline Y. Song is a Program Director at the International Forgiveness Institute, Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin in the United States, where she directs forgiveness intervention programs.Jill Magennis is a Senior Lecturer in Early Years Education at Stranmillis University College, Belfast. Her research interests include the role of educators in promoting respect for diversity and peacebuilding in divided societies and pedagogies for supporting the personal, social and emotional development of children. She held the role of Principal Investigator (N. Ireland research team) to assess the impact of the implementation of Forgiveness Education in educational settings with children aged 10-11 years old.Anita Gracie is a Senior Lecturer at Stranmillis University College where she teaches Primary RE Curriculum Studies and Specialism to undergraduate B.Ed. student teachers, and Religious Studies for Post Primary B.Ed Students. She is the author of an A-Level textbook on World Religions and has presented papers at international conferences over recent years in Macedonia, Malta and Belfast. Recent research projects have included an examination of a Forgiveness Education Curriculum for 10- and 11-year-olds as well as an examination of church-school collaborations tackling educational underachievement and social deprivation.Laiki Saban is an educator, group facilitator, and criminologist (M.A.). She is a social activist who believes in the power of individuals to create change, influence their surroundings, and foster healing through openness, trust, collaboration, and dialogue. She managed the mediation center in Acre and facilitated restorative Justice processes. She recently co-founded the Maagan Meche Center, a center for the accessibility of the Restorative Justice ApproachTali Gal is Chair in Child and Youth Rights at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Faculty of Law and Institute of Criminology. Her scholarship integrates legal, criminological, and psycho-social knowledge and involves restorative justice, children’s rights, and therapeutic jurisprudence. Before joining the Hebrew University in 2022, she was a faculty member at the University of Haifa, where she was Head of the School of Criminology since 2018. Tali holds editorial roles at The International Journal of Restorative Justice, Youth Justice, and Frontiers of Psychology.Shih-Tseng Tina Huang is a Professor of the Department of Psychology, National Chung-Cheng University in Chiayi in Taiwan, where she directs forgiveness intervention programs.Tung-En Hsiao is a graduate student at the Department of Applied Psychology, Hsuan Chuang University in Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.) and was a research assistant who conducted the forgiveness intervention program in Taiwan.Wan-Hsiang Yu is a doctoral student at the Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Resource Development, National Chi Nan University in Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.) and was a research assistant who conducted the forgiveness intervention program in Taiwan.Yi-Jen Karen Yu is a teacher at Tainan City East District Victory National PrimarySchool, in Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.) and also taught the forgiveness intervention program in Taiwan.Chuanman Chen is a teacher at Chiayi City Gang-ping Elementary School in Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.) and also taught the forgiveness intervention program in Taiwan.Chia-Ling Grace Wu is a teacher at Nan-Hsin Elementary School, Chiayi County in Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.) and taught the forgiveness intervention program in Taiwan.Shu-Li Lin is a teacher and Dean of Academic Affairs at Chiayi County Shinmei Elementary School in Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.) and also taught the forgiveness intervention program in Taiwan.Robert Enright holds the Aristotelian Professorship in Forgiveness Science within the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a licensed psychologist, and founder of the non-profit organization, the International Forgiveness Institute. For his innovative research on forgiveness, he received in 2022 what the American Psychological Association calls ‘psychology’s highest awards,’ the APF Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology.
AI and moral education: Opportunities and challenges examined from multidisciplinary perspectives
Published on 14 Jul 2026
by Hyemin Han Educational Psychology Program, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USAHyemin Han is an associate professor in educational psychology and educational neuroscience, and a program coordinator for the educational psychology MA/PhD program at the University of Alabama. His research interests include moral development, moral education, social neuroscience, and computational modeling.
Beyond ‘pedagogic phronesis’: Resolved, part-resolved and unresolved questions about practical wisdom
Published on 9 Jul 2026
by Kristján Kristjansson Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UKKristján Kristjansson is Professor of Character Education and Virtue Ethics, in the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham, UK. He is also the editor of the Journal of Moral Education.
The possibilities and limits of learning from immoral role models
Published on 9 Jul 2026
by Emerald Henderson Centre for Character and Human Growth, Villanueva University, Madrid, SpainEmerald Henderson is a postdoctoral researcher in moral philosophy at the Centre for Character and Human Growth in Madrid. Her double-award-winning PhD thesis, conducted at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, delineates a new neo-Aristotelian theory of emulation qua role modelling and considers how it could be applied in the professional context of teaching. More broadly, her work concerns moral development and applied virtue ethics.
Parent-adolescent dynamics and the development of prosocial values: Two-wave prospective design
Published on 23 Jun 2026
by Elisabeth Malonda-Vidal Alfredo Zarco-Alpuente Lucas Serrano-Pastor Anna Llorca-Mestre Paula Samper-García Department of Basic Psychology, University of Valencia, Valencia, SpainElisabeth Malonda-Vidal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Basic Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy at the University of Valencia, Spain, reachable at elisabeth.malonda@uv.esAlfredo Zarco-Alpuente is a PhD candidate in the Department of Basic Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy at the University of Valencia, Spain, reachable at alfredo.zarco@uv.esLucas Serrano-Pastor is a PhD candidate in the Department of Basic Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy at the University of Valencia, Spain, reachable at lucas.serrano@uv.esAnna Llorca-Mestre is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Basic Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy at the University of Valencia, Spain, reachable at anna.llorca@uv.esPaula Samper-García is a Full Professor in the Department of Basic Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy at the University of Valencia, Spain, reachable at paula.samper@uv.es
Understanding happiness through the lens of Confucius and Mencius: A reflective approach in an ESP course for Chilean university students
Published on 15 Jun 2026
by Chuan Chih Hsu Chia Shih Su Kua I Su Chia Li Su a Dirección de Formación General, Área de Idiomas, Universidad Católica Del Maule (UCM), Talca, Chileb Programa de Doctorado en Educación, Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, Universidad de Almería (UAL), Almería, Españac Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Católica Del Maule (UCM), Talca, Chiled Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales (UCES), Doctorado en Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentinae Médica de la Especialidad Clínica Médica, Hospital General de Agudos Dra. Cecilia Grierson, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaChuan Chih Hsu is a Taiwanese scholar currently serving as an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instructor at a university in Chile. Chia Shih Su, also from Taiwan, teaches mathematics and physics at the same institution. Kua I Su is a Taiwanese educator working as a Chinese language instructor at a university in Argentina. Meanwhile, Chia Li Su is a Taiwanese medical doctor based at an Argentinian hospital and also works independently as a teacher of Chinese language and culture.
Education for citizenship in pluralist liberal democracies: Balancing diversity and commonality
Published on 11 Jun 2026
by Penny Enslin School of Education, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKPenny Enslin is Professor Emerita in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. She previously held the position of Professor of Education at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Her research interests are in the field of political philosophy and education, with reference to citizenship and democratic education, postcolonialism, higher education, global justice, comparative philosophy of education, and liberal feminism.
Moral formation in higher education: Conversations from an emerging field
Published on 28 May 2026
by Colleen Dallavalle Carina D’Urso A. Taiga Guterres Holly Christine Hoffmann Emily Ruth Kent Harrison Mullen Eric Roland Department of Formative Education, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USAColleen Dallavalle is a doctoral student in Formative Education and the Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation at Boston College. With over 14 years in student affairs, she designs high-impact co-curricular experiences that promote purpose, vocational discernment, and moral development in Jesuit, Catholic higher education. Her research examines how formative practices outside the classroom cultivate reflective leadership and holistic development. Dallavalle’s professional and scholarly work underscores the transformative potential of co-curricular formation as a complement to academic learning.Carina D’Urso is a doctoral student in Formative Education at Boston College whose professional background includes roles at the Harvard Art Museums, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is dedicated to fostering learning, access, and belonging in art museum settings. From 2023 to 2024, she was Post-Baccalaureate Fellow in PreK–12 Museum Education at Cornell University’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. Her research interests include aesthetic experience and imagination, collaborative knowledge production and pedagogy, and the construction of public space.A. Taiga Guterres is a doctoral student in Formative Education at Boston College and Associate Director of the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies. A practicing psychotherapist trained at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis, his research interests include the rewriting of the self at the intersection of history, narrative, and memory. As a Resident Minister on campus, he and his wife host weekly tea times for students, creating space for meaningful conversation, curiosity, and hospitality.Holly Christine Hoffmann is a doctoral student in Formative Education at Boston College. Following a twenty-year career in secondary school teaching and academic leadership, she earned her M.Div. at Yale Divinity School and served in parish ministry for 6 years. A spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition, she works with individuals and in a variety of retreat contexts. She holds an M.A. in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University. Her research focuses on the formation of teachers, leaders, and spiritual directors within Jesuit and Catholic higher education.Emily Ruth Kent is a doctoral student in Formative Education at Boston College and a Doctoral Fellow for the Center for Psychological Humanities and Ethics. She also serves as the Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs at the Woods College of Advancing Studies. Her research interests include how literature can help individuals better understand themselves, share their stories, and connect with others. Emily is passionate about the transformative effect education can have on both individuals and their communities, the potential of literature to be educative, and the impact of dialogue around literature. In her spare time, Emily is also an avid reader and an unofficial book collector.Harrison Mullen is a doctoral student in Formative Education at Boston College with scholarly interests in philosophy of education, liberal education, psychoanalysis, and cultural anthropology. His current work investigates the therapeutic functions of sport and liberal education. He holds an M.A. in Philosophy and Education from Columbia University and a B.S. in Biology from St. Lawrence University. Mullen’s research bridges the humanities and human development, exploring how educational experiences contribute to personal growth and societal wellbeing.Eric Roland is a doctoral student in Formative Education and a fellow in the Roche Center for Catholic Education at Boston College. He is interim director and director of partnerships at the Tang Institute at Phillips Academy Andover, a hub for teaching and learning innovation. Roland holds degrees in International Studies from Fairfield University and International Relations from Tufts University. His work centers on whole-person formation, global citizenship, and community engagement, seeking to connect educational practice to social impact.