Recognition and Applying Character Education Approaches in Schools

The aim of this study was to recognize the approaches of “character education” and trying to find useful and applicable method for each approach. Making use of a qualitative approach and a descriptive-analytic method, at first, this study attempted to explain the concept of character education by mentioning a brief history it. Then, it is focused on character education approaches and methods derived from them for applying at schools. The findings of this study imply that three major approaches of character education are traditional, developmental-cognitive and care approaches; but in schools, character education programs should be a combination of two or even all three approaches because each approach has some limitations and defects. It seems that the “holistic approach” can increase the chances of success of character education programs.