In this dynamic look at the current state of character education, Alan Lockwood assesses its strengths and weaknesses and finds fault with leading advocates for failing to respond to sound critiques of their work. Lockwood argues that contemporary character education can be significantly improved by using key principles from established theories and research on developmental psychology. He offers numerous examples to support his recommendations while inviting character education theorists and practitioners to generate their own implications from his presentation. For anyone interested in improving the quality of values-based education for children and adolescents, this book:

* Elaborates an alternative view of values education that is critical to pursuing a mission to promote good citizenship.

* Explains what contemporary character education is, identifying its strengths and addressing its major criticisms.

* Offers new conceptions of character education that systematically take developmental perspectives into their recommendations for curriculum and instruction.