School-Based Character Education for Mental Health

Course content

In short, easy-to-understand video sequences, we combine current scientific insights with concrete examples from everyday school practice. The focus is on core character strengths such as courage, self-regulation, order, gratitude, honesty, resilience, empathy, responsibility, good judgment, etc. You will not only learn why these strengths are so important for children and adolescents and how they are connected to mental health and a flourishing life, but above all how you can effectively foster them in the classroom, in school culture, and through targeted reflection formats.

The course follows empirically well-researched and internationally established concepts of character education. It is grounded in a neo-Aristotelian philosophical foundation and the rich body of international research on character education associated with it. It also draws on insights from Positive Psychology related to flourishing, virtues, and character strengths, as well as psychological research on mental health and resilience in children and adolescents.

The course links these scientific foundations with internationally widespread, practice-oriented approaches to character development, for example from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, as implemented in thousands of schools worldwide through the school-based character education program Leader in Me.

The course is overseen by the Chair of School Development and Leadership at the University of Teacher Education of Christian Churches Austria and is part of the Character Initiative, led by Roland Bernhard. This initiative aims to sustainably embed research based and philosophically reflected character education in schools in German-speaking countries and, in doing so,

1. contribute to the mental health of young people and to the long-term flourishing of their personal and professional lives; and

2. strengthen democracy by fostering character strengths that help overcome polarized thinking and promote respect, politeness, appreciative and friendly interaction, and genuine critical thinking.

The course was developed by an interdisciplinary team of university lecturers, school development consultants, and experienced practitioners, in cooperation with Leader in Me Austria.

Learning goals

After completing the course, participants will have a well-founded understanding of school-based character education in relation to mental health and will be able to apply this knowledge in a reflective and practice-oriented way.

Specifically, participants will learn to:

• understand core concepts of character education, character strengths, and virtues, and to distinguish them from related concepts such as temperament or personality
• interpret scientific findings from psychology, educational research, and philosophy related to mental health, resilience, and a flourishing life, and make them applicable to educational practice
• explain the significance of key character strengths for the development of children and adolescents
• implement character education systematically in the classroom, in school culture, and in out-of-school educational settings, guided by internationally established approaches
• support children and adolescents in developing self-regulation, intrinsic motivation, and resilience, and in coping constructively with challenges, setbacks, and performance demands
• select and apply concrete methods, routines, and teaching materials for the promotion of character strengths in a context-sensitive manner
• initiate reflection processes that foster critical thinking and practical wisdom, enabling young people to assess situations in a differentiated way and to make responsible decisions
• understand and professionally articulate character education as a contribution to mental health, positive relationships, and respectful, democratic coexistence
• integrate elements of internationally widespread character education approaches, including The Leader in Me and its implementation in schools, reflectively into their own professional context

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge in the field of education science is required to participate in this course. The course is designed to provide both a solid introduction and opportunities for deeper engagement with the topic. Basic pedagogical knowledge and experience working with children and adolescents, for example in school or other educational settings, can be helpful. Such background knowledge supports the understanding and practical application of the course content but is not a formal requirement for participation.

Course schedule

The course School-Based Character Education for Mental Health is structured into several modules, each focusing on a core virtue or a fundamental aspect of school-based character education. Each module consists of short video sequences, interactive quiz questions, and reflection tasks for self-assessment, as well as structured and open teaching materials that you can download and use directly in your classroom, your school, or your professional context.

The course is designed to be flexible and allows you to learn at your own pace. You can work through the content independently of time and place, select individual modules according to your interests, or revisit videos and materials whenever needed. This flexibility makes it easy to integrate the course into everyday school or professional life and supports you in developing character education in a sustainable and effective way.

For actively participating in the course you will receive an automatic certificate which includes your name, the course name as well as the completed units. We want to point out that this certificate merely confirms that you answered at least 75% of the self-assessment questions correctly.

This work is licensed under Creative Commons - nicht kommerziell, keine Bearbeitung 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)