Pathways To Values Formation: Mapping the Interrelationships Among Character Traits, Moral Awareness and Ethical Influences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.07.09.23Keywords:
Character traits, Community support, Elementary learners, Ethical influences, Family ethical orientation, Moral awareness, Peer influence, Teacher modeling, Values education, Values formation programAbstract
This study aimed to identify the factors shaping learners’ character traits and moral awareness as the basis for a Values Formation Program. As education increasingly emphasizes holistic development, schools are expected to develop learners who are morally responsible, socially conscious, and ethically grounded. Perez (2024) reported increasing incidents of dishonesty, disrespect, irresponsibility, and apathy among Filipino students, underscoring the need to strengthen values education. The study employed a quantitative, descriptive-correlational research design. Teachers served as the respondents by assessing the character traits, moral awareness, and ethical influences of elementary learners using a validated researcher-made questionnaire administered through Google Forms. Descriptive statistics determined the levels of the variables, while Pearson’s correlation determined the relationships among them. The findings revealed significant positive relationships among learners’ character traits, moral awareness, and ethical influences. Learners with stronger character traits demonstrated higher levels of moral awareness, while both variables were significantly associated with teacher modeling, values education, family ethical orientation, peer influence, and community support. These results indicate that learners’ moral development is influenced by the interaction of personal characteristics and environmental factors. Based on the findings, a Values Formation Program was developed to strengthen character development and moral awareness through values education activities, character-building workshops, ethical dialogue, family-school partnerships, and reflective practices. The study highlighted the shared responsibility of schools, families, and communities in fostering ethical and socially responsible learners and provides evidence-based guidance for educators and policymakers in designing sustainable values education initiatives.
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