FOSTERING CHARACTER THROUGH LITERATURE

 

Maria Bejjani

 School of Education, American University in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. email maria.bejjani@mymail.aud.edu

 

Abstract

The shortage of moral character models today instigated teachers and policymakers to explore character education. Teachers play a substantial role in fostering and developing their students’ characters. This study explores the perspectives of English Language Arts (ELA) teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on how to shape high school students’ characters through literature. To gain insight into their viewpoints, interview-based qualitative research was conducted. The participants consisted of six UAE ELA teachers across genders and curricula. The results showed that, according to the teachers, literature can foster character when students make connections to relatable literature. The interviews also revealed that teachers believe in the need to guide and scaffold students’ moral development and English fluency at varying levels. This study highlights the value of character education and means to develop it in the classroom.

Keywords: Character Education, Moral Education, Literature, English Language Learners