Implementation of CharacterPlus® and the interdependence on achievement and discipline

Abstract

This paper seeks to place character education into an educational pedagogy and show how the theory of character education can become the cornerstone of school-based programs. The purpose of this study is to discover the relationship between the implementation of a character education process, discipline and student achievement in select schools of Southwest Missouri. A quantitative approach was used to ascertain interdependence between the implementation of CHARACTERplus®, student discipline and achievement. To make an inference regarding the relationship between the implementation of CHARACTERplus® and student achievement, the researcher used a normal distribution of the test scores, and a z-score was determined. In addition, the study employed the use of an analysis of variance statistical model. The linear relationship between the dependent and independent variables was measured by the use of the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. For the purpose of this linear regression study the independent variable was the implementation of CHARACTERplus®. The dependent variable was student discipline incidents. Using the p-value corresponding to the z-score, the researcher was able to reject the null hypothesis in 14 out of 18 tests. A regression line was established a downward progression in the numbers of discipline incidents the more years the CHARACTERplus® program is in place.