The short-term impact of a character growth intervention during a week-long summer camp among 10–15-year-old Baltic Sea region boys

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the short-term impact of a one-week intervention for 10–15-year-old boys from the Baltic Sea region. The intervention addressed the cognitive dimension of character growth using ‘taught’ and ‘caught’ elements. The mixed-methods study used a quasi-experimental quantitative approach (pretest and posttest questionnaires) and qualitative methods (open questions, interviews). The results support the short-term benefits of the intervention on adolescents’ character growth mind-set and practical knowledge and points to the importance of near-peers’ modeling, personal coaching conversations, and self-reflection for virtue growth. The study may be relevant for providers of extra-school activities promoting youngsters’ character growth. Further research directions are suggested.

KEYWORDS:

• Baltic sea region
• boys’ character education
• character growth mind-set
• early adolescence
• extra-school activities
• intervention program

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund postdoctoral grant No 1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/071 (project ‘Arete school’), the University of Latvia grant No ZD2010/AZ22 (research project ‘Human, technologies and quality of education’), and the Latvian Council of Science grant No. lzp-2021/1-0385 (project ‘Effectiveness research of an online curriculum for virtue education in Latvian educational institutions’).

Notes on contributors

Manuel Joaquín Fernández González

Manuel Joaquín Fernández González (Dr.paed.) is a senior researcher at the Scientific Institute of Pedagogy of the Faculty of Education, Psychology and Arts of the University of Latvia. After completing a postdoctoral research founded by the ERDF about character and virtue education at school in Latvia (2017-2020), the Latvian Academy of Sciences granted him twice (2021 and 2022-2024) for pursuing his research in this field. He is an expert in social sciences (education sciences) of the Latvian Council of Science and holds the MA ‘Character Education’ by The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues of the Department of Education and Social Justice of the University of Birmingham.

S. Surikova

S. Surikova is a doctor of pedagogy, a leading researcher at the Scientific Institute of Pedagogy of the Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art of the University of Latvia. Currently her scientific interests are related to the research of students’ virtue education, teacher professional development and training for implementing a virtue education curriculum, etc. She is an expert in social sciences (education sciences) of the Latvian Council of Science.