Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

The role of universities in shaping students’ character; Designing a model for developing empowering, personality, social, and ethical attitudes

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

H. Mokhber Dezfouli 1
N. Ghourchian 2
K. Mohammadkhani 2

1 Ph.D Candidate, Department of Higher Education Management, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Higher Education Management, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2024.4959.4821
Abstract
University, as a crucial social context, not only facilitates continuous scientific experience but also plays a pivotal role in shaping students' character through diverse interactions and situations. This study aims to examine how universities help contribute the formation of students' character. This study employs a mixed-method approach (quantitative-qualitative). The quantitative phase involves a random sampling of 290 undergraduate and graduate students from Tehran universities, using researcher-developed questionnaires. Quantitative data are analyzed using statistical software. The qualitative phase consists of in-depth interviews with higher education managers and experts, analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings reveal that moral character significantly predicts students' academic performance and the development of ethical and social virtues and attitudes. The data analysis identifies four main dimensions in enhancing students’ character: 1) Empowering and virtue-oriented attitudes (including intellectual growth, mindfulness, and self-efficacy); 2) Personality attitudes (including extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness); 3) Social attitudes (including novelty-seeking, harm avoidance, and active agency), and 4) Ethical attitudes (including moral education, learning from experience, and cultivation of human values). The university's central role in creating an environment for interaction, learning, and growth of these attitudes is also highlighted.

Keywords

students’ character
higher education
empowering attitudes
personality attitudes
social attitudes
ethical attitudes

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 19 November 2023
  • Revise Date 19 February 2024
  • Accept Date 20 February 2024

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