The “Researching and promoting character education in Latin American secondary schools” project sent surveys to more than 200 educational experts, professionals and technical staff in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. To date, more than 60 responses have been received. This research project is jointly led by the School of Education and Psychology at the University of Navarra and the ICS with the financial support of the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

This first wave of questionnaires primarily aims to understand the state of the question on character education in these three Latin American countries. It includes general questions about education in these countries, issues of socio-cultural context, curricular topics and more specific questions about character education, among many others.

Once all responses are in, the next step involves developing a second questionnaire for the same participants with questions that go deeper into the topic with the goal of obtaining a set of well-defined statements on the current situation of character education and the related challenges and opportunities in each region.

The Delphi Technique: A rigorous questionnaire methodology

The researchers noted that they chose the Delphi technique because it provides a rigorous method of inquiry that allows for the exploration of previously unexamined issues related to education policy and the attitudes that experts, professionals and technical staff express in each of the three countries studied.

The “Researching and promoting character education in Latin American secondary schools” project aims to achieve a better understanding of the formation of positive character traits, particularly social and moral virtues, and analyze how this formation can be promoted in secondary schools in Latin America.

It includes theoretical research and practical application that focuses on Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. These countries are currently undergoing a review of their education policies and best practices in consultation with leaders at the regional level. In addition, the team will develop six case studies in secondary schools.