Cultivating virtue in postgraduates: An empirical study of the Oxford Global Leadership Initiative

Brant, Jonathan; Lamb, Michael; Burdett, Emily; Brooks, Edward

Abstract

Although virtue ethics has emerged as an influential ethical theory within the academy, universities have not generally taken up the practical task of virtue cultivation. Some academics even resist the effort altogether. In response, this article presents an early-stage evaluation of one effort to cultivate virtue in postgraduate students, a theoretically derived and empirically measured character development programme at the University of Oxford. The study uses a pre- and post-test experimental design to assess whether participation results in measurable growth of four character virtues. Quantitative data offer evidence for modest improvement with respect to two of the four focal virtues measured, while qualitative data suggest that future iterations should ensure that participants are given both reflective, conceptual tools and practical, everyday tasks to cultivate virtue. The article provides both empirical support and future directions for ongoing research and programme development for cultivating virtue in the university.

Citation

Brant, J., Lamb, M., Burdett, E., & Brooks, E. (2019). Cultivating virtue in postgraduates: An empirical study of the Oxford Global Leadership Initiative. Journal of Moral Education, 49(4), 415-435. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2019.1682977

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 16, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Nov 13, 2019
• Publication Date: Nov 13, 2019
• Deposit Date: Nov 29, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 14, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Moral Education
• Print ISSN: 0305-7240
• Electronic ISSN: 1465-3877
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 415-435
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2019.1682977
• Keywords: Character; Virtue; University; Higher education; Postgraduates; Measurement
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3443856
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057240.2019.1682977
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Moral Education on 13.11.2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03057240.2019.1682977