A Longitudinal Study on the Development of Moral Character in Early Adolescents: Intermediate Results

This paper presents the intermediate results of a 3-year longitudinal study on the development of moral character in early adolescents in Latvia. The study aimed to investigate pupils’ understanding, engagement, experiences, and perceptions of their moral growth over a one-year period. In Spring 2023, 1000 pupils studying in Form 6 (mainly 12-13 years old) and Form 8 (mainly 14-15 years old) in 70 classrooms at 47 different schools in Latvia participated in the 2nd measurement of the study. The questionnaire used to collect data contained 35 scale items and 3 open answer items which captured four components of the moral growth process (i.e., understanding, purposefulness, moral crafting, and moral identity). Quantitative data were processed and analysed in MS Excel and SPSS using descriptive statistics: absolute values and percentage frequencies, central tendency indicators (arithmetic mean and mode), and dispersion indicators (standard deviation). The qualitative data (998 statements from Form 6 pupils and 559 statements from Form 8 pupils) were used to illustrate the main trends in participants’ answers. The results revealed that, at the time of the 2nd measurement, Latvian pupils have a good understanding of moral growth processes and an increasing maturity in their decision of becoming better persons. However, their practical involvement in their own moral development and their emerging moral identity need to be supported in the family and at school. These findings are relevant for the development and strengthening of moral education in the Latvian education system, and can be useful for parents, teachers, and school leaders.