El Cancionero de San Joan de les Abadesses

Good character is what all parents aspire to inculcate in their children as they grow and become educated. Makuvaza (1996) claims that today’s education and training is now producing educated but uneducated professionals; uneducated in the sense that they lack unhu / Ubuntu, which is the character. Thus unhu / ubuntu means personhood, which is derived from one’s historicity and rooted in an ongoing human community (Wood & Roach, 1999). “The English word ‘character’ comes from the Greek word Charassein; which means ‘to engrave’, such as on a wax tablet, a gemstone, or a metal surface” (Said et al., 2011). The meaning of character evolved from that root as a typical mark or symbol. The origin of character grew as a distinct pattern of behaviour; “a moral constitution” (Higgins- D’Alessandro, Corrigan, & Brown, 2012). Use of smartphone technology to access mass media is perceived to negatively influence the behaviour of some of the students as they try to emulate what they view on various media platforms.

A strong personal character normally manifests itself in service to communities and organisations, and in courage in public life. The crisis of moral decadence being experienced currently is an indication that more and more people lack the liberating self-mastery that enables them to serve and commit with integrity and independence befitting a free people (Blass, 2004). Any individual’s character reflects a moral constitution or pattern of behaviour. Moral constitution develops from observing those around, such as; parents, relatives, teachers, coaches, and neighbours. Mass media can also present to a student certain role models for him/her to copy or imitate. Some of these role models may be questionable characters which corrupt children’s behaviour. Children’s character also develops through the study and use of the people as they refine their logical responses to thoughts and ideas that constitute their moral roadmaps. Their character is moulded by how and what they offer to others, together with how they assist others at school and in their communities.

According to Aristotle, a good character is defined as a life of right conduct (Ruitenberg, 2011). He further reminds readers that a virtuous life comprises self-oriented qualities, such as moderation and self-control; together with other-oriented virtues like compassion and generosity. African traditional aspects of character education include etiquette, good ethical behaviour, respect for and obedience to elders, courtesy, community, and social traits peculiar to their families. On the other hand, Western aspects are focused more on the issue of human rights,

religious and moral education, sharing and citizenship.

It is not easy to develop conditions that promote the development of good moral values in children. It demands that everyone within the community and the school puts a sober and sustained effort to model, help and teach children to develop the intellectual, social, and moral habits that are critical in growing and leading a decent lifestyle (Lickona, 2009). Lickona (2009) further argues that schools will need to consider the curriculum, and more importantly how children are taught, and how they learn the curriculum within their scope. Of importance is also the need to study the supporting role of the community in the efforts of the schools and to develop strategies that encourage the moral growth and awareness among the children within community organisations.

History has it that, since the time of the Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, and the Stoics, character development has been at the heart of education (Makuvaza, 1996). In Zimbabwean formal schools, there has never before been a greater educational need, emphasis, and serious attempt to address the problems of immorality, violence, deviance, misconduct, and suicide, to mention but a few modern ills. Rau, Gao and Wu (2008) agree that students who use technology (including smartphones) are influenced by their attitude, behaviour, and class achievements. Students who use smartphones are being influenced in their character, some negatively, others positively (Kennedy et al., 2008).

Media effects are observed on the behaviour displayed by students. Acts of violence or mischief appear to be copied from media watching, or stimulated by what people view in the movies. Rabiu et al. (2016) admit that the Internet has exposed many young people to various kinds of content. The accessibility of numerous types of inexpensive and affordable Android mobile phones has enabled adolescents to access various social media platforms and pornographic sites (Rabiu et al., 2016). Through these sites, they download, watch, and exchange pornographic films of various sexual orientations globally. This has greatly compromised the character of students, who often practise what they see on these media platforms.

It is my understanding that students who use smartphones for academic purposes should be moulded in such a way that they maintain their character, despite the fact that they are exposed to various sources of undesirable information through the use of smartphones. An encouraging classroom setting is important for nurturing enthusiasm in students. Research has shown that a

learner-centred environment yields improved performance which can assist students in their character development. Use of smartphones by secondary school students in their academic achievements should not be an excuse for wayward behaviour.

In light of the current developments perceived to be caused by the use of smartphone technology, schools should teach character education to counteract the negative effects mass media can have on the character of students. According to Howard (2004), character education can be described as the teaching of children in a way that helps them develop various aspects of moral and social behaviour acceptable in the community. According to Elias (2006), character education is a nationwide program to produce schools that cultivate young people who are caring, responsible, and ethical, by moulding and teaching good character. In support of the above, Shriver and Wissberg (2005) state that character education is purposeful and must be modelled and taught, focused on core values, goal-driven, being centred on both character and academics, and must be inclusive of the school’s entire educational programme (Willis, 1995).

Some concepts under character education include ethical reasoning, emotional learning, critical thinking, violence prevention, cognitive development, life-skills education, conflict resolution, and health education (Howard et al., 2004). Therefore, the emphasis is on common values such as responsibility, civility, respect, fairness, compassion, honesty, courage, and kindness (Anzul, Ely, Freidman, Garner, & McCormack-Steinmetz, 2003). Thus, the objective of character education is to assist students to develop academically, ethically and socially, by infusing character development into the school culture and curriculum. My understanding of the above assertion is that character education should be the deliberate effort by all stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, community, and the children, to cultivate good virtues for the society and individuals.