| This research project's main purpose was to look at the academic effect of infusing character education into the existing curriculum. The secondary purpose was to examine the effect on pro-social behavior. Quantitative data included quarterly test scores, attendance records, discipline referrals, and virtue assessments. Qualitative data were collected from teacher journals, researcher field notes, summary statements submitted by the teachers, researcher notes taken during quarterly meetings with the teachers, and group summary statements generated at a reflective meeting held following the conclusion of the pilot project.; The research methodology was an experimental design. Two groups of 9 th grade students were randomly selected for the one-year study. There were 68 students in the pilot group and 82 students in the control group. The control group was taught traditionally and the pilot group was taught with character education infused into the curriculum.; Based on the qualitative and quantitative data analyses, there are both positive and negative results to consider when infusing character education into the existing curriculum. The impact on students' academic achievement was positive or neutral in three out of four classes. Character education had a neutral effect on behavior, attendance, and level of virtue. Qualitative results suggest that the character education initiative assisted with the training of virtuous habits in the students. |
