The Values and Character Dispositions of 14 -16 Year Olds in the ...

with those relatively more positive about success and pragmatism:I prefer to fit in with the views of othersTo be successful where I live you have to fit inTelling the truth isn't a good idea if it gets people into troubleA good person is intelligentEarning a good income is my main aim in lifeI think television influences my view of lifeIt is important that my friends approve of meSubject without a qualification are not taken seriously by studentsI would like more help form my teachersMale students and Murpuri student responded relatively more positively to the first groupof questions (see Appendix 8c).The consultant’s view was that Muslims would show a preference for the second group ofquestions; ‘Fitting in with people is important, but only if people respect your identity’;‘Immigrants are to respect local laws, not striving to fit in, but accommodating them asfar as is comfortable’; ‘Adults might say fitting in was important, because they mightinterpret this as fitting into an Islamic community’. One the other hand, ‘respect forelders or people in positions of influence and thinking of other people’s feelings is veryIslamic’.Principal Component Four – personal responsibility versus being influenced by othersIn interpreting PC4 it is important to remember that the very subtle distinction itdescribes is one that only appears after each student’s general positiveness, bias towardsengagement or self image and bias towards family and school or success and pragmatismhave been taken in to account.The contrast in PC4 (see Appendix 8d) is between those who are relatively more positiveabout the elements of Question 1 and the influence of:GrandparentsOther FamilyMotherFriendsSiblingsFatherCommunity Leadersand those who are relatively more positive about a group of questions mostly relating totaking personal responsibility:I would like more time in school to discuss my ideas and learn about myselfI spend time thinking carefully about my actionsCitizenship is a useful subject in my schoolMy teachers treat me with respectI try to think about other people’s feelingsI have a strong sense of what is right and wrong46