| Despite abundant research substantiating the value of teaching with films, there is a dearth of accessible resources that can help educators select films for positive modeling of character strengths. This scarcity exists in spite of the evidence that supports the efficacy of films' influence on young people. Young people today are receiving ever-increasing socialization influences from movies. Acknowledging the dynamics of this phenomenon, educators bear a responsibility to harness this potential resource in helping students deal with moral and ethical dilemmas as a useful component of an obligation to help strengthen their character development and intellectual growth. Film pedagogy offers an opportunity to effectively engage students in learning while building character strengths as well as promoting critical and creative thinking. In order to identify a conceptual framework for film selection taxonomy as a tool for fostering character development, this study used mixed-method content analysis. Following a narrative, interpretive approach to qualitative research, this study examined the character attributes of film protagonists/antagonists and examined images and underlying messages in the storylines for 10 selected films. The theories that framed this study were positive psychology theory (Peterson & Seligman, 2004), which maintains that virtues and character strengths can be identified and fostered, and social learning theory (Bandura, 1986), which asserts that children learn by modeling what they see. Positive role modeling as postulated by social learning theory and character development as endorsed by positive psychology theory set the foundations upon which better academic performance and transformative learning can take place. Through the emerging data, this study has provided a conceptual framework for a taxonomy of film selection that supports the development of character strengths and deep learning in young people. It provides practical assessment criteria in selecting and using films that have the potential to model character strengths. Findings from this study can be used by educators, counselors, psychologists, intervention-program designers, parents, and others who are invested in instilling character strengths and virtues in young people and effecting change in their cognitive skills, attitudes, and behaviors. |
