essay on good behaviour in school

Good Manners Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on good manners.

Since our childhood, we were always taught good manners . Our parents always insisted us to enlist good manners. Moreover, they always tried their best to teach us everything to become a good human being . Good manners are important for a person to live in a society. Furthermore, if a person wants to be liked by everyone then he must know how to behave. The difference between an educated person and an illiterate person is not of knowledge. But the way he speaks and acts. So the presence of good manners can make a person gentleman. Yet if a person is lacking it then even the most educated person will not be a good man.

Good manners hold great importance in a persons’ life. In order to become successful in life, one should always take care of how he interacts. Various businessman and successful people are achieving heights. This is because of their good manners and skills. If a boss does not speak properly with his employees then they will leave the job. Therefore good manners are essential in any field of life.

Our parents have always taught us to respect our elders . Because if we won’t respect our elders then our Youngers will not respect us. Respect also comes in good manners. Respect is one of the most essential needs of a person. Moreover, many people work really hard to earn respect. Since I was a child I have always heard from my parents that respect is the utmost thing you should aim for. Therefore everyone deserves respect in life.

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Division of Good manners can be done under two categories:-

Good Manners at School

In-School, a child should respect his teachers and seniors. Furthermore, he should listen to what the teacher is saying because they are his mentors. Moreover, the child should be well dressed and hygienic.

Furthermore, a child should always carry a handkerchief, in order to maintain hygiene . The child should always be punctual. So that he may not waste others time. Also, you should never take others’ things without permission. Since there are many children studying in the school, you should not push each other while standing in a queue.

Good Manners at Home

Most importantly, you should respect your parents at home. Always wish them “GOOD MORNING” and “GOOD NIGHT” at the beginning and end of the day. Moreover, you should brush your teeth and take a bath daily. So, you may maintain proper hygiene.

Wash hands before eating your meal, chew your food well and eat with mouth closed. Also, you should take permission from parents before going out of the house Above all, you make use of the words ‘Thank you’ and ‘Please’ in your speech.

Good manners at work for elders. You should respect your Co-workers. Also, you should try to complete yours on time. Furthermore, you should be punctual in the office. Do not gossip while working and do not distract others.

Moreover, you should not interfere in others’ work. Consider your junior employees and help them if they have any problem. At last, do not fall into corruption and do your work with honesty and diligence.

FAQs on the Good Manners

Q1.Why is the importance of good manners?

A1. In order to live in a society, one should have good manners. This maintains a peaceful environment and people will like you as a human being.

Q2.How can we enlist good manners in us?

A2. We can enlist good manners by reading books and learning from it. Moreover, you can also join personality development classes. They teach all the good manners and make you a better person.

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Classroom Behavior and Culturally Diverse Essay

Issues related to classroom behavior encourage a kindergarten teacher to explore factors that cause misconduct as well as techniques that can be utilized in handling such behaviors. Furthermore, the teacher seeks to identify some techniques for solving these problems before they escalate to something complex. Educational scholars note that instructors are not well prepared to handle culturally diverse actions.

Research shows that teachers can eliminate class disruptions by solving behavioral issues fully. Moreover, analysts posit that teachers need to create an environment that enables students to learn comfortably. This is achieved through reflecting on instructional practices, interacting with students and most importantly, responding to the behavior of students in an appropriate way.

It is established through experience and research that youngsters feel involved in class activities when their opinions and suggestions are accepted. Therefore, children are to be encouraged to voice their opinions and thoughts during lessons.

This is made possible by modifying their wrong answers from students into something reasonable. A teacher rejects a student’s answer indirectly that is, by claiming that it was not what was required. Through this technique, each student attempts to answer a question thus minimizing disruption in class.

As indicated in the comprehensive classroom management manuscript, whatever a teacher selects as a classroom management skill or technique must side with his/her own personality and preference (Jones, & Jones, 2007). This concept is encouraging although it does not apply uniformly to both American and Japanese teaching system. Although the goals are similar, the overall outcomes are different.

American system focuses on cognitive and academic performance while the Japanese system centers on encircling competences that create overall personality of students. This could comprise of student’s physical, moral, social and aesthetic development (Jones, & Jones, 2007).

Teachers utilize behavioral approach frequently in managing classroom issues. With the help of positive behavior support provided in the manuscript, the teacher attempts to help students monitor their behavior. The teacher further encourages students to develop new behaviors by giving them relevant instructions and equipping them with problem solving skills (Jones, & Jones, 2007).

The teacher should engage students in conversations and remind them that they have to make sound choices both at home and school. The teacher specifically reminds students to complete their homework on time, hand in assignments immediately, follow school rules and interact with others peacefully.

The teacher should conduct further research to learn more about student behavior. Scholars postulate that rewarding desired behaviors and punishing inappropriate ones lead to achievement of desired goals.

The teacher reveals to students the kinds of punishments and rewards available for them. Students behaving well are rewarded with things such as treasure chest, extra free centers and run errands. This encourages the naughty ones to reform.

Although the technique is 90% efficient, much needs to be done to improve student’s social behavior. Individualized support should be provided in order to assist poorly performing students improve on their behavior. To realize individualized assistance, a partnership should be established between the school and the community (Jones, & Jones, 2007).

Surprisingly, the technique formulated by the teacher is concomitant to the tenets of behavioral approach. This was confirmed after the teacher had finished marking classroom management self-inventory sheet. It is true that reward system goes hand in hand with the provisions of Comprehensive Classroom management manuscript. The technique is the most effective in dealing with children from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The technique was experimented with children from the military settings, low-income backgrounds and single parent family. This shows that the technique does not discriminate children based on either social status or ethnic background. Some students come to class hungry, with low self-esteem.

Others have bad moods because their parents exercise militaristic rules. Children in such families have no independence because their parents decide for them what to do. Some students are breadwinners of their families meaning that they take care of themselves and may be their siblings.

Therefore, school environment must promote egalitarianism and independent learning. Supporters of behaviorism approach advocate for adoption of reward system in solving classroom issues. Good behaviors are appreciated while bad ones are punished. Even though sanctions vary, they must be helpful to students.

For instance, a teacher instills mannerism by offering favors to the most loyal student, such as allowing the student to check the teacher’s mailbox and running an errand. The quiet student is given an opportunity to use the library after lessons. The success of teaching methods depends on the student’s stimulus and response. Each student should therefore be encouraged to make efforts to change his/her behaviors.

Benefits of behaving in an orderly manner should be explained to students and if possible, with illustrations. Behavior change is a complex process that should incorporate the whole society.

Behaving decently both at home and school strengthens student’s academic performance. In other words, both teachers and parents have a role to play in shaping student’s behavior. However, teachers are in a better position because they have authority.

Jones, V., & Jones, L, (2007). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and solving problems (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

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Essay on Good Behaviour

Students are often asked to write an essay on Good Behaviour in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Good Behaviour

Understanding good behaviour.

Good behaviour means conducting oneself in a way that is respectful and considerate of others. It involves politeness, kindness, and honesty.

Importance of Good Behaviour

Good behaviour is crucial as it helps maintain harmony in society. It aids in building strong relationships and fosters mutual respect.

Effects of Good Behaviour

When we behave well, people appreciate us and like to interact with us. Good behaviour can also lead to a positive self-image.

In conclusion, good behaviour is a vital life skill that everyone should strive to learn and practise.

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250 Words Essay on Good Behaviour

Introduction.

Good behaviour is the cornerstone of social harmony and personal development. It is a reflection of our attitudes, beliefs, and values, significantly influencing our relationships and interactions with others.

The Essence of Good Behaviour

At its core, good behaviour is about respect and consideration. It involves respecting others’ rights, feelings, and perspectives, and considering the effects of our actions on others. It’s not merely about adhering to societal norms but also about internalizing a sense of empathy, fairness, and kindness.

Good Behaviour and Personal Development

Good behaviour plays a vital role in personal development. It fosters a positive self-image, strengthens interpersonal skills, and cultivates emotional intelligence. By behaving well, we not only earn respect from others but also enhance our self-esteem and self-worth.

Societal Implications of Good Behaviour

On a societal level, good behaviour promotes peace, cooperation, and cohesion. It is the glue that binds diverse individuals together, facilitating mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. Moreover, it sets a positive example for younger generations, shaping the future of our society.

In conclusion, good behaviour is a powerful tool for personal growth and societal progress. It transcends the surface level of manners and etiquette, delving into the deeper realm of respect, empathy, and kindness. As we strive to improve ourselves and contribute to society, let’s remember the profound value of good behaviour.

500 Words Essay on Good Behaviour

Good behaviour is a fundamental attribute that every individual should strive to possess. It is the cornerstone of human interaction and the bedrock of a harmonious society. This virtue transcends cultural, religious, and social boundaries, and is universally recognized and appreciated. It is the manifestation of respect, empathy, and understanding towards others.

At its core, good behaviour is about treating others with respect and dignity. It’s about acknowledging the inherent value of every person and treating them accordingly. It involves being polite, showing empathy, and being considerate of others’ feelings. Good behaviour also involves adhering to societal norms and values, which helps maintain order and harmony in the community.

Impact of Good Behaviour on Personal Development

Good behaviour plays a crucial role in personal development. It helps build a positive self-image and fosters self-esteem. When we behave well, we earn the respect and admiration of others, which in turn boosts our confidence. Good behaviour also influences our decision-making process. It encourages us to make ethical choices that align with our values and principles.

Good Behaviour in Social Context

In a social context, good behaviour fosters positive relationships. It promotes mutual respect and understanding, which are vital for healthy interpersonal relationships. Good behaviour also helps in conflict resolution. By being respectful and considerate, we can navigate disagreements more effectively and find solutions that are acceptable to all parties involved.

The Role of Good Behaviour in Professional Life

In the professional realm, good behaviour is equally important. It fosters a positive work environment and promotes productivity. Good behaviour is also essential for career advancement. Employers value employees who are respectful, responsible, and able to work well with others. Moreover, good behaviour can enhance one’s leadership skills, as it involves treating others with respect and fairness.

In conclusion, good behaviour is a vital characteristic that everyone should strive to cultivate. It is more than just a social requirement; it is a reflection of our values and principles. Good behaviour enhances our personal and professional lives, promotes healthy relationships, and contributes to a harmonious society. As we navigate through life, let us remember that our behaviour is a reflection of who we are, and strive to behave in a manner that brings honor to ourselves and those around us.

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Essay on Good Behaviour in English For Students

We are sharing an Essay on Good Behaviour in English for students and children in 100, 150, and 200 words.

Essay on Good Behaviour in English

Good behaviour is the biggest wealth of a person. Good behaviour earns a person high status in society as well as success in all spheres. A person with good conduct has a calm mind and he is also able to accomplish all his tasks well.

The primary characteristics of an honest person are honesty, non-violence, faith in God, love and respect for fellow beings. Lord Rama was a virtuous person. He greeted everyone with love and respect. But Ravana earned a bad name when he kidnapped Sita.

Virtuous people never do anything wrong and thus, they are not afraid of anything. They keep themselves in good company and good atmosphere. They prove their words through their deeds.

A virtuous student is one who has the qualities of hard work, soft speech, love, respect for elders and friendly behaviour. By inculcating these values we make a place for ourselves amongst our friends and elders. We stay happy and it also improves our work quality.

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Essay on Good Manners in English for Students

Table of Contents

Essay on Good Manners in English: Good manners are very necessary to have for a person in order to live a happy, disciplined and peaceful life as well as get success in any field. Teachers generally assign their students to write something (paragraph, short essay or long essay) on good manners in the classroom during class tests or exam. It is a nice topic which can help students to be aware of all the good manners as well as encourage them to inculcate such manners.

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Long and Short Essay on Good Manners in English

So, we have provided here various paragraphs, short essays and long essays on good manners under different word limits. You can select any of the good manners paragraph or good manners essay according to your need and requirement.

Good Manners Essay 100 words

Good manner means having polite or well-bred social behavior by the people. Having good manners in life matters a lot for living a social life. It should be inculcated especially in children from childhood. Behaving in well or bad manner is the most important part of the human nature and life. Good manners help us in getting respect and dignity in the society whereas bad manners defame us. Good manners help us to develop good habits which improve the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being (thus overall development of the society) of person. A well behaving man, having all the good manners, is becomes the important citizen in the society as he never hurts the feelings of others.

Good Manners Essay 150 words

Good manner is the well behaving manner of the person which adds good impression on others as well as gives good feeling and confidence about oneself. Practicing good manners is very important for all of us and it is good if we do it from childhood with the help of parents and guardians. We must follow all the good manners whether we are at home, school, college, office, tourist places, or with friends.

Good manners are more than opening doors and writing thank you notes. Being polite and courteous to others shows our real behavior, thinking and mind level. It attracts people’s mind and attention if they get respect from us. Being a well behaved person, we set a standard for others too which encourage them to practice good manner and behave well. It is not easy to follow all the good manners for everyone however can be easily followed after practicing well.

Good Manners Essay 200 words

Man is considered as the most intelligent creation of God on the earth as he lives in the society as well as he has capacity to think, talk and act accordingly. So, he must know how to behave well and practice good manners to behave well with others in the society. Parents must teach their kids how should they behave with family members, neighbors, teachers, etc., and respect the views of others. Being a well behaved person, one must be polite, gentle, disciplined, and sweet. Some people behave well with sweet words only in front but behind they talk bad, that is not the good manner.

Good manners help a person to show the same character; both, in front and behind of people. The words and behavior of a good mannered person never changes and remain same in all conditions. Well mannered people know well that how to show or explain the bitter truth with sweet words. People, who lack good manners generally, have sharp and clever tongue. Bad people always behave roughly and abuse others without any reason. They never hesitate to behave badly in the society. They show that they lack a good culture, society and discipline, thus they hated everywhere. And good mannered people are honored everywhere.

Good Manners Essay 250 words

Good manner can be defined as behaving well with courtesy and politeness to show correct public behaviour to the people living in society. Some of the good manners are like polite, courteous, humble, respectful and well-cultured social behavior found in some people. Any of the men or women is distinguished and recognized in the society by his/her good manners. A person is known in the society not only for his intelligence but also for his behavior and manners.

Importance of Good Manners in our Life

Good manners are very important in our daily and every parent must teach their children the good manners and importance of them in life. Good manners are required to create an effective interaction with friends as well as make a good impression on them. It helps us to remain positive throughout the day. We must use the magic words like “sorry”, “please”, “thank you”, “excuse me”, etc whenever required without getting late in order to maintain a happy relationship. Parents must help their kids to essentially practice such words to behave well in everyday life. These words show the feeling of sorry, happy, appreciation and respect to the people.

Good manner open the door to new conversation with people and opportunities in life. If someone talks to you with rudeness, don’t talk him in his way, just talk him in your way of behaving well as rudeness creates rudeness.

Practicing good manners is necessary to be a great and noble personality in the society. It maintains the positivity in our soul and mind. Our good behavior shows our ideal force of character. We should show respect and reverence to people to create positive interaction.

Good Manners Essay 300 words

Good manners are very necessary in life as they help us to behave well in the society with people as well as help us to maintain smooth, easy and positive relationship. Help us to win the heart of people in the crowd and give us a unique personality. Good manner makes us person of pleasing and obeying nature which is genuinely loved and appreciated by all in the society.

What are Good Manners?

A person with good manners shows respects towards feelings and sentiments of people living around. He/she never differentiates people and shows equal regard and kindness to everyone whether elder or younger than him. Modesty and courtesy are the essential traits of a well behaving person. He/she never feel proud or arrogant and always take care of the feelings of other people. Practicing good manners and following them all through the day bring sunshine and add qualities to the life. He/she always becomes mentally happy as good manners enrich his/her personality.

Teaching good manners to all the students is a boon to them and country from parents and teachers as they are the bright future. Lack of good manners among youths of the country lead them at the wrong path. Practicing good manners cost nothing but pay us a lot all through the life. Some of the good manners are like:

Thank you: we must say thank you whenever we receive anything from someone.
Please: we must say please while requesting for something to others.
We should always support people who are in pain.
should always accept the mistakes and say sorry without hesitation.
We should be disciplined and punctual in daily life.
should always compliment others for their good behaviour and qualities.
We must listen to people very attentively who are talking to us.
should take permission before touching or using the things of someone else.
We should always respond with a smile to other’s questions.
should never interrupt between the meetings of elders and must wait for our turn.
We must be respectful to the elders (whether in family, relationship or neighbors), parents and teachers.
Excuse me: we must say excuse me while getting attention for something.
We must knock the door before entering to other’s home or bedroom.

Good manners are vital to us for getting popularity and success in life as nobody likes a mischief person. Good manners are like tonic to the people living in society as practicing them take nothing but benefits a lot whole life. People with polite and pleasant nature always asked by the large number of people as they put magnetic influence over them. Thus, we must practice and follow good manners.

Good Manners Essay 400 words

Good manner is very significant to the people living in society. People can benefited from the good manners in many ways at home, school, office or other places. People with good manners must have courtesy, politeness and respect to others and themselves too. Good manner is all which we behave well with others with humble respect. Bad behaviour never gives happy feelings to self and others. Just think that how sad and disrespected we will feel when someone is talking to our friend and turning his back to us.

Good mannered people are always liked and get respect and fame in the society as they behave well in same manner with all (good or bad). They consider the feelings of other people and always become kind. Teachers teach the lesson of good manners to their students in the classroom and instruct them to follow all that at all places forever. Parents also should help their kids at home to learn good manners properly as what kids learn in their childhood carry all through the life. We must first behave to others like what we wish in return from others. According to the Golden Rule “We should treat people the way we would like other people to treat us”. If we treat people with respect, we too will treated in the same way by them.

Following good manners everywhere we go, we can better encourage people to behave well in the same manner to everyone. Some of the important good manners we can practice in our daily life are like:

We must learn the habit of sharing (but not grabbing) things to others.
should be helpful, polite and humble to others at all places.
We must use ‘sorry’, ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘excuse me’ and ‘time wish’ whenever required.
must respect the property of others and always take permission before using.
We must help our family members in completing their chores.
must be responsible and self dependent for everything whether at home or outside the home.
We must behave well with humble respect to our teachers, parents, other elders and senior citizens.
should not interfere between elder’s talk and must wait for our turn.
We should hold the door open when someone is coming in and must hold his/her load if he/she is carrying something.
should maintain cleanliness at home, school, and all other public places.
We should not use offensive language to others at home or public place.
must leave the seat for senior citizens while using public transport.
We should never make fun of anyone as everyone has feelings and respect.
should not use mobile phone unnecessarily while being in group or public place.
We should chew food properly and don’t talk to anyone while eating.

Following good manners not only increase the respect in people’s mind but also make us pleasant from inside. It creates the good impression in society, school, sports team, friends group and family. Life becomes much more pleasant day by day. Practicing good manners take nothing but give much more all through the life. We must practice good manners as well as encourage others to practice for the welfare of oneself, family, society and nation.

FAQs on Good Manners

What is good manners?

Good manner can be defined as behaving well with courtesy and politeness to show correct public behaviour to the people living in society.

Write good manners essay.

Write short paragraph on good manners..

Good manners help us in getting respect and dignity in the society whereas bad manners defame us. Good manners help us to develop good habits which improve the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being (thus overall development of the society) of person.

Why is good manners important for children?

Good manners are very important in our daily and every parent must teach their children the good manners and importance of them in life.

How to show good manners?

There are different ways to show good manners, but some basic ones include: Saying please and thank you. Listening when others are speaking. Respecting personal space. Being considerate of others

Essay on Good Manners (for Students in 1000 Words)

In this article, We have published an Essay on Good Manners for school and college students. Here you will read its symptoms, benefits, and some examples of good manners.

So, Let’s start the Essay on Good Manners…

Table of Contents

Introduction (Essay on Good Manners in 1000 Words)

It is sayings that “a man’s habits and manners are a mirror in which he shows his figure.” Therefore, to be publicly respectable, it is necessary to have good manners. We feel that intelligence and money are the only way to gain respect in people and society, but this is very misconception. Even if someone is intelligent or productive or both are at the same time, he is not treated with respect if he lacks good manners and treats others well.

Furthermore, good manners lead to good habits and Its eventually lead to personal development as well as the overall development of a country. It is essential to understand the importance of magic words such as “Thank you,” “Sorry,” “Please,” “Forgive me,” and gestures like holding the door for others, not to use the phone when we are standing with someone also.

Besides, there are other situations like while offering your seat to someone, keeping an eye on strangers and making eye contact and doing many small things that can make anyone feel more happy and comfortable with you.

Symptoms of good manners

Humility is a sign of courtesy and good manners. When called by someone, yes, no, yes, you should answer by saying good. It is courtesy to greet the guests who come home with a smile.

There are instances like gazing in a train or bus, giving seats to women, children, getting the blinds to cross the road, not interfering with the words of others, taking the patient to the hospital, not taking an interest in the affairs of others, comforting a sad person, etc. These are all courtesy to help someone.

Benefits of good manners in life

Good manners are essential in both a person’s personal and professional life. Etiquette helps keep things together and right. Without good manners, everything will be messed up, the classroom will look like a fish market, the dining table will be filled with gross scenarios, the salesmen will fail in its sales, and everything like that will go wrong.

1. Personality Development

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Man’s conduct plays a vital role in the all-round development of man. His excellent behavior gives him a special place in family and society. A virtuous person is respected by all and is dear to everyone.

2. Respects Increases

3. Success in Interview

Even in interviews, your manners and etiquette are taken into consideration before evaluating your communication skills and technical knowledge. People you connect with daily may be pleased with how you treat them.

This quality of treating people can come to your aid in every situation. It can help you by socializing with different types of people. You can easily make new friends and win their trust.

4. Develop Greatness

Manners make life great. We move from smallness to sovereignty, from narrow thoughts to great thoughts, from selfishness to generous feelings, from arrogance to humility, from hatred to love. The seedling of manners is sown in the child’s heart from childhood. In a student’s life, it gradually leads to development.

Good Manners for Students

For students, ethical conduct means that they respect their parents and Guruji and obey their orders. Help the weaker students and the afflicted ones. Mutual jealousy – abandons emotion and stay in harmony. If anyone helps them in any way, then thank them.

Examples of Good Manners

A. truthfulness.

Without good conduct, man cannot achieve prestige in any society. To be virtuous, he must avoid the bad qualities and adopt virtues. We should always be truthful. All humans should not have feelings of jealousy and hatred towards each other.

Man’s sense of hatred and resentment towards others creates alienation towards others, but my goodness, a special place, can be found in the heart of others. Mutual love and respect increase with ethical conduct.

b. Sympathy for others

A virtuous person always behaves sympathetically towards others. In all circumstances, he tries his best to discharge all his duties. He has true faith in God and prays to God for himself, the welfare and upliftment of his family and all humanity.

Importance of good manners

Having good manners is considered a virtue. It is essential to have good manners. The methods of a person describe his character. At every stage of life, a person is judged by his first impression. This is what remains in a person’s mind forever. Our manners and behaviour recognize us to others before we speak.

Thus, it becomes imperative for a person to make the correct first impression. Good manners are one of the traits that count the most. Good behavior towards a person makes him feel respected, and he immediately starts behaving well for that person. Friendship begins and good.

Behavior against good manners

There are certain practices contrary to etiquette such as smiling without looking at others, talking about others, talking to people while walking on the street, molesting girls, watching them tear their eyes, leaving the person injured in the accident, and moving forward is rude to go.

The Final Thought

Keeping in mind the importance and benefits of good manners, a person should always try to incorporate these things in his daily life. In this way, he will not only benefit himself but will also contribute towards a more balanced and sophisticated society. I hope you like this Essay on Good Manners.

Essay on Importance of Good Manners

How a person behaves towards the other can be termed ‘manner’. Manners play an important part in everyone’s life. Someone’s manners can tell us so many things about that person, like their background, their education etc. But ‘Manner’ is a general term, that is to say, it does not necessarily mean that manners are always good, though they always should be good, if not cultivated properly they can be bad, which is generally termed as ‘bad – Manners’. And therefore, manners, that is to say, ‘Good Manners’ are cultivated in every child from childhood.

The learning of manners starts from the home since parents are the first teacher of the child, the parents also become the first to teach manners to the child. But one thing to understand here is that the mind of a human is receptive, and hence we, the human, receive or rather learn and grasp so many things that happen in our surroundings. And this surrounding also up to an extent plays a role in the cultivation of manners in the child.

Hence, good surroundings cultivate good manners and vice-versa.

Afterwards, the parents and the surrounding school and teachers play an important part in teaching good manners to the students. For instance, the students must greet the teacher good morning, or good afternoon (according to the time) whenever the teacher enters the classroom, also the use of phrases such as “may I come in” and “may I go” are taught to be used in the school. And these phrases remain with the students for the rest of their life.

Understanding Good Manners

The one thing to understand here is that good manners are not formalities, neither are they social protocol or the rules, which one has to follow to avoid the fine. But it is something that comes from the inside most naturally and by itself, it is something that should not be forced or faked. The way in which we want others to behave with us is also how they want us to behave to them, it can be the simplest way to understand good manners.

People with good manners are liked by everyone, while on the other hand, those who do not possess good manners are more often than not despised by others. It does not matter how wealthy one is, how well educated one is, or how great marks one managed to score, if the person does not possess good manners people are not going to admire him. But if the person knows how to act and behave with others, then everyone likes that person. Also, good manners turn into good nature, and a person who has a good nature is liked by everyone.

Writing an Essay on the Importance of Good Manners

As discussed, good manners are important in life, writing about the same helps it in a better manner. And hence students are required to write an essay on the importance of good manners. Because for writing an essay students have to think about it, and therefore it also in a way allows the students to check their manners.

But one thing is also important which is, essay writing should be good, and hence Vedantu provides the essay on the “importance of good manners” for free to guide the students in writing the same.

From our childhood, good manners have been cultivated as a major part of every being's life. Being a human it plays an important role in every one day to day life. Our parents nurtured us since our childhood with good mannerism, good behavior and discipline. These three features are a vital part of good manners. Manners either its bad or good can't be imposed to the child, some basically inherited from their parents and other social mannerism etiquettes will be taught by parents itself at home first, since a home is the first school of any child to start its learning process where parents both mother and father plays an important role in developing good social etiquette or good manners to enhance the child’s upbringing in a good shape.

Good manners has its own definition. If a person needs to be liked by someone then he or she needs to act like a good person with good behavior or manners. No matter what level of studies you did, either highly qualified or simply 10th passed out doesn’t make a difference if a person knows how to act or behave in front of others.

Respect and courtesy are the major assets in developing good manners. One should be polite and courteous to others, even while communicating we need to be kind, calm and patient enough to listen to others, which means he or she should be a good listener. These qualities even makes life problems more simple and makes the person think more broadly.

Types of Good Manners:

Here are some specific mentioned good manners which helps a person in enhancing

Speak politely to others

Say thank you always wherever needed in conversation.

Open doors for others.

Maintain eye contact while shaking hands.

Stand up while elders enter the room.

Polite phone manners.

Serve people when any guest enters your home.

Highlights of Good Manners

Good manners can differentiate between in two aspects that is one in school and other at-home itself.

At Home: Home is the first place where child traits develop from, the parent is the first teacher who makes them (child) understand the differences between good and bad manners. Keeping in mind future aspects, a child needs to develop traits as polite, calm, and patient. Since childhood, we have taught of maintaining hygiene habit after having lunch or dinner, while eating or drinking not to make bad sound, say THANKYOU and SORRY are the important words to use while making in conversation, keeping own belonging in exact place after taking out from the place, brushing off teeth and bath daily, do not disturb others while working something important task, always take permission for picking up thing while visiting any neighbor place, always mention PLEASE word for requesting or asking for something and so on.

There are various add on traits which give support in child mannerism to act as disciplined and good nature human beings. These are basic traits and habits which a child develops from childhood by learning and observing the parents.

At School: School manners consist of some different patterns of ethics that need to be followed by the child. Respecting teachers is the most important quality of good manners, here (School) environment also develops hygiene habits as such maintain a distance of put hands while sneezing or coughing, to carry a handkerchief, washing off hands after having lunch, always asks permission to the teacher for going to washrooms, daily completion of homework, maintain focus in class, talk politely to classmates and obey class monitor or teachers instructions, not to push children while standing in a queue. These are some major qualities that help children in enhancing good manners in all aspects.

Good Manners vs Discipline

There is a thin line between these two words which makes a big difference, generally, we cannot identify these differences. Good manners is completely associated with a person's act or behavior such as politeness, patience, good listener, courtesy, helping nature and so on are some of the traits that signify good manners. Whereas Discipline describes a person's own set of rules and standards which he/ she follows throughout their life for example if a person is a smoker but here his discipline says not to smoke in front of parents or any elders this follows as same by any means.

FAQs on English Essay for Students – Importance of good manners

1. What is Good Manners?

Good manners are expressed by our behavior and implemented on others. Being polite and courteous is good manners. The cultured and well-mannered person was always demanded in the society and appreciated by all. And the person who doesn’t know how to behave and act to others will not be liked by anyone and he or she loses its respect. This quality (good manners) has been developed since childhood to take firm roots.

2. What are the Advantages of Good Manners?

Good manners make a person civilized to live in society, it maintains peaceful relations among people and builds up social relations between person to person.

3. What Types of Good Manners Child Learns in School?

To say PLEASE

Say EXCUSE ME

Always keep a good smile on your face while talking.

Maintain eye contact while asking any question to the teacher

Shows respect to others.

Always encourage classmates in any difficult task performance.

Helping classmates.

Building up communication with others and classmates as well.

4. What are the basic behaviors which are regarded as good manners?

There is much such behavior, below given are some of them.

Greeting others good night, good day, good morning etc, according to the time.

Thanking others when someone helps us.

Saying phrases like “you are most welcome” or “mention not” when someone thanks us after receiving our help.

Serving the guests at home.

Maintaining eye contact when someone is talking with us.

Behaving politely and respectfully on the phone.

Always be polite and humble to others.

The list is endless, but the first and foremost thing is that it has to come from the inside by itself.

5. Why should I use the essay on “the importance of good manners” that Vedantu provides?

Vedantu believes in delivering top-quality content to all the students and to fulfill this promise the team of expert teachers at Vedantu works very hard to provide the students with the best material. And the same goes for the essay on the importance of good manners. Also, this essay is written in such a manner that it exactly matches the level of students, the sentence formation, the vocabulary use, everything is chosen by considering the level of students. Last but not least, it is available for a free of cost download.

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Front Psychol

Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement

Lisa wagner.

1 Personality and Assessment, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

2 Distance Learning University Switzerland, Brig, Switzerland

Willibald Ruch

Character strengths have been found to be substantially related to children’s and adolescents’ well-being. Initial evidence suggests that they also matter for school success (e.g., Weber and Ruch, 2012 ). The present set of two studies aimed at replicating and extending these findings in two different age groups, primary school students ( N = 179; mean age = 11.6 years) and secondary school students ( N = 199; mean age = 14.4 years). The students completed the VIA-Youth (Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth), a self-report measure of the 24 character strengths in the VIA classification. Their teachers rated the students’ positive behavior in the classroom. Additionally, school achievement was assessed: For the primary school students (Study 1), teachers rated the students’ overall school achievement and for the secondary school students (Study 2), we used their grades as a measure of school achievement. We found that several character strengths were associated with both positive classroom behavior and school achievement. Across both samples, school achievement was correlated with love of learning, perseverance, zest, gratitude, hope, and perspective. The strongest correlations with positive classroom behavior were found for perseverance, self-regulation, prudence, social intelligence, and hope. For both samples, there were indirect effects of some of the character strengths on school achievement through teacher-rated positive classroom behavior. The converging findings from the two samples support the notion that character strengths contribute to positive classroom behavior, which in turn enhances school achievement. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and for school interventions based on character strengths.

Introduction

School achievement is substantially linked with later life outcomes (for an overview, see e.g., Duckworth and Allred, 2012 ). Behavior in the classroom was found to predict later academic achievement ( Alvidrez and Weinstein, 1999 ) and also important life outcomes in education and the labor market, even beyond the influence of achievement in standardized tests ( Segal, 2013 ). Therefore, studying the influence of non-intellectual aspects on educational outcomes has a long tradition. Also specifically studying good character or positive personality traits had already been addressed by early educational psychologists (e.g., Smith, 1967 ), but had then been neglected for a long period of time. Only with the advent of positive psychology, it has received revived interest.

Within positive psychology, education is seen as an important area of application. Seligman et al. (2009) defined positive education as “education for both traditional skills and for happiness” (p. 263). Inherent in positive education is the idea that good character, positive behaviors at school and academic achievement are not only aims of education, but also closely intertwined. However, little is known empirically about this interplay. The importance of good character in education has recently been emphasized both in scientific and popular literature (e.g., Tough, 2012 ; Linkins et al., 2015 ) and researchers from neighboring disciplines (e.g., Hokanson and Karlson, 2013 ) have also called for studying the role of character strengths in education.

In the present paper, we take a closer look at the link between students’ character strengths and school achievement and investigate the mediating role of positive behavior in the classroom further. More specifically, we examine whether character strengths facilitate positive classroom behaviors, which in turn facilitate attaining higher grades. Character strengths are not only expressed in thoughts and feelings, but importantly, also in behaviors ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). We expected that a number of strengths are very helpful for schoolwork and are thus robustly related to positive behaviors in the classroom, as the teachers can observe it. Such positive classroom behaviors, e.g., actively in class or showing motivation to learn, should ultimately contribute to school achievement. We aim to provide a better insight into which aspects of good character are reliably linked with school achievement and positive classroom behavior and for which of the character strengths the link between them and school achievement is mediated by positive classroom behavior. To achieve this aim, we use two samples representing primary and secondary education, and perform analyses on the level of single character strengths. This detailed level of analysis may be especially interesting when relating the results to programs that emphasize the cultivation of certain character strengths.

Character Strengths in Children and Adolescents

Peterson and Seligman’s (2004) classification allows studying good character and its contribution to positive development in a comprehensive way. The VIA classification describes 24 character strengths, that are organized under six, more abstract, virtues (wisdom and knowledge, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence) and are seen as ways to reach these virtues. Character strengths are seen as inherently valuable, but also contribute to positive outcomes ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). Character strengths can be seen as the components of a good character, and are described as the inner determinants of a good life, complemented by external determinants (such as safety, education, and health; cf. Peterson, 2006 ). Since the development of the VIA classification and the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA-Youth; Park and Peterson, 2006 ), which reliably assesses the 24 character strengths in children and adolescents between 10 and 17 years, a number studies in different cultures have revealed substantial links between character strengths and subjective well-being of children and adolescents ( Van Eeden et al., 2008 ; Gillham et al., 2011 ; Weber et al., 2013 ; Ruch et al., 2014b ).

Character Strengths and School Achievement

A large number of studies have examined the links between broad personality traits and academic achievement. Meta-analyses (e.g., Poropat, 2009 , 2014a ) reveal that conscientiousness is the strongest correlate, whereas the links between extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness/intellect with academic achievement have been rather weak and inconsistent. These links are largely independent of intelligence ( Poropat, 2009 ) and personality traits have even been found to be equally strong predictors of academic achievement than intelligence when they were self-rated, and even stronger predictors when they were other-rated ( Poropat, 2014a ). In the available meta-analyses on the relationship between self-rated personality traits and academic achievement, almost all included studies examined students in tertiary education ( Poropat, 2009 ) or they even focused only on postsecondary education (e.g., Richardson et al., 2012 ; McAbee and Oswald, 2013 ). A recent meta-analysis ( Poropat, 2014b ), however, examined the predictive validity of adult-rated personality traits for academic achievement in primary education and found that conscientiousness and openness had the strongest correlations with measures of school achievement. Still, it has to be noted that we know a lot more about how personality, especially when it is self-rated, is related to academic achievement, and about what might be relevant mechanisms behind it, in young adults than we know about these relationships in children and adolescents. And, although authors have speculated that the relationship between personality and academic achievement is attributable to “positive traits that naturally promote academic learning” ( Medford and McGeown, 2012 , p. 787), those studies did not investigate narrower, positively valued personality traits specifically.

Some aspects of good character have been studied in relation to school achievement. Duckworth and colleagues ( Duckworth and Seligman, 2005 ; Duckworth et al., 2007 ) demonstrated the relevance of self-regulation and grit for academic achievement beyond measured intelligence. Also other character strengths, such as hope (e.g., Levi et al., 2014 ), have been shown to relate to academic achievement. In contrast to approaches that consider only some aspects of good character, the VIA classification ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ) offers a comprehensive catalogue of character strengths. Weber and Ruch (2012) provided an initial investigation of the role of the 24 character strengths in school. In a sample of 12-year old Swiss school children, they studied the relationship between character strengths, positive experiences at school, teacher-rated positive classroom behavior, and school achievement. A factor representing character strengths of the mind (e.g., love of learning, perseverance, prudence) was related to school achievement, which was operationalized by grades in mathematics and German language. Specific character strengths (e.g., perspective, gratitude, hope, self-regulation, perseverance, love of learning) were higher in those students with improved grades during the course of the school year, than in those with decreased grades. Similarly, in a sample of Israeli adolescents at the beginning of middle school, Shoshani and Slone (2013) found intellectual and temperance strengths to be predictors of grade point average (GPA).

Character Strengths and Positive Classroom Behavior

Park and Peterson (2006) found moderate convergence between self- and teacher-reported character strengths and argued that certain strengths may be more readily observable in the classroom than others. Especially phasic strengths, which can only be displayed when the situation demands it (e.g., bravery), may be more difficult to observe than tonic strengths, which can be displayed in any situation (e.g., kindness; cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). Even though the frequency might vary, character strengths are expressed in overt behavior, so they should also contribute to positive behavior in the classroom. In particular, temperance strengths (e.g., prudence, self-regulation) should be helpful to regulate feelings, thoughts, and behaviors in a way that matches the expectations and norms in the classroom (e.g., showing good conduct). Other strengths, such as social intelligence should be helpful to manage conflict and relationships with classmates successfully, and thus be related to social aspects of positive classroom behavior (e.g., being cooperative). Finally, strengths that were found to be related to school achievement, such as perseverance and love of learning, should also be associated with achievement-related aspects of positive classroom behavior (e.g., working autonomously).

Empirically, Shoshani and Slone (2013) found interpersonal strengths to be related with social functioning at school, which was rated by the teachers, and thus might represent positive social classroom behavior. Weber and Ruch (2012) have studied the relationship with character strengths and positive classroom behavior using their Classroom Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS), assessing both achievement-related and social classroom behavior. In a multiple regression analysis, about 25% of the variance in teacher-rated positive classroom behavior was explained by the 24 character strengths. Perseverance, prudence, and love of learning showed the most substantial correlations with teacher-rated positive classroom behavior.

Positive Classroom Behavior as a Mediator of the Relationship between Character Strengths and School Achievement

High scores in good character do not automatically and directly lead to high levels of school achievement, but they will predispose students to show a set of more proximate behaviors, which in turn predispose for higher grades later on. Thus, if certain character strengths are identified as being related to school achievement, it is of course interesting to examine potential mechanisms involved. One likely candidate for explaining this link is positive behavior in the classroom, since the grading of students is largely depending on the behaviors that teachers can observe in the classroom, and especially such behaviors that they value (e.g., showing a high motivation to learn, adhering to classroom rules). Weber and Ruch (2012) used a latent variable representing classroom-relevant character strengths (love of learning, perseverance, and prudence) showed an indirect effect on school achievement mediated by positive classroom behavior. After adding the mediator to the model, there was no direct effect of character strengths on school achievement, which is in line which a full mediation by positive classroom behavior.

Aims of the Present Study

The presented studies strongly suggest that character strengths are indeed important resources at school, supporting school achievement either directly, or also indirectly via the display of positive behavior in the classroom. There is, however, a need to further investigate these relationships to examine their robustness and also potential moderators. In addition, these initial studies also have several limitations. First, many included only students in rather narrow age ranges and from one level of education. While the study by Weber and Ruch (2012) does include a broader range of level of education, it may be somewhat limited by the fact that teachers only knew their students for about three months when they were rating their positive classroom behavior. Second, in most studies, character strengths were analyzed only on the factor level–four factors in Shoshani and Slone (2013) and two factors in Weber and Ruch (2012) –and it is difficult to draw conclusions on the level of specific strengths based on these results. Doing so may be especially interesting when evaluating the results in light of programs or interventions that build on the cultivation of certain strengths (e.g., grit/perseverance or self-regulation).

The present studies aimed at replicating the findings by Weber and Ruch (2012) and extending them by including students in different school types (Study 1: primary school, Study 2: secondary school) and a broader range of school grades beyond grades in mathematics and German language (Study 2). We will also investigate for each of the character strengths individually whether the potential link with school achievement is mediated by positive classroom behavior. In doing so, the present study will add to the knowledge on the role of positive traits for positive behavior and achievement at school.

While none of the 24 character strengths should be detrimental for positive classroom behavior or school achievement, certain strengths should be more important than others. Based on theoretical assumptions and previous empirical findings, we expect certain character strengths to be related to positive classroom behavior and school achievement most strongly. These nine character strengths are: perseverance, self-regulation, prudence, love of learning, hope, gratitude, perspective, teamwork, and social intelligence.

Firstly, we expect perseverance to be robustly related to the educational outcomes measured. Students high in perseverance are characterized by “voluntary continuation of a goal-directed action in spite of obstacles, difficulties, and discouragements” ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 , p. 229). Such behaviors are highly advantageous in a school environment, in which challenging goals are presented and sustained efforts despite obstacles are needed to accomplish them. Since perseverant individuals enjoy finishing tasks, the completion of, e.g., an assignment may be particularly rewarding for them. Thus, perseverance can be seen as a helpful resource both for displaying positive behavior in the classroom (e.g., behaving diligently) and for school achievement, because perseverant students will work persistently on tasks and homework, even when it is difficult, and thus might be more successful in consequence. Secondly, self-regulation is expected to be associated with educational outcomes. Self-regulation helps to control own feelings and appetites. Thus, it is helpful to avoid obstacles and reach goals or meet expectations of others (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). At school, it is often demanded and expected to control one’s own feelings and to conform to what is expected (cf. Ivcevic and Brackett, 2014 ). Consequently, self-regulation will likely go along with helpful behaviors and strategies at school, such as managing time well, making plans and sticking to them, and adhere to rules. These positive behaviors will be observable in the classroom and may also contribute to higher grades. Thirdly, we expect prudence to be related mostly to positive behavior in the classroom, but also to school achievement. Students high in prudence that are particularly careful in their choices (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ) are less likely to do things in the classroom that fall outside the teachers’ and classmates’ expectation. Consequently, they are more likely to comply with rules and work toward achieving what is expected of them. Being prudent may also help to avoid interpersonal problems, and thus lead to better relationships with teachers and classmates, which then may be supportive of school achievement. Recently, Ruch et al. (2014a) established that there are different types of class clowns, but each of them was low in prudence. When we assume that class clowns would score quite low on teacher-rated positive classroom behavior and that their characteristics do not fit well with what is required in the classroom, this suggests that being prudent might be crucial for displaying positive behavior in the classroom. Fourthly, we expect love of learning to be relevant for predicting behavior and success at school. Individuals high in love of learning experience positive emotions when learning new things, and enjoy doing so whenever possible (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). In any case, attending a school will offer opportunities to learn new things on a daily basis. It is likely that the high intrinsic motivation to learn also leads to better learning outcomes, and that the positive emotions associated with learning additionally foster school achievement (cf. Schutz and Lanehart, 2002 ; Weber et al., 2014 ). In the initial study by Weber and Ruch (2012) , love of learning, perseverance and prudence were among the most important variables in predicting positive classroom behavior and also had an indirect effect on school achievement through positive classroom behavior.

In addition to these four strengths that are assumed to be helpful at school, we also expect hope to be related to behavior and achievement at school. Hopeful individuals are not only characterized by believing that a positive future is likely, but also by acting in ways supposed to make desired outcomes (e.g., achieving a good result in an exam) more likely ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). These desired outcomes can be both in relation to positive behavior in the classroom and to thoughts and behaviors that support achievement, but are not directly observable in the classroom (such as favorable attributions, etc.). Earlier studies have also found that hope predicts future academic achievement (e.g., Marques et al., 2011 ) as well as demonstrated a close link between hope, effort, and school achievement ( Levi et al., 2014 ). Sixthly and seventhly, perspective and gratitude may also be relevant in the classroom. Students high in the character strength perspective have consistent ways of looking at the topics and the world, which are meaningful to them and also make sense to others (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). On the one hand, expressing and applying such coherent worldviews at school may help solving problems and integrating different perspectives. On the other hand, perspective is also displayed by giving good and wise advice to others, which may foster positive relationships with classmates, and in turn facilitate learning and achievement. Grateful students are highly aware of the positive things in their lives, and are thankful for these (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). One of the mechanisms conceivable is that these students perceive school as a meaningful institution and are more aware than others of the possibilities that good achievement will offer them in the future. In the study by Weber and Ruch (2012) , both perspective and gratitude were higher in those students that improved their grades over the course of the school year than in those that had deteriorated grades. Finally, we expect social intelligence and teamwork to be related to positive classroom behavior. School is an environment characterized by constant interactions with classmates and teachers. Highly social intelligent individuals understand both their own and others’ feelings, and are able to adapt to other’s feelings and expectations (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). Similarly, individuals high in teamwork identify with a group of which they are members (e.g., a classroom) and do their share as group members because they fell if is the right thing to do (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ) Therefore, social intelligence and teamwork should both be linked with few conflicts, good cooperation, and adherence to expectations and rules in the classroom, which is all reflected in the teacher-rated positive classroom behavior.

In Study 1, we aim at extending the findings by Weber and Ruch (2012) , that is, that the association between certain character strengths and school achievement is mediated by positive behavior in the classroom. We investigate this relationship in a sample of primary school students and a sample of homeroom teachers, using a self-report measure of character strengths, and teacher ratings to assess positive classroom behavior and school achievement. Further, we extend previous studies by studying the assumed mediation on the level of single strengths. We expect an indirect effect mediated by positive behavior, and that the strength of this indirect effect varies for different character strengths.

Participants

The sample of students consisted of 179 German-speaking primary school students (48.6% females) attending the fifth or sixth grade. Their mean age was 11.56 years ( SD = 0.75; ranging from 10 to 13 years). The majority (86.6%) of participants were Swiss citizens (including dual citizens; data from one participant missing). The sample of teachers consisted of nine homeroom teachers (77.8% men) with a mean age of 36.2 years ( SD = 7.3; ranging from 23 to 45 years). They had been teaching the participating students for an average of 1.4 years ( SD = 1.0).

Instruments

The German adaptation ( Ruch et al., 2014b ) of the VIA-Youth ( Park and Peterson, 2006 ) is a self-report instrument assessing the 24 character strengths uses seven to nine items per scale utilizing a 5-point response format (from 5 = very much like me to 1 = not like me at all ). It consists of 198 items and about one third of the items are reverse coded. A sample item is “Even when my team is losing, I play fair” (fairness). The VIA-Youth proved to be a reliable and valid measure of self-reported character strengths in previous studies (e.g., Park and Peterson, 2006 ; Ruch et al., 2014b ). In this study, most of the 24 VIA-Youth scales yielded satisfactory internal consistencies (i.e., 17 scales had alpha coefficients > 0.70) and only five scales (modesty: α = 0.51, curiosity: α = 0.55, open-mindedness: α = 0.61, fairness: α = 0.62, and prudence: α = 0.63) had alpha coefficients < 0.65. Altogether, the internal consistency coefficients of the 24 VIA-Youth scales yielded a median of α = 0.72. Means for each of the five factors (leadership, temperance, intellectual, transcendence, and other-directed strengths) were computed (cf. Weber et al., 2013 ; Ruch et al., 2014b ).

The CBRS ( Weber and Ruch, 2012 ) assesses teacher ratings of their perceptions of positive behavior in the classroom. The 10 items use a 5-point response scale (from 1 = “not like him/her at all” to 5 = “very much like him/her”) and include both positive achievement-related behavior (e.g., “behaves diligently”) and positive social behavior (e.g., “shows appropriate conflict management”). In the present study, the scale yielded a high internal consistency (α = 0.89).

A teacher rating was also used to assess school achievement . Homeroom teachers were instructed to rate the “overall school achievement” (taking into account performance in all subjects) on a scale ranging from 1 = “unsatisfactory” to 7 = “excellent.”

Data for this study were collected in nine classrooms of three primary schools in German-speaking Switzerland. After obtaining approval by the ethical committee of the philosophical faculty at the University of Zurich, schools were contacted and asked to participate. Participation was voluntary and none of the students or teachers was paid for their participation. All students and a parent or legal guardian gave active consent to participate. A trained psychologist instructed the students and they completed the self-report questionnaires (as part of a larger questionnaire study) in the classroom setting. The teachers completed the rating form. Students received written feedback on their individual rank order of character strengths and were provided with more detailed information on the meaning of the character strengths in the VIA classification. The presented data were collected as a part of a larger project. Whereas Weber et al. (2014) focused on the relationships between character strengths, school-related positive affect, and school achievement in students attending different school types, the present study uses a subset of the sample used by Weber et al. (2014) , i.e., only primary school students, and it investigates the relationships between character strengths, positive classroom behavior, and school achievement.

Data Analysis

The nine character strengths expected to show the most substantial associations were spread out to four of the five higher-order factors (cf. Ruch et al., 2014b ) and five ( Ruch and Proyer, 2015 ) or six ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ) of the six ubiquitous virtues, so we decided to analyze the data on the level of single strengths instead of on the level of factors. For an initial examination, we computed descriptive statistics of the self-rated character strengths. Furthermore, internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) and correlations with students’ age and sex were computed. Since we observed some age and sex differences in our variables of interest, we decided to control for the influence of these demographic variables in the further analyses. As a second step, we computed partial correlations between character strengths, positive classroom behavior, and school achievement, while controlling for students’ age and sex. In addition, we computed hierarchical multiple regression analyses (controlling for age and sex in the first step) and tested the incremental effect (change in adjusted R 2 ) of the 24 character strengths entered in the second step. As a final step, we conducted mediation analyses to test the direct and indirect effects of character strengths on school success. The mediation model is displayed in Figure Figure1. 1 . Mediation analyses were conducted with the help of an SPSS macro using bootstrapping with z = 5,000 resamples to compute 99.6% confidence intervals (corrected for multiple comparisons) for the indirect effects ( Hayes, 2013 ). Standardized values of all variables were used in the mediation analyses.

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The mediating role of positive classroom behavior in explaining the relation between 24 character strengths and school achievement; indirect effects tested separately for each of the character strengths .

Preliminary Analyses and Relationships between Character Strengths, Positive Classroom Behavior, and School Achievement

The results of the preliminary analyses are displayed in Table Table1. 1 . Means for the VIA-Youth ranged between 3.31 (leadership) and 4.13 (gratitude), and were comparable to the means reported in Ruch et al. (2014b) . Also in line with previous findings ( Park and Peterson, 2006 ; Ruch et al., 2014b ), there were no substantial correlations with age, and scores on kindness and appreciation of beauty and excellence were higher for girls than for boys. School achievement was negatively correlated with age, and girls received higher ratings in positive classroom behavior than boys.

Means, standard deviations, internal consistency coefficients, correlations with students’ age and sex of all variables, and correlations with positive classroom behavior and overall school achievement .

N = 179. Age: 10–13 years. Sex: 1 = male; 2 = female. VIA-Youth - VIA Inventory of Strengths for Youth; Beauty - appreciation of beauty and excellence; OSA - overall school achievement; PCB - positive classroom behavior (Classroom Behavior Rating Scale). *p < 0.05 (Bonferroni corrected, one-tailed).

As shown in Table Table1, 1 , 15 of the 24 character strengths were correlated with positive classroom behavior with the numerically highest coefficients being found for hope, perseverance, zest, love of learning, and prudence. Similarly, 14 of the 24 character strengths were related to teacher-rated school achievement. Perspective, leadership, perseverance, love of learning, hope, and prudence yielded the numerically highest coefficients. The significant correlations were exclusively positive. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the 24 character strengths when added in a second step (after controlling for age and sex in the first step) explained 19.7% additional variance (adjusted R 2 ) in positive classroom behavior, F change (24,152) = 2.99, p < 0.001, and 23.9% additional variance in overall school achievement, F change (24,152) = 3.47, p < 0.001.

Table Table2 2 shows the results of the mediation analyses ( Hayes, 2013 ). There were total effects for 14 of the 24 character strengths and for most of these (all except creativity and humor), there were indirect effects ( a × b ), which means that the relationship between the character strengths and school achievement was mediated by positive classroom behavior. For perspective and leadership, there was both an indirect and a direct effect. For the remaining character strengths, the results were consistent with a full mediation—there was only an indirect effect and no significant direct effect. Humor was the only character strength that yielded a significant direct effect, but no indirect effect. Thus, the positive relationship between humor and school achievement was not mediated by positive classroom behavior.

Results of mediation analyses for character strengths as predictors of overall school achievement with positive classroom behavior as mediator (controlling for age and sex) .

N = 179. Beauty - Appreciation of beauty and excellence. a—Direct effect of IV (character strength) on mediator (positive classroom behavior). b—Direct effect of mediator (positive classroom behavior) on DV (school achievement). c—Total effect of IV (character strength) on DV (school achievement). c′—Direct effect of IV (character strength) on DV (school achievement). a × b—Indirect effect of IV (character strength) on DV (school achievement) through proposed mediator (positive classroom behavior). a The 99.6% CI obtained for the indirect effect by bootstrapping did not include 0. z = 5000 bootstrap resamples. *p < 0.05 (Bonferroni corrected, one-tailed).

Summary of Results and Limitations

Study 1 was primarily designed to replicate previous findings by Weber and Ruch (2012) , and to extend these findings by looking at whether positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement on the level of single strengths. We found that a large number of character strengths were linked to teacher-reported positive classroom behavior and school achievement, and that many of the relationships with school achievement were fully mediated by positive classroom behavior. Perspective, leadership, and humor (also) showed direct effects on school achievement, independent of positive classroom behavior.

The interpretation of these results is somewhat limited by the fact that the ratings of positive classroom behavior and school achievement were done by only one teacher, and at the same time. In consequence, the two ratings may be somewhat confounded. Also, we only assessed overall school achievement and we do not know how much emphasis the teachers put on academic vs. non-academic subjects, when evaluating the students’ overall school achievement. Even though it can be assumed that these ratings are valid, it would be desirable to obtain the actual grades and ratings of positive classroom behavior that several teachers have agreed on. Especially when studying the relevance of good character in secondary school classrooms, this would be desirable, since students are in touch with a broader group of teachers than they are in primary school. Looking at grades in academic and non-academic subjects separately would also help to better understand what potential mechanisms are involved in the association between character strengths, positive classroom behavior, and school achievement.

Study 2 aims at extending the findings of Study 1 in three ways: (a) by studying students in secondary school, (b) by using a rating system for positive behavior that has been established in schools and reflects the perspective of several teachers, and (c) by studying associations with actual grades in both academic and non-academic subjects. We expect that the results of Study 1 will be replicated in Study 2, although different measures for both positive classroom behavior and school achievement are used.

We expect somewhat lower effect sizes, since previous research has shown that personality traits tend to play a stronger role in predicting achievement on the primary school level than on secondary school level ( Poropat, 2009 ). Similarly, we expect the correlation between positive classroom behavior and school achievement to be somewhat lower, while still substantial. As a consequence, we also expect that there will be fewer character strengths showing an indirect effect on school achievement through positive classroom. More importantly, we expect stronger relationships for grades in academic than for grades in non-academic subjects, since character strengths should support achievement-related behavior especially in those subjects that require sustained effort and that are less dependent of a specific talent, such as musicality.

The sample consisted of 199 German-speaking secondary school students (53.3% females) attending the seventh to ninth grade. 37.2% of the students attended a secondary school with basic requirements (qualifying them to begin an apprenticeship after graduation) and 62.8% attended a secondary school with augmented requirements (qualifying them to attend to higher education like university after graduation). Their mean age was 14.42 years ( SD = 1.19; ranging from 12 to 17 years). The majority (76.4%) of participants were Swiss citizens (including dual citizens).

We used the German version ( Ruch et al., 2014b ) of the VIA-Youth ( Park and Peterson, 2006 ) to assess self-reported character strengths . In Study 2, the internal consistency coefficients of the 24 VIA-Youth scales yielded a median of α = 0.78. Only one scale had an alpha coefficient below 0.65 (modesty: α = 0.64) and 22 of the 24 yielded coefficients > 0.70.

The positive classroom behavior teacher ratings is a standard used by schools in Switzerland to describe positive behavior in the classroom. In this study, we used ratings of achievement-related (e.g., “works diligently and reliably”) and social behavior (“is considerate toward other students”). The seven items that were rated on a 4-point response scale (from 1 = “inadequate” to 4 = “very good”) showed a high content overlap with the items of the CBRS ( Weber and Ruch, 2012 ). These ratings were given by the respective students’ teachers collectively and discussed during a teacher meeting. We tested the dimensionality of the teacher ratings using principal component analysis. One eigenvalue exceeded unity (eigenvalues were 3.76, 0.85, 0.66, 0.60, 0.45, 0.35, etc.) and this first factor explained 53.7% of the variance. Parallel analysis ( Horn, 1965 ) suggested unidimensionality as well. Corrected item-total correlations ranged from r = 0.52 to r = 0.71 (mean r = 0.62), and the ratings showed a high internal consistency in the present study (α = 0.85). In the analyses, we consequently used a mean score across all seven items.

School achievement was operationalized by students’ grades that were provided by the schools’ administration offices. Grades were coded on a scale ranging from 1 = “inadequate” to 6 = “very good” (allowing for half points), with all grades of 4 and higher representing an evaluation of satisfactory achievement, and 3.5 and lower describing unsatisfactory achievement. We computed students’ GPAs as an average across all academic subjects (mathematics, German, French, and English language, history, and science; i.e., excluding music, arts, and physical education). We also calculated an average across grades in mathematics and German language (MG), the two grades commonly considered most important, and an average for grades in non-academic subjects (NA; including art, music, and physical education).

Data for this study were collected in 14 classrooms of four secondary schools in German-speaking Switzerland, which represented two different educational levels. After obtaining approval by the ethical committee of the philosophical faculty at the University of Zurich, schools were contacted and asked to participate. Students and, in case of participating students under the age of 14 years, also a parent or legal guardian gave active consent.

Classroom teachers were instructed on how to oversee the completion of the questionnaire and how to respond to questions. They read standardized instructions to the students who completed the self-report questionnaire (as part of a larger study) in the classroom setting. Students received written feedback on their individual rank order of character strengths and were provided with information on the meaning of the character strengths of the VIA classification. The schools’ administrative offices provided students’ grades (including the teacher ratings on positive classroom behavior) at the end of the school term, which was a couple of weeks after the data collection had taken place.

In preliminary analyses, we computed means and standard deviations for all assessed variables. In addition, internal consistencies (Cronbach’s alpha) and correlations with age, sex, and school level (basic vs. augmented requirements). To address our research questions, we computed partial correlations (controlling for age, sex, and school level) of the 24 character strengths with positive classroom behavior, and three different indicators of school achievement: GPA, an average across grades in mathematics and German language (MG), and an average for grades in non-academic subjects (NA; including art, music, physical education). As a second step, we conducted mediation analyses to test the direct and indirect effect of character strengths on school success as a third step (see Study 1).

As shown in Table Table3, 3 , means for the VIA-Youth ranged between 3.31 (leadership) and 4.19 (gratitude), and were comparable to the means reported in previous studies as well as in Study 1. There were only a few correlations with age, and scores on bravery, kindness, beauty, and religiousness were higher for girls than for boys. Teamwork, modesty, and hope were higher in students attending schools with augmented requirements, whereas religiousness was higher in students attending schools with basic requirements. Positive classroom behavior was positively correlated with age, and GPA was unrelated to age and sex. Both positive classroom behavior and GPA were higher for students attending schools with augmented requirements than for students attending schools with basic requirements. As some of the variables appeared to be affected by participants’ demographics, we controlled for such influences in subsequent analyses.

Means, standard deviations, internal consistency coefficients, correlations with students’ age and sex of all variables, and partial correlations with positive classroom behavior and overall school achievement (controlling for students’ age, sex, and school level) .

N = 199. Age: 12–17 years. Sex: 1 = male; 2 = female. School level: 1 = basic requirements; 2 = augmented requirements. VIA-Youth - VIA Inventory of Strengths for Youth; Beauty - appreciation of beauty and excellence; PCB - positive classroom behavior; GPA - grade point average (only academic subjects: mathematics, German, French, and English language, history, science); MG - average for grades in mathematics and German language; NA - grades in non-academic subjects (art, music, physical education). *p < 0.05 (Bonferroni corrected, one-tailed).

Perseverance, social intelligence, prudence, self-regulation, and hope were positively correlated with teacher-rated positive classroom behavior (see Table Table3). 3 ). Notably more character strengths were positively associated with school achievement, as operationalized by the grade average across all academic subjects: Love of learning, perspective, perseverance, zest, forgiveness, prudence, gratitude, and hope. Correlations with the average of grades in mathematics and German language were similar (although non-significant for perspective, prudence and gratitude). None of the 24 character strengths correlated with grades in non-academic subjects (art, music, physical education), with zest yielding the numerically highest correlation coefficient ( r = 0.20, p = 0.004).

Multiple hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the 24 character strengths when added in a second step (after controlling for age, sex, and school level in the first step), explained 7.3% additional variance (adjusted R 2 ) in positive classroom behavior, F change (24,170) = 1.92, p < 0.01, 14.8% additional variance in GPA, which was computed across all academic subjects, F change (24,170) = 2.79, p < 0.01, and 13.4% additional variance in Grades in mathematics and German language, F change (24,170) = 2.30, p < 0.01. However, the 24 character strengths explained no significant amount of variance in grades in non-academic subjects beyond the influence of age, sex, and school level, F change (24,170) = 1.45, p = 0.09.

To test the direct and indirect effects of character strengths on school achievement (GPA across academic subjects), mediation analyses were conducted using the bootstrapping procedure suggested by Hayes (2013) . Figure Figure1 1 shows an illustration of the tested mediation model and results are displayed in Table Table4 4 .

Results of mediation analyses for character strengths as predictors of GPA with positive classroom behavior as mediator (controlling for students’ age, sex, and school level) .

N = 199. Beauty - Appreciation of beauty and excellence. a—Direct effect of IV (character strength) on mediator (positive classroom behavior). b—Direct effect of mediator (positive classroom behavior) on DV (school achievement). c—Total effect of IV (character strength) on DV (school achievement). c′—Direct effect of IV (character strength) on DV (school achievement). a × b—Indirect effect of IV (character strength) on DV (school achievement) through proposed mediator (positive classroom behavior). a The 99.6% CI obtained for the indirect effect by bootstrapping did not include 0. *p < 0.05 (Bonferroni corrected, one-tailed).

As shown in Table Table4, 4 , eight character strengths yielded total effects on school achievement, as operationalized by GPA (across academic subjects). Hope yielded both a direct effect and an indirect effect through positive classroom behavior, which is in line with a partial mediation. Perseverance and prudence yielded indirect effects without direct effects, which is in line with a full mediation of the relationship by positive classroom behavior, and there was an additional indirect effect for social intelligence and self-regulation. Love of learning and forgiveness yielded only a direct effect, thus their relationship with school achievement was not mediated by positive classroom behavior.

General Discussion

The present study extends the knowledge on the role of character strengths for positive behavior and achievement at school. We used two different samples to replicate and extend previous findings on the link between primary and secondary school students’ character strengths, positive classroom behavior, and school achievement. Using a sample of primary school students, results of Study 1 showed that hope, perseverance, zest, love of learning, prudence, perspective and self-regulation were most substantially correlated with teacher-rated positive behavior in the classroom. Perspective, leadership, love of learning, perseverance, social intelligence, hope, and prudence yielded the highest correlations with overall school achievement, as rated by the students’ homeroom teachers. For 12 of the 24 character strengths, mediation analyses revealed an indirect effect through positive classroom behavior on school achievement. Using a sample of secondary school students and actual grades, results of Study 2 showed that hope, self-regulation, prudence, perseverance, and social intelligence were related to positive classroom behavior, that eight character strengths were related to GPA across academic grades, and that none of the character strengths was correlated with grades in non-academic subjects. Mediation analyses revealed that the associations with GPA were (partly) mediated by positive classroom behavior for some of the character strengths, but not for others.

There were some striking similarities in the results of both studies. In both studies, perseverance, social intelligence, prudence, self-regulation, and hope were related to positive classroom behavior, and love of learning, perspective, perseverance, zest, prudence, gratitude, and hope were related to school achievement. Compared to typical effect sizes for the relationship between personality traits and academic achievement, the effect sizes that we found for several character strengths are comparable to or exceed those reported for conscientiousness in meta-analyses (cf. Poropat, 2009 ).

Perseverance, prudence and hope were associated with both positive classroom-behavior and school achievement across the two studies presented here. Social intelligence and self-regulation showed replicable associations across both samples only with positive classroom behavior, but were not related consistently with school achievement. Love of learning, perspective, zest and gratitude showed a replicable association with school achievement, but were not consistently associated with positive classroom behavior. When comparing these results to our expectations, eight of the nine character strengths showed the expected associations with school achievement and/or positive classroom behavior across both studies. The ninth strength, teamwork, only showed associations with both variables in Study 1, but not Study 2. In addition, zest was robustly associated with school achievement. While love of learning is specifically related to positive experience while learning new things, zestful students are generally more vital, alert and energetic (cf. Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). Zest is highly related to experiencing positive affective states in general (e.g., Van Eeden et al., 2008 ), but also at school ( Weber et al., 2014 ). This suggests that being zestful is a helpful resource also for school achievement, e.g., by maintaining high levels of energy when being faced with schoolwork.

All character strengths that yielded indirect effects on school achievement through positive classroom behavior in Study 2 (perseverance, prudence, self-regulation, hope) had also yielded indirect effects in Study 1. Hope additionally yielded a direct effect on school achievement in Study 2. The effects of perseverance and prudence on school achievement were fully mediated by positive classroom behavior in both studies. Perseverance and prudence thus seem to be related to school achievement mostly through mechanisms that are observed and appreciated by the teachers. This seems plausible as both of these strengths are theoretically linked with adherence to rules and conforming with expectations, while controlling impulses and feelings that are repugnant to those. Hope, on the other hand, seems to affect school achievement also through mechanisms that are not captured by teacher-rated positive classroom behavior.

There were also differences between the results of the two studies. Most strikingly, the number of character strengths associated with positive classroom behavior and (potentially as a consequence) the number of character strengths whose effects on school achievement were mediated by positive classroom behavior was much higher in the sample of primary school students (Study 1) than in the sample of secondary school students (Study 2). This cannot be explained by differences in sample sizes, which were minor anyway. Study 2 also showed that there were no relationships with grades in non-academic subjects. It is possible that specific talents (e.g., musicality, sportiness) play a more important role for achievement in such subjects. This result also suggests that character strengths are (at least not only) related to school achievement because “being the nice student” will make the grade in just any subject. It seems rather that character strengths facilitate achievement-related behavior that then may lead to better school achievement. The fact that Study 1 considered teacher ratings of overall school achievement which also included non-academic subjects might also account for a portion of the differences in the results between the two studies.

Limitations and Future Research

In the two studies, we used slightly different measures of positive classroom behavior and school achievement. While this can be seen as supporting the robustness of the findings, one could also argue that this makes the results less comparable. Indeed, it is difficult to disentangle which of the differences between the results are accounted for by sample characteristics (age, school type) or by differences in the measures. However, especially the measures of positive school behavior showed a high content overlap and teacher ratings of school achievement at primary school level have been shown to be highly related with actual grades (e.g., r = 0.88 in Spinath and Spinath, 2005 ).

The interpretation of our findings is of course also limited by the cross-sectional nature of the study, which does not allow drawing causal conclusions. While in many cases it seems likely that the character strength contributes to school achievement, in other cases also an opposite influence seems plausible (e.g., gratitude). In order to test such hypotheses, multiple-wave longitudinal studies are needed. It would also be informative to include measures of intelligence in future studies. Although it seems that variance in school achievement explained by personality is largely independent of the variance explained by intelligence, intelligence does play an important role in predicting school achievement, and should not be neglected. It might be especially interesting to study interactions of character strengths and intelligence in predicting academic outcomes.

Both types of teacher ratings that we used to measure positive classroom behavior encompass aspects of positive achievement-related behavior (e.g., behaving diligently) as well as positive social behavior (e.g., showing appropriate conflict management). These two aspects are not clearly separable in the ratings that were used here, and factor analyses clearly suggested a one-factor-solution. This may also be due to the fact that the majority of the items covered achievement-related behavior. However, it might be informative to further develop those ratings to measure the two aspects separately and better understand whether positive classroom behavior is indeed unidimensional or whether it can also be conceptualized in a multidimensional way. With a multidimensional assessment of positive classroom behavior, perhaps additional strengths could emerge as predictors or as stronger predictors of positive classroom behavior.

Similarly, other types of academic outcomes besides grades might be investigated in future studies. For instance, results by Kappe and van der Flier (2010) revealed that the predictive validity of the Big Five personality factors on academic performance varied to some extent with the type of academic outcome (i.e., grade, exam result, essay, team project, or thesis) considered. We would expect certain character strengths to be more strongly related with specific types of academic outcomes than others (e.g., other-directed strengths such as teamwork or fairness should be more strongly related to performance in team projects than in exams).

We also believe that studying the relationship of character strengths with other desired and important outcomes in the classroom, such as positive relationships with teachers and with peers, deserves more empirical attention (cf. Quinlan et al., 2015 ). For a number of character strengths, we speculated that positive relationships in the classroom might be mechanisms by which they might influence behavior and success at school. A promising direction for further research might be to contrast different potential mediators to understand the effects of different character strengths in and outside the classroom better. Our results underline the importance of positive behavior in the classroom as a mediator, but for many of character strengths the effect on school achievement was not completely or at all attributable to differences in positive classroom behavior (e.g., perspective, leadership, and humor in Study 1, and love of learning, perspective, zest, forgiveness, gratitude, and hope in Study 2). Weber et al. (2014) suggested school-related positive affect as a mediator between certain affect-favoring character strengths (zest, perseverance, love of learning, social intelligence), positive school functioning, and school achievement. Including such dimensions of positive experiences, together with variables on the relationships in the classroom, variables assessing cognitive and motivational processes (e.g., achievement goals), and positive classroom behavior, could help determine which are the most relevant mechanisms of each of the character strengths associated with school achievement.

Taken together, results of the two studies reported here and in previous studies ( Weber and Ruch, 2012 ) suggest a rather distinct set of strengths that seem to be most relevant in school. We found it interesting that these are not part of the same factor nor belong to the same virtue. In fact, strengths from four of the five factors reported in Ruch et al. (2014b) were among those consistently correlated with school achievement, positive classroom behavior, or both. However, the present findings hint at the existence of differences in the composition of this set of strengths, depending on the age, the school type, and also the type of outcome studied. Those moderators are not well understood yet. Additionally, an interesting direction for future research would be investigating the application of different character strengths in the classroom. Especially since many interventions build on the application of signature strengths, it would be interesting to see whether findings on the application of character strengths in the workplace (cf. Harzer and Ruch, 2013 ) would generalize to the classroom. A first question would be whether those strengths that yield relationships with desired classroom outcomes such as school achievement are also perceived to be most desirable at school by both students and teachers. Second, it would be interesting to study whether the number of signature strengths a student applies in school is also associated with satisfaction and achievement at school. It is an ongoing debate whether interventions should rather target specific strengths that are seen as most relevant in the school context, or whether they should encourage the identification and application of the individual student’s set of signature strengths (cf. Linkins et al., 2015 ), and potentially also encourage schools to provide opportunities to apply strengths that are not usually seen as relevant for school. In any case, this would have important implications for strength-based interventions.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors like to thank Isabelle Homberger, Sophie Faschinger, Romina Rodriguez, and Silva Ziegler for collecting and entering parts of the data.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement.

$\r\nLisa Wagner,*$

1 Personality and Assessment, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
2 Distance Learning University Switzerland, Brig, Switzerland

Introduction

Character Strengths in Children and Adolescents

Character Strengths and School Achievement

Character Strengths and Positive Classroom Behavior

Positive Classroom Behavior as a Mediator of the Relationship between Character Strengths and School Achievement

Aims of the Present Study

Participants

Instruments

Data Analysis

The nine character strengths expected to show the most substantial associations were spread out to four of the five higher-order factors (cf. Ruch et al., 2014b ) and five ( Ruch and Proyer, 2015 ) or six ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ) of the six ubiquitous virtues, so we decided to analyze the data on the level of single strengths instead of on the level of factors. For an initial examination, we computed descriptive statistics of the self-rated character strengths. Furthermore, internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) and correlations with students’ age and sex were computed. Since we observed some age and sex differences in our variables of interest, we decided to control for the influence of these demographic variables in the further analyses. As a second step, we computed partial correlations between character strengths, positive classroom behavior, and school achievement, while controlling for students’ age and sex. In addition, we computed hierarchical multiple regression analyses (controlling for age and sex in the first step) and tested the incremental effect (change in adjusted R 2 ) of the 24 character strengths entered in the second step. As a final step, we conducted mediation analyses to test the direct and indirect effects of character strengths on school success. The mediation model is displayed in Figure 1 . Mediation analyses were conducted with the help of an SPSS macro using bootstrapping with z = 5,000 resamples to compute 99.6% confidence intervals (corrected for multiple comparisons) for the indirect effects ( Hayes, 2013 ). Standardized values of all variables were used in the mediation analyses.

Figure 1. The mediating role of positive classroom behavior in explaining the relation between 24 character strengths and school achievement; indirect effects tested separately for each of the character strengths .

Preliminary Analyses and Relationships between Character Strengths, Positive Classroom Behavior, and School Achievement

The results of the preliminary analyses are displayed in Table 1 . Means for the VIA-Youth ranged between 3.31 (leadership) and 4.13 (gratitude), and were comparable to the means reported in Ruch et al. (2014b) . Also in line with previous findings ( Park and Peterson, 2006 ; Ruch et al., 2014b ), there were no substantial correlations with age, and scores on kindness and appreciation of beauty and excellence were higher for girls than for boys. School achievement was negatively correlated with age, and girls received higher ratings in positive classroom behavior than boys.

Table 1. Means, standard deviations, internal consistency coefficients, correlations with students’ age and sex of all variables, and correlations with positive classroom behavior and overall school achievement .

As shown in Table 1 , 15 of the 24 character strengths were correlated with positive classroom behavior with the numerically highest coefficients being found for hope, perseverance, zest, love of learning, and prudence. Similarly, 14 of the 24 character strengths were related to teacher-rated school achievement. Perspective, leadership, perseverance, love of learning, hope, and prudence yielded the numerically highest coefficients. The significant correlations were exclusively positive. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the 24 character strengths when added in a second step (after controlling for age and sex in the first step) explained 19.7% additional variance (adjusted R 2 ) in positive classroom behavior, F change (24,152) = 2.99, p < 0.001, and 23.9% additional variance in overall school achievement, F change (24,152) = 3.47, p < 0.001.

Table 2 shows the results of the mediation analyses ( Hayes, 2013 ). There were total effects for 14 of the 24 character strengths and for most of these (all except creativity and humor), there were indirect effects ( a × b ), which means that the relationship between the character strengths and school achievement was mediated by positive classroom behavior. For perspective and leadership, there was both an indirect and a direct effect. For the remaining character strengths, the results were consistent with a full mediation—there was only an indirect effect and no significant direct effect. Humor was the only character strength that yielded a significant direct effect, but no indirect effect. Thus, the positive relationship between humor and school achievement was not mediated by positive classroom behavior.

Table 2. Results of mediation analyses for character strengths as predictors of overall school achievement with positive classroom behavior as mediator (controlling for age and sex) .

Summary of Results and Limitations

As shown in Table 3 , means for the VIA-Youth ranged between 3.31 (leadership) and 4.19 (gratitude), and were comparable to the means reported in previous studies as well as in Study 1. There were only a few correlations with age, and scores on bravery, kindness, beauty, and religiousness were higher for girls than for boys. Teamwork, modesty, and hope were higher in students attending schools with augmented requirements, whereas religiousness was higher in students attending schools with basic requirements. Positive classroom behavior was positively correlated with age, and GPA was unrelated to age and sex. Both positive classroom behavior and GPA were higher for students attending schools with augmented requirements than for students attending schools with basic requirements. As some of the variables appeared to be affected by participants’ demographics, we controlled for such influences in subsequent analyses.

Table 3. Means, standard deviations, internal consistency coefficients, correlations with students’ age and sex of all variables, and partial correlations with positive classroom behavior and overall school achievement (controlling for students’ age, sex, and school level) .

Perseverance, social intelligence, prudence, self-regulation, and hope were positively correlated with teacher-rated positive classroom behavior (see Table 3 ). Notably more character strengths were positively associated with school achievement, as operationalized by the grade average across all academic subjects: Love of learning, perspective, perseverance, zest, forgiveness, prudence, gratitude, and hope. Correlations with the average of grades in mathematics and German language were similar (although non-significant for perspective, prudence and gratitude). None of the 24 character strengths correlated with grades in non-academic subjects (art, music, physical education), with zest yielding the numerically highest correlation coefficient ( r = 0.20, p = 0.004).

To test the direct and indirect effects of character strengths on school achievement (GPA across academic subjects), mediation analyses were conducted using the bootstrapping procedure suggested by Hayes (2013) . Figure 1 shows an illustration of the tested mediation model and results are displayed in Table 4 .

Table 4. Results of mediation analyses for character strengths as predictors of GPA with positive classroom behavior as mediator (controlling for students’ age, sex, and school level) .

As shown in Table 4 , eight character strengths yielded total effects on school achievement, as operationalized by GPA (across academic subjects). Hope yielded both a direct effect and an indirect effect through positive classroom behavior, which is in line with a partial mediation. Perseverance and prudence yielded indirect effects without direct effects, which is in line with a full mediation of the relationship by positive classroom behavior, and there was an additional indirect effect for social intelligence and self-regulation. Love of learning and forgiveness yielded only a direct effect, thus their relationship with school achievement was not mediated by positive classroom behavior.

General Discussion

Limitations and Future Research

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors like to thank Isabelle Homberger, Sophie Faschinger, Romina Rodriguez, and Silva Ziegler for collecting and entering parts of the data.

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Keywords: character strengths, virtues, VIA classification, positive education, adolescents, positive psychology, school achievement, character

Citation: Wagner L and Ruch W (2015) Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement. Front. Psychol. 6:610. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00610

Received: 09 March 2015; Accepted: 23 April 2015; Published: 15 May 2015.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2015 Wagner and Ruch. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Lisa Wagner, Personality and Assessment, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, Box 7, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Why Is Good Behaviour Important In School? (Essay/Paper Sample)

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Why Is Good Behaviour Important In School?

Behavior comprises of the mannerisms and actions exhibited by a person. Good manners are not just about following set rules. Relating well with people, hard work, being able to stand up for oneself and others for the right reasons and knowing how to control emotions are also critical. Instilling discipline in children at an early age makes them grow up confident, respectful and knowledgeable of what is right and wrong. Poorly behaved kids not only create bad publicity but also cause a lot of embarrassment.

Every school has rules and regulations. Breaking them seems easy and fun. Many students see getting into trouble frequently as cool, but this is not the case. It takes gut and courage to constantly do what is right amidst negative pressure. Behaving well attracts favor and honor from peers, parents, school staff, even the administration. All this respect boosts self-esteem. Many would settle for leaders with good conduct. Moreover, well-behaved students always have the best recommendations.

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According to Duckworth and Seligman, good character is more integral to good performance as compared to IQ. (M.E.P, 2005). Morals enable one set priorities. Upright students do not permit any distractions. At school, they only focus on one thing; their quest for knowledge. When everyone else is busy trying to look good, they struggle to excel keeping in mind that their time is coming. They channel all their efforts and concentration to their books. Success in later life is commonly attributed to academic prowess. Directly or indirectly, it is evident that behavior influences people’s life outcomes.

Good behavior sets students apart. Everyone else will use you as a point of reference. Parents would wish for their children to behave like you. Your age mates and those younger than you will always try to put themselves in your shoes before making any decision. In case of any problems, they will run to you for counsel and help because your personality has earned their trust. Overwhelming, right? But it is all in good faith.

The whole issue about good behavior in schools may raise different opinions. Some may think that it’s a plot for the administration to be domineering and strict, making everything about learning boring, definite and predictable; but it is not so. Imagine an institution with self- driven learners; all focused on their education, active in all school activities, following all the set rules, engaging their teachers and guardians adequately in their learning process and presenting their grievances confidently through the right channels. What an epic situation! The school will run efficiently, and classes will be very effective as no one will create distractions of any kind. Learning will even be more fun because more benefits and rewards might be introduced.

In as much as school is meant to instill knowledge, it also presents challenges that can only be overcome by wit and wisdom. Being of noble character from a tender age puts you in a better position to solve more and bigger problems that may arise in the future. Wise people remember lessons learned from their past experiences; good or bad and apply them when a need arises.

Emotional intelligence is a strength very few have. Principles of morality are incomplete without it. Attributes such as self-control, perseverance, and sociability are very essential when it comes to relating with others. It is very common to find students fighting just because one of them bad mouthed another, or one hating a math teacher because of a failed test. Knowing where to direct negative anger emotions helps in building and sustaining relationships. Fighting and hating is not a solution. At times silence is the best medicine. Seeking help can contribute to improving grades and even kill the bad attitude.

The society we live in today is quite rotten. Demanding good behavior from students is quite tall order. Some institutions even go as far as giving incentives for students to behave well. How shameful! Ultimately, winning is the game of those with proper conduct.

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School Stuff
School Discipline

How to Behave In Class

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by César de León, M.Ed. . César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 38 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 586,584 times.

Some students find themselves constantly in trouble at school. There are so many ways to become distracted, and you are hardly alone! If you have trouble paying attention, sitting still, and are getting constantly called out by your teacher, you can still learn to follow the rules and channel your energy into becoming a better student.

Tips for Good Behavior in School

Raise your hand if you wish to speak or ask a question.
Listen to your teacher’s instructions and follow them carefully.
Be quiet and respectful when your teacher or another student is speaking.
Take notes on topics you may struggle to remember or understand.
Sit by classmates who won’t encourage you to make noise or get in trouble.
Participate in class activities to motivate yourself to enjoy the material.

Learning the Rules

Be quiet. Typically, any time after class has started, it is time to be quiet. Save the things you want to say to your friends for later. If you have a question about an assignment, raise your hand when appropriate to ask, write it down to yourself and ask the teacher later.
Avoid sitting with friends that get you in trouble. One of the common ways a student gets loud and disruptive is talking with friends. Sit up front to avoid the temptation to chat during class if you can. There's plenty of time to socialize at recess and lunch and after school. It’s also good to avoid bullies and "fr-enemies" other people who can tempt you into misbehavior. (You can talk to your teacher about this, and maybe pretend that you "have to" sit where you do, to take social pressure off of you.)
Be on time. You need to be in the building when school starts, and you need to be in your seat when class starts. If you're struggling to make it to class on time, looking into time organization skills, material organization skills, and figuring out how much time you really need for transitions.

Step 2 Raise your hand if you want to speak.

Have something specific and brief to say, so you're not wasting class time rambling. The most appropriate time to raise your hand and speak is when you have a question that other students might have, as well. "What pages are we supposed to read for tomorrow?" and "How do you find the lowest common denominator?" are both appropriate questions.
Inappropriate questions include things that are particular only to you, or things that are off-topic. "Why did I get a D?" or "What do you think of LeBron James, Miss Johnson?" are probably both inappropriate (albeit maybe interesting or funny) questions for class. If you want to talk to your teacher about these things, write down your question, and wait until after class.

Don't work on homework for other classes during work time, unless you've been given permission. If you're given time to work on a group project, don't withdraw from the group and sit working on your math homework. You're wasting work time, and the time of others.

If you've got a reputation as a trouble-maker, many teachers will be impressed if you're sincere about wanting to be better in class. Making the effort to talk to your teacher is a good first step in changing the way your teacher looks at you.
Get to know your teacher! Your teacher is a person--not just a teacher! He or she has interests, feelings, and opinions. Getting to know your teacher as an individual may make it easier to listen and respond to him or her. Also, your teacher may get to know you as a person, too! This rapport can make working together a lot easier.

Step 5 Talk to your parents or guardian.

Charter schools, challenge programs, and other kinds of alternatives may be a better fit for you, if you're struggling with your behavior. Talk to your parents about the possibility of switching schools. If your parents are unwilling to listen, talk to a guidance counselor at your current school about the possibilities.

Staying on Task

Step 1 Use your imagination and decide to like the topics.

Don’t “do your math,” pretend to be a rocket scientist learning to plot the paths of rockets, or an astronaut trying to plot your course home from the planet Zebulon 4. Pretend that you're Albert Einstein, cracking the secrets of nuclear energy.
Don't "practice handwriting," pretend that you're translating secret messages from a mysterious government agency, or that you're learning to speak Klingon.
Don't "do your reading," imagine that you're a famous author preparing to give a lecture in front of a crowd of adoring fans, or that you're a supercomputer uploading information into its positronic net.

Taking notes can also help you improve your handwriting, which can help your grades improve and your relationship with your teacher a lot better. No one wants to read chicken-scratches.
Don't worry about listening to the whole lesson at once, just focus on catching the next important thing the teacher says. Go one step at a time.

The textbook or books for the specific class
A pencil, ink pen, or other writing utensil
Enough loose paper or notebook paper to take notes or complete an assignment
A folder or binder for class materials
Your homework, fully completed

Step 4 Get involved in the class discussions.

If you're struggling, find out about tutoring or homework help available at your school. Many schools have free tutoring programs after school that are available to students who want to improve their grades and get a little help, which everybody needs sometimes.

Avoiding Trouble

The class clowns will always stand out, but that doesn't mean that these students are the best kind of friends you could make. Look to the quiet kids and try to hang out at recess, or sit with someone you don't normally talk to during lunch to find out if you get along.
Don't be afraid to tell your friends that you can't sit next to them because you don't want to get in trouble. If your friends are true friends, they'll understand your desire to avoid getting into trouble and support you.
Sit still. But if you want to behave in class, it's very important that you learn to relax and pay attention to stay on task. The best way to do this is to focus on sitting still. Don't fidget, mess around with the items in your desk, or bother your neighbors. Just sit quietly and listen to the lesson.

Step 2 Have lots of fun outside of school.

Ask your parents to join up with a sports team or other club if you want to have something to do after school. Chess clubs, music clubs, and lots of organizations are available to students looking to get involved and stay busy having fun outside of school.

Step 3 Keep your cell phone somewhere you can’t get to it.

A sleep study at the Harvard Medical School concluded that more sleep means better memory retention. [6] X Research source After being asked to memorize a series of random words, respondents who slept more the night before scored more highly on the test. If you want to improve your behavior and your grades, get more rest.
Don't keep your cellphone next to your bed. Lots of kids–up to 10% according to the National Sleep Study–are awakened regularly and distracted in the middle of the night by their friends or parents texts or Facebook updates on cellphones, making it difficult to settle down and fall asleep. If you're struggling with tiredness throughout the day, keep your cell phone out of reach. [7] X Research source

Falling glucose levels are linked directly to a release in adrenaline, meaning that when your blood sugar dips, your body makes up for it hormonally by running on more adrenaline, making you more irritable and restless. [8] X Research source
Try to avoid candy and soda during lunch. Getting all geared-up on sugar means you'll crash in a few hours, making it very difficult to behave in the afternoon.
If you don't like the meals at school, take some time in the morning to pack a good lunch that you'll enjoy eating. Try to eat some fresh fruit and vegetables, like apples, carrot sticks, or other healthy snacks you enjoy eating.

Expert Q&A

If you mishear a statement, ask the teacher to repeat it. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
Be attentive and take well-structured notes. If you do the job in class, you will have less work at home so this is more productive. The teacher is also there to consult with you if you have any issues. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
Use your time effectively. And always believe you can. If you believe in your self, nothing can stop you. When you go to school always be confident. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

If someone is trying to get your attention, tell them that you're not interested, or better yet, ignore it. Thanks Helpful 111 Not Helpful 7
Do not sit with friends, especially if you usually get in trouble. Even if you're not a troublemaker, the act of not sitting with your friends reduces the urge to talk and mess around. Thanks Helpful 87 Not Helpful 14
Don't bring distractions, such as marbles or collector's cards, to your class. Thanks Helpful 84 Not Helpful 15

Things You'll Need

All necessary supplies for school

↑ César de León, M.Ed.. Educational Leadership Consultant. Expert Interview. 11 November 2020.
↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/snooze-or-lose-memory-ret/
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/teen-angst/201112/twas-the-night-school
↑ https://www.drgreene.com/relationship-sugar-behavior-children/

About This Article

The easiest way to behave in class is to pay attention to the teacher. If you're tempted to talk, don't sit next to any friends who might get you in trouble. Once class has started, try to keep quiet so that you can hear what the teacher is saying and you don’t distract other students. If you have a question or want to say something, raise your hand and wait for the teacher to call on you. If you’re still having a hard time, let your teacher know that you are trying to improve your behavior, so they can explain their expectations and find ways to help you. For tips on how to overcome the temptation to check your cellphone in class, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Issues in Education — Behaviour Policies at School

An Analysis of Behaviour for Learning Policies

Categories: Education System Issues in Education

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Words: 4306 |

22 min read

Published: Dec 5, 2018

Words: 4306 | Page: 1 | 22 min read

Introduction, literature review, policy and guidance, learning theories, school placement experience.

“embody rigour and high standards and create coherence in what is taught in schools
ensure that all children are taught the essential knowledge in the key subject disciplines
go beyond that core, to allow teachers greater freedom to use their professionalism and expertise to help all children realise their potential.”

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Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement

Willibald Ruch

Introduction

Character Strengths in Children and Adolescents

Character Strengths and School Achievement

Character Strengths and Positive Classroom Behavior

Positive Classroom Behavior as a Mediator of the Relationship between Character Strengths and School Achievement

Aims of the Present Study

Participants

Instruments

Data Analysis

Preliminary Analyses and Relationships between Character Strengths, Positive Classroom Behavior, and School Achievement

Summary of Results and Limitations

General Discussion

Limitations and Future Research

Conflict of Interest Statement

Acknowledgments

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article