MORAL EDUCATION AND IT’S IMPLICATION FOR THE CHARACTER FORMATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IMO STATE

The study examined moral education and its implications for the character formation of Secondary School Students in Imo State. Three research objectives and questions were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted philosophical research design because of the nature of research. The researchers collected his data from textbooks, existing records, journals and materials gotten from the internet. In analysing the data,speculative, prescriptive and analytic modes of philosophy were implored. The moral worth of an action is determined by the human will, which is the only thing in the world that can be considered good without qualification. Good will is exercised by acting according to moral duty or law. The study also pointed out that, the basis of moral education is not to teach children a lot of moral contents, but instead to help the children to learn the principles of morality that will form their character. Discipline makes it possible for parents to pass their values and attitudes to their children in an atmosphere of genuine love. The study concluded that challenges teachers face in the teaching of moral education for character formation of secondary school students includes exclusion of moral education in the curriculum, lack of trained teachers, lack of skills which are necessary to make good or reasonable moral decisions and to act on them etc. Also, teachers training and skill acquisition enhance their teaching of moral education. It was therefore recommended that teachers and school administrators should be properly trained to handle the teaching of moral education, ministry of education should include the teaching of moral education in secondary schools, to improve on the character of students and disciplinary measures should always be put in place to check erring students. With this, student’s character can be checked