Below you’ll find my MA dissertation. This one has been a long time coming! The central question is: Can extrinsic rewards be used to induce intrinsic motivation for virtuous behaviour? I first wrote about this controversial question in the final essay of my PGCE in 2022, and then in the first, second, third, and fifth […]
Evaluating the lure hypothesis in the classroom Read More »
Determinism is the idea that the past entails one unique future according to the laws of nature. Free will refers to our ability to exercise control over our actions. There is a tension between these two ideas. Because if the past determines a single future, then it will also determine our actions. Conversely, if we
Why bother rescuing free will? Read More »
(Image: The Water of Life, by Stephen Broadbent) I recently visited Chester Cathedral. Entering the Cloister Garden, I was confronted by a greening sculpture of two ghostly figures, one bent over the other, both holding a bowl. The encircling inscription read: Jesus said, “the water that I shall give will be an inner spring always
Below you’ll find one of two abstracts submitted for presentation at the Phronesis in Theory and Practice conference at the University of Gdańsk. Both were accepted. I chose to present this one, as it drew explicitly on my proposed PhD research. You can find my presentation slides below, too. (You can read the other accepted
Phronesis and virtue internalisation Read More »
My thinking regarding my PhD research often changes. I will use this post to chronicle those changes, starting with my most recent thoughts. As of 26th September 2025: The following is an abstract I wrote for my student profile: Character development involves internalising virtues such as honesty, kindness, and bravery; and a virtue is internalised
The role of reflection in character development Read More »
The sixth module of my MA in Character Education (2022-25) was about leadership. This was my opportunity to articulate a vision for leading character education at my school. I had already critiqued my school’s approach to character education – especially its rewards policy – in several previous essays. Now, I had to think about what
Character is what we do in the toilets! Read More »
Below you’ll find the third essay I wrote for my MA in Character Education (2022-25). In my previous essay, I explored the idea that rewards might be used to kickstart intrinsic motivation for virtuous behaviours, arguing that the hypothesis was at least theoretically plausible. In this essay, I take a step further – designing an
Intrinsic via extrinsic motivation: A possible test Read More »
Below you’ll find a draft article based on the second essay I wrote for my MA in Character Education (2022-25). My tutor was impressed with the essay and suggested I try to get it published. After expanding it into an article, I submitted it to the Journal of Character Education. This was my first experience
Can rewards lead to virtue? Read More »
